Phylogenetic Diversity, Host-Specificity and Community Profiling of Sponge-Associated Bacteria in the Northern Gulf of Mexico

Marine sponges can associate with abundant and diverse consortia of microbial symbionts. However, associated bacteria remain unexamined for the majority of host sponges and few studies use phylogenetic metrics to quantify symbiont community diversity. DNA fingerprinting techniques, such as terminal restriction fragment length polymorphisms (T-RFLP), might provide rapid profiling of these communities, but have not been explicitly compared to traditional methods.We investigated the bacterial communities associated with the marine sponges Hymeniacidon heliophila and Haliclona tubifera, a sympatric tunicate, Didemnum sp., and ambient seawater from the northern Gulf of Mexico by combining replicated clone libraries with T-RFLP analyses of 16S rRNA gene sequences. Clone libraries revealed that bacterial communities associated with the two sponges exhibited lower species richness and lower species diversity than seawater and tunicate assemblages, with differences in species composition among all four source groups. T-RFLP profiles clustered microbial communities by source; individual T-RFs were matched to the majority (80.6%) of clone library sequences, indicating that T-RFLP analysis can be used to rapidly profile these communities. Phylogenetic metrics of community diversity indicated that the two sponge-associated bacterial communities include dominant and host-specific bacterial lineages that are distinct from bacteria recovered from seawater, tunicates, and unrelated sponge hosts. In addition, a large proportion of the symbionts associated with H. heliophila were shared with distant, conspecific host populations in the southwestern Atlantic (Brazil).The low diversity and species-specific nature of bacterial communities associated with H. heliophila and H. tubifera represent a distinctly different pattern from other, reportedly universal, sponge-associated bacterial communities. Our replicated sampling strategy, which included samples that reflect the ambient environment, allowed us to differentiate resident symbionts from potentially transient or prey bacteria. Pairing replicated clone library construction with rapid community profiling via T-RFLP analyses will greatly facilitate future studies of sponge-microbe symbioses

Land hermit crabs use odors of dead conspecifics to locate shells

A series of experiments at two tropical locations tested the ability of land hermit crabs Coenobita perlatus (H. Milne Edwards) and Coenobita compressas (H. Milne Edwards) to detect and respond to odors of dead conspecifics. An attraction array compared numbers of crabs attending hidden food odors and dead conspecific odors. Pit experiments tested crab shell-acquisition behaviors at different hidden odors. Bucket experiments confined crabs collected from various categories (feeding crabs, wandering crabs and crabs aggregated at dead conspecific odors) and tested behavioral responses to odors and an empty shell. Land hermit crab behavior at both sites was similar. Crabs were attracted to dead conspecific odors up to 10 times more than to food odors. Crabs attracted to dead conspecifics displayed significantly more shell-acquisition behaviors: touching other crab's shells in an exploratory manner and switching shells if an empty shell was available. In buckets, crabs from each category switched into shells. Results are compared to previous reports of similar shell-seeking behaviors by marine hermit crabs in response to dead conspecific odors. It is suggested that responding to dead conspecific odors for shell source location is an evolutionarily conserved behavior developed before hermit crabs became terrestrial.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/31261/1/0000167.pd

Microbial Symbionts and Ecological Divergence of Caribbean Sponges: A New Perspective on an Ancient Association

Marine sponges host diverse communities of microbial symbionts that expand the metabolic capabilities of their host, but the abundance and structure of these communities is highly variable across sponge species. Specificity in these interactions may fuel host niche partitioning on crowded coral reefs by allowing individual sponge species to exploit unique sources of carbon and nitrogen, but this hypothesis is yet to be tested. Given the presence of high sponge biomass and the coexistence of diverse sponge species, the Caribbean Sea provides a unique system in which to investigate this hypothesis. To test for ecological divergence among sympatric Caribbean sponges and investigate whether these trends are mediated by microbial symbionts, we measured stable isotope (δ13C and δ15N) ratios and characterized the microbial community structure of sponge species at sites within four regions spanning a 1700 km latitudinal gradient. There was a low (median of 8.2 %) overlap in the isotopic niches of sympatric species; in addition, host identity accounted for over 75% of the dissimilarity in both δ13C and δ15N values and microbiome community structure among individual samples within a site. There was also a strong phylogenetic signal in both δ15N values and microbial community diversity across host phylogeny, as well as a correlation between microbial community structure and variation in δ13C and δ15N values across samples. Together, this evidence supports a hypothesis of strong evolutionary selection for ecological divergence across sponge lineages and suggests that this divergence is at least partially mediated by associations with microbial symbionts

