North Atlantic Current in model and observations: Transport variability, flow paths and hydrography

The North Atlantic Current (NAC) is subject to variability on multiannual to decadal time scales, influencing the transport of volume, heat and freshwater from the subtropical to the eastern subpolar North Atlantic (NA). Current observational time series are either too short or too episodic to comprehensively study the processes involved, therefore models are used to complement the observations. For this study, moored and ship-based observations from three sections along the NAC pathway, satellite altimetry data and 1/20 degree hindcast VIKING20 model configuration (1960-2008) output are used. They are investigated and compared to describe hydrography, flow field and transport time series. The flow into and out of the NA is monitored at 47 degree N, the flow from the western into the eastern basin of the NA is captured by a section at the western flank of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge (MAR), and the distribution in the eastern basin of the NA is observed at the OVIDE line. These three sections thus provide an extensive picture of the flow

Optical interventions to slow the progression of myopia

© International Centre for Eye Health, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine. Bifocal spectacles, progressive addition spectacles, dual focus contact lenses and orthokeratology each appear to reduce myopia progression

Narratives of identity: Saami identity in the Swedish cultural memory

Sweden portrays itself as a champion of human rights. Simultaneously, it violates the rights of its indigenous Saami population. To understand the dynamics of this duplicity, this interdisciplinary study explores how Saami identity is constructed and perceived in Swedish cultural memory. Avril Bell’s (2014) theory of thesettler imaginary is applied to analyse the narrative on Saami identity in Swedish school textbooks, legislation, political debates, and its historical context. The findings indicate that Saami identity, in Swedish cultural memory, has been constructed by Swedish settlers as authentic, static and incompatible with the majority of society. This image is perpetuated in the present day’s educational and political institutions. Implications of such an image are reflected in discrimination against the Saami

Monitoring and managing microbes in aquaculture - Towards a sustainable industry

Microorganisms are of great importance to aquaculture where they occur naturally, and can be added artificially, fulfilling different roles. They recycle nutrients, degrade organic matter and, occasionally, they infect and kill the fish, their larvae or the live feed. Also, some microorganisms may protect fish and larvae against disease. Hence, monitoring and manipulating the microbial communities in aquaculture environments hold great potential; both in terms of assessing and improving water quality, but also in terms of controlling the development of microbial infections. Using microbial communities to monitor water quality and to efficiently carry out ecosystem services within the aquaculture systems may only be a few years away. Initially, however, we need to thoroughly understand the microbiomes of both healthy and diseased aquaculture systems, and we need to determine how to successfully manipulate and engineer these microbiomes. Similarly, we can reduce the need to apply antibiotics in aquaculture through manipulation of the microbiome, i.e. by the use of probiotic bacteria. Recent studies have demonstrated that fish pathogenic bacteria in live feed can be controlled by probiotics and that mortality of infected fish larvae can be reduced significantly by probiotic bacteria. However, the successful management of the aquaculture microbiota is currently hampered by our lack of knowledge of relevant microbial interactions and the overall ecology of these systems

O modelo de percepção visual SENS|ORG|INT usado na arquitetura: um estudo de caso sobre cores usadas no Ceta Ecotel Macapá, Brasil

O objetivo deste artigo é apresentar um estudo sobre como o uso de cores em ambientes arquitetônicos externos e internos de um hotel brasileiro afetou o comportamento do consumidor. Os resultados são analisados em termos do Modelo SENS|ORG|INT, que diferencia aspectos fisiológicos da resposta humana a cores, de fatores culturais e interpretativos (CSILLAG, 2008). O estudo foi conduzido no Ceta Ecotel, um hotel ecológico na cidade de Macapá no nordeste do Brasil. A metodologia foi de estudo de caso (YIN, 2004), usando um processo de triangulação, cruzando informações obtidas de três pontos de vista: um questionário qualitativo e quantitativo com 50 funcionários do hotel, incluindo os proprietários, um questionário qualitativo e quantitativo com 640 hóspedes do hotel e análise dos dados obtidos usando o Modelo de Percepção SENS|ORG|INT. Os resultados indicam motivos para as cores mais e menos preferidas, apresentando sugestões para uso futuro de cores em projetos arquitetônicos.The aim of this article is to present a study on how the use of colors on the internal and external architectural environments of a Brazilian hotel affected consumer behavior. The results are analyzed in terms of SENS|ORG|INT Model, which differentiates physiological aspects of color human response from cultural and interpretive aspects (CSILLAG, 2008). The study was conducted at Ceta Ecotel, an ecological hotel at the city of Macapá on the northeastern coast of Brazil. The methodology was of a case study (YIN, 2004), using a triangulation process, crossing information obtained from three points of view: a qualitative & quantitative questionnaire with 50 employees of the hotel, including the owners, a qualitative & quantitative questionnaire with 640 guests of the hotel, and analyses of the data obtained using SENS|ORG|INT Model of Perception. Results show consumers’ most and least preferred colors for the environment. Results indicated reasons for the most and least preferred colors, presenting suggestions for future use of colors in architectural projects

