Blending single beam RoxAnn and multi-beam swathe QTC hydro-acoustic discrimination techniques for the Stonehaven area, Scotland, UK

Surface properties of the seabed in a 180 km2 area of coastal waters (14-57 m depth) off northeast Scotland were mapped by hydro-acoustic discrimination using single and multi-beam echosounders linked to signal processing systems (RoxAnn for the single beam, and Questor Tangent Corporation (QTC) Multiview for the multibeam). Subsequently, two ground truthing surveys were carried out, using grab and TV sampling. The RoxAnn and QTC-Multiview outputs showed strong similarity in their classifications of seabed types. Classifications generated by QTC-Multiview were used to supervise those based on seabed roughness and hardness indices produced by the RoxAnn system and thereby develop a ‘blended’ map based on both systems. The resulting hydro-acoustic classes agreed well with a cluster analysis of data on sediment grain sizes from the grab sampling, and indicated that the area could be described by distinct regions of surface texture and surficial sediments ranging from muddy sand to boulders and rock

Macrofaunal community inside and outside of the Darwin Mounds Special Area of Conservation, NE Atlantic

Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Recombinant expression and functional characterisation of regiospecific flavonoid glucosyltransferases from Hieracium pilosella L.

Five glucosyltransferases were cloned by RT-PCR amplification using total RNA from Hieracium pilosella L. (Asteraceae) inflorescences as template. Expression was accomplished in Escherichia coli, and three of the HIS-tagged enzymes, UGT90A7, UGT95A1, and UGT72B11 were partially purified and functionally characterised as UDP-glucose:flavonoid O-glucosyltransferases. Both UGT90A7 and UGT95A1 preferred luteolin as substrate, but possessed different regiospecificity profiles. UGT95A1 established a new subgroup within the UGT family showing high regiospecificity towards the C-3' hydroxyl group of luteolin, while UGT90A7 primarily yielded the 4'-O-glucoside, but concomitantly catalysed also the formation of the 7-O-glucoside, which could account for this flavones glucoside in H. pilosella flower heads. Semi quantitative expression profiles revealed that UGT95A1 was expressed at all stages of inflorescence development as well as in leaf and stem tissue, whereas UGT90A7 transcript abundance was nearly limited to flower tissue and started to develop with the pigmentation of closed buds. Other than these enzymes, UGT72B11 showed rather broad substrate acceptance, with highest activity towards flavones and flavonols which have not been reported from H. pilosella. As umbelliferone was also readily accepted, this enzyme could be involved in the glucosylation of coumarins and other metabolite

Bariatric surgery and brain health: A longitudinal observational study investigating the effect of surgery on cognitive function and gray matter volume

Dietary modifications leading to weight loss have been suggested as a means to improve brain health. In morbid obesity, bariatric surgery (BARS)—including different procedures, such as vertical sleeve gastrectomy (VSG), gastric banding (GB), or Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) surgery—is performed to induce rapid weight loss. Combining reduced food intake and malabsorption of nutrients, RYGB might be most effective, but requires life-long follow-up treatment. Here, we tested 40 patients before and six months after surgery (BARS group) using a neuropsychological test battery and compared them with a waiting list control group. Subsamples of both groups underwent structural MRI and were examined for differences between surgical procedures. No substantial differences between BARS and control group emerged with regard to cognition. However, larger gray matter volume in fronto-temporal brain areas accompanied by smaller volume in the ventral striatum was seen in the BARS group compared to controls. RYGB patients compared to patients with restrictive treatment alone (VSG/GB) had higher weight loss, but did not benefit more in cognitive outcomes. In sum, the data of our study suggest that BARS might lead to brain structure reorganization at long-term follow-up, while the type of surgical procedure does not differentially modulate cognitive performance

The variable influence of dispersant on degradation of oil hydrocarbons in subarctic deep-sea sediments at low temperatures (0-5 °C)

The microbial degradation of petroleum hydrocarbons at low temperatures was investigated in subarctic deep-sea sediments in th e Faroe Shetland Channel (FSC). The effect of the marine oil dispersant, Superdispersant 25 on hydrocarbon degradation was also examined. Sediments collected at 500 and 1000 m depth were spiked with a model oil containing 20 hydrocarbons and incubated at ambient temperature (5 and 0 °C, respectively) with and without marine dispersant. Treatment of sediments with hydrocarbons resulted in the enrichment of Gammaproteobacteria, and specifically the genera Pseudoalteromonas, Pseudomonas, Halomonas, and Cobetia. Hydrocarbon degradation was faster at 5 °C (500 m) with 65-89% of each component degraded after 50 days compared to 0-47% degradation at 0 °C (1000 m), where the aromatic hydrocarbons fluoranthene, anthracene, and Dibenzothiophene showed no degradation. Dispersant significantly increased the rate of degradation at 1000 m, but had no effect at 500 m. There was no statistically significant effect of Superdispersant 25 on the bacterial community structure at either station. These results show that the indigenous bacterial community in the FSC has the capacity to mitigate some of the effects of a potential oil spill, however, the effect of dispersant is ambiguous and further research is needed to understand the implications of its use

Macrobenthic assemblage structure and organismal stoichiometry control faunal processing of particulate organic carbon and nitrogen in oxygen minimum zone sediments

Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Enhanced benthic activity in sandy sublittoral sediments: Evidence from C-13 tracer experiments

In situ and on-board pulse-chase experiments were carried out on a sublittoral fine sand in the German Bight (southern North Sea) to investigate the hypothesis that sandy sediments are highly active and have fast turnover rates. To test this hypothesis, we conducted a series of experiments where we investigated the pathway of settling particulate organic carbon through the benthic food web. The diatom Ditylum brightwellii was labelled with the stable carbon isotope 13C and injected into incubation chambers. On-board incubations lasted 12, 30 and 132 h, while the in situ experiment was incubated for 32 h. The study revealed a stepwise short-term processing of a phytoplankton bloom settling on a sandy sediment. After the 12 h incubation, the largest fraction of recovered carbon was in the bacteria (62%), but after longer incubation times (30 and 32 h in situ) the macrofauna gained more importance (15 and 48%, respectively), until after 132 h the greatest fraction was mineralized to CO2 (44%). Our findings show the rapid impact of the benthic sand community on a settling phytoplankton bloom and the great importance of bacteria in the first steps of algal carbon processing

Magnetism and superconductivity driven by identical 4ff states in a heavy-fermion metal

The apparently inimical relationship between magnetism and superconductivity has come under increasing scrutiny in a wide range of material classes, where the free energy landscape conspires to bring them in close proximity to each other. This is particularly the case when these phases microscopically interpenetrate, though the manner in which this can be accomplished remains to be fully comprehended. Here, we present combined measurements of elastic neutron scattering, magnetotransport, and heat capacity on a prototypical heavy fermion system, in which antiferromagnetism and superconductivity are observed. Monitoring the response of these states to the presence of the other, as well as to external thermal and magnetic perturbations, points to the possibility that they emerge from different parts of the Fermi surface. This enables a single 4$f$ state to be both localized and itinerant, thus accounting for the coexistence of magnetism and superconductivity.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figure

Statistical learning and big data applications

The amount of data generated in the field of laboratory medicine has grown to an extent that conventional laboratory information systems (LISs) are struggling to manage and analyze this complex, entangled information (“Big Data”). Statistical learning, a generalized framework from machine learning (ML) and artificial intelligence (AI) is predestined for processing “Big Data” and holds the potential to revolutionize the field of laboratory medicine. Personalized medicine may in particular benefit from AI-based systems, especially when coupled with readily available wearables and smartphones which can collect health data from individual patients and offer new, cost-effective access routes to healthcare for patients worldwide. The amount of personal data collected, however, also raises concerns about patient-privacy