Perceptual Inference in Chronic Pain:An Investigation into the Economy of Action Hypothesis

Objective: The experience of chronic pain critically alters one's ability to interact with their environment. One fundamental issue that has received little attention, however, is whether chronic pain disrupts how one perceives their environment in the first place. The Economy of Action hypothesis purports that the environment is spatially scaled according to the ability of the observer. Under this hypothesis it has been proposed that the perception of the world is different between those with and without chronic pain. Such a possibility has profound implications for the investigation and treatment of pain. The present investigation tested the application of this hypothesis to a heterogenous chronic pain population. Methods: Individuals with chronic pain (36; 27F) and matched pain-free controls were recruited. Each participant was required to judge the distance to a series of target cones, to which they were to subsequently walk. In addition, at each distance, participants used Numerical Rating Scales to indicate their perceived effort and perceived pain associated with the distance presented. Results: Our findings do not support the Economy of Action hypothesis: there were no significant differences in distance estimates between the chronic pain and pain-free groups (F 1,60 =0.927; P=0.340). In addition, we found no predictive relationship in the chronic pain group between anticipated pain and estimated distance (F 1,154 =0.122, P=0.727), nor anticipated effort (1.171, P=0.281) and estimated distance (F 1,154 =1.171, P=0.281). Discussion: The application of the Economy of Action hypothesis and the notion of spatial perceptual scaling as a means to assess and treat the experience of chronic pain are not supported by the results of this study

A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF THE DEFENSE SYNDROMES OF SOME NEW ZEALAND MARINE CRUSTACEA

Five sympatric species of intertidal decapod crustaceans were studied in the field and laboratory with regard to the mechanisms used for predator defense. The species are sympatric and represent a gradient from high intertidal ( Cyclograpsus lavauxi ) to subtidal ( Notomithrax ursus ) with Petrolisthes elongatus , Heterozius rotundifrons , and Halicarcinus innominatus intermediate in tidal distribution. We tested the hypothesis that the diversity of defensive features would increase along a tidal gradient from high to low tide. All species were scored in the field for degree of background matching in color and tendency to autotomize appendages. In the laboratory individuals were scored with regard to delay to first movement following disturbance, maximum speed of movement, maximum extent of cheliped extension, and responses to conspecific alarm odors. Maximum sizes for individuals of the different species were obtained from the published literature. The five species varied significantly in the scores recorded for all of the different defensive features. Halicarcinus innominatus matched its background significantly better, Petrolisthes elongatus autotomized the most readily, Heterozius rotundifrons showed the longest periods of immobility following disturbance, Cyclograpsus lavauxi could move the fastest, and Notomithrax ursus reached the largest size. However, all species utilized multiple mechanisms related to predator avoidance. Summation of the rank scores for the seven different features revealed that the magnitude of the overall diversity of defensive features (1) did not vary along the tidal gradient and (2) showed surprisingly little variation among the different species. ___TAGSTART___BR___TAGEND___Cinq espèces sympatriques de crustacés décapodes intertidaux ont été étudiées sur le terrain et au laboratoire quant aux mécanismes utilisés pour la défense contre les prédateurs. Les espèces sont sympatriques et représentent un gradient de l'intertidal supérieur ( Cyclograpsus lavauxi ) au subtidal ( Notomithrax ursus ) avec Petrolisthes elongatus, Heterozius rotundifrons et Halicarcinus innominatus intermédiaire dans la répartition tidale. Nous avons testé l'hypothèse que la diversité des traits défensifs augmenterait suivant un gradient tidal, de la haute à la basse mer. Toutes les espèces étaient notées sur le terrain sur leur capacité à s'adapter à la couleur du milieu et la tendance à autotomiser des appendices. En laboratoire, les individus ont été notés sur le délai jusqu'au premier mouvement suivant la perturbation, la vitesse maximale du mouvement, l'extension maximale du chélipède, et les réponses aux odeurs d'alarmes spécifiques. Les tailles maximales des individus des différentes espèces ont été obtenues à partir des données publiées. Les cinq espèces différaient de façon significative dans les notes obtenues pour tous les traits de défense. Halicarcinus innominatus s'adapte le mieux au fond, de façon significative, Petrolisthes elongatus s'autotomise le plus facilement, Heterozius rotundifrons a montré les plus longues périodes d'immobilité après une perturbation, Cyclograpsus lavauxi se déplace le plus vite, et Notomithrax ursus a atteint la plus grande taille. Cependant, toutes les espèces ont utilisé des mécanismes multiples pour éviter les prédateurs. La somme des notes relatives aux sept différents critères ont révélé que l'échelle de diversité totale des critères de défense (1) ne variait pas suivant le gradient tidal et (2) montrait une variation étonnamment faible entre les différentes espèces.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/43663/1/10613_2004_Article_brill_0011216x_v73n8_s1.pd

Developing a virtual reality environment for petrous bone surgery: a state-of-the-art review

The increasing power of computers has led to the development of sophisticated systems that aim to immerse the user in a virtual environment. The benefits of this type of approach to the training of physicians and surgeons are immediately apparent. Unfortunately the implementation of “virtual reality” (VR) surgical simulators has been restricted by both cost and technical limitations. The few successful systems use standardized scenarios, often derived from typical clinical data, to allow the rehearsal of procedures. In reality we would choose a system that allows us not only to practice typical cases but also to enter our own patient data and use it to define the virtual environment. In effect we want to re-write the scenario every time we use the environment and to ensure that its behavior exactly duplicates the behavior of the real tissue. If this can be achieved then VR systems can be used not only to train surgeons but also to rehearse individual procedures where variations in anatomy or pathology present specific surgical problems. The European Union has recently funded a multinational 3-year project (IERAPSI, Integrated Environment for Rehearsal and Planning of Surgical Interventions) to produce a virtual reality system for surgical training and for rehearsing individual procedures. Building the IERAPSI system will bring together a wide range of experts and combine the latest technologies to produce a true, patient specific virtual reality surgical simulator for petrous/temporal bone procedures. This article presents a review of the “state of the art” technologies currently available to construct a system of this type and an overview of the functionality and specifications such a system requires

Preliminary Assessment of Sponge Biodiversity on Saba Bank, Netherlands Antilles

Background Saba Bank Atoll, Netherlands Antilles, is one of the three largest atolls on Earth and provides habitat for an extensive coral reef community. To improve our knowledge of this vast marine resource, a survey of biodiversity at Saba Bank included a multi-disciplinary team that sampled fishes, mollusks, crustaceans, macroalgae, and sponges. Methodology/Principal Findings A single member of the dive team conducted surveys of sponge biodiversity during eight dives at six locations, at depths ranging from 15 to 30 m. This preliminary assessment documented the presence of 45 species pooled across multiple locations. Rarefaction analysis estimated that only 48 to 84% of species diversity was sampled by this limited effort, clearly indicating a need for additional surveys. An analysis of historical collections from Saba and Saba Bank revealed an additional 36 species, yielding a total of 81 sponge species recorded from this area. Conclusions/Significance This observed species composition is similar to that found on widespread Caribbean reefs, indicating that the sponge fauna of Saba Bank is broadly representative of the Caribbean as a whole. A robust population of the giant barrel sponge, Xestospongia muta, appeared healthy with none of the signs of disease or bleaching reported from other Caribbean reefs; however, more recent reports of anchor chain damage to these sponges suggests that human activities can have dramatic impacts on these communities. Opportunities to protect this extremely large habitat should be pursued, as Saba Bank may serve as a significant reservoir of sponge species diversity

Cotton variety tests, Oklahoma - 2009

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Targeting climate adaptation to safeguard and advance the Sustainable Development Goals

The international community has committed to achieve 169 Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) targets by 2030 and to enhance climate adaptation under the Paris Agreement. Despite the potential for synergies, aligning SDG and climate adaptation efforts is inhibited by an inadequate understanding of the complex relationship between SDG targets and adaptation to impacts of climate change. Here we propose a framework to conceptualise how ecosystems and socio-economic sectors mediate this relationship, which provides a more nuanced understanding of the impacts of climate change on all 169 SDG targets. Global application of the framework reveals that adaptation of wetlands, rivers, cropland, construction, water, electricity, and housing in the most vulnerable countries is required to safeguard achievement of 68% of SDG targets from near-term climate risk by 2030. We discuss how our framework can help align National Adaptation Plans with SDG targets, thus ensuring that adaptation advances, rather than detracts from, sustainable development