Draft genome sequence of <i>Hoeflea</i> sp. strain BAL378, a potential producer of bioactive compounds

Some phytoplankton-associated marine bacteria produce bioactive compounds. Members of the genus Hoeflea may be examples of such bacteria; however, data describing their metabolisms are scarce. Here, we report the draft genome sequence of Hoeflea sp. strain BAL378, a putative producer of bacteriocins, polyketides, and auxins, as demonstrated by genome mining

Associations between binocular vision disorders and contact lens dissatisfaction

Contact lens (CL) dissatisfaction is the condition in which individuals experience feelings of discontentment specifically associated with wearing CLs. CL-dissatisfaction is associated with discontinuation from lens wear, and the most commonly cited reasons for discontinuation are contact lens discomfort (CLD) and vision-related problems. Binocular vision disorders (BVDs) are disorders of either the accommodative or vergence systems. BVDs have been associated with CLD, but their direct contribution to CL dissatisfaction is unclear. This thesis reports on the contribution of horizontal, non-strabismic BVDs to CL dissatisfaction and the effect of CL designs that alter binocular vision (BV) function on CL dissatisfaction in those with a horizontal, non-strabismic BVD. The OSDI is shown to be a suitable instrument to measure CL-dissatisfaction from CLD and BVDs, while the combined ocular symptoms/environmental triggers subscales and vision subscale of the OSDI are also found to be suitable measures of CLD and BVD symptoms, respectively. Protocols were developed and used for the clinical assessment of CLD and diagnosis of a BVD. A significant proportion of myopic, non-presbyopic adult CL wearers were found to have a BVD, and these wearers experienced the same type of BVDs and at the rate as in a normal population. These CL wearers demonstrated a normal proportion of BVDs and BVD-type. BVDs contributed to CL-dissatisfaction independently of CLD, and the presence of both conditions appeared to be additive for CL dissatisfaction, irrespective of BVD-type. Some BVD symptoms were similar to those experienced with CLD, while those with exo-related vergence disorders and low relaxation-related accommodative disorders experienced symptoms similar to CLD compared to other BVD-types. There was no difference between BVD-types for either CL dissatisfaction or BVD symptoms, and the presence of CLD exacerbated BVD symptoms irrespective of BVD type. A centre-near multifocal and an Extended-Depth-of-Focus (EDOF) design both reduced CL dissatisfaction in those with either an eso-related vergence disorder or low stimulation related accommodative disorder, through the provision of near plus and improved negative fusional vergence. Near phoria with the EDOF CL was dependent on BV-status and tended towards minimal disruption of the accommodative/vergence system. The EDOF design may also reduce CL-dissatisfaction in those with an exo-related vergence disorder or low relaxation related accommodative disorder through this minimal disruption of the accommodative/vergence system and improved positive fusional vergence

Longitudinal variability of diazotroph abundances in the subtropical North Atlantic Ocean

Diazotrophy-related studies in the North Atlantic have largely focused on its western tropical area, leaving the subtropics and the east undersampled. We studied the longitudinal distribution of Trichodesmium, UCYN-A, UCYN-B, the putative Gammaproteobacterium g-24774A11 and Richelia (Het1) along 24.58N, using quantitative polymerase chain reaction on different size fractions (10, 10–3 and 3–0.2 mm) and additional filament counts for Trichodesmium. Trichodesmium was the most abundant phylotype, followed by UCYN-A, g-24774A11 and Het1, with maximum abundances of 8.8 ! 105, 2.0 ! 105, 3.3 ! 103 and 3.4 ! 102 nifH copies L21, respectively, whereas UCYN-B was mostly undetected. A clear shift in the diazotroph community was observed at !308W, coinciding with the transition between the North Atlantic Subtropical Gyre boundary and inner core. This transition zone divided the transect into an eastern half dominated by UCYN-A and western half dominated by Trichodesmium and g-24774A11. g-24774A11 was only detected in the 10–3 mm fraction, suggesting their association with larger microbes or aggregates. Our results indicate that typical size fractionation by 10 mm is not optimal for reconciling diazotroph phylotypes to N2 fixation rates and that non-cyanobacterial diazotrophs may contribute importantly to bulk diazotrophic activity in the western subtropical North Atlantic.Consolider-Malaspina (CSD2008-00077), CAIBEX (CTM2007-66408- CO2-02). HOTMIX (CTM2011-30010-CO2-01)Versión del editor1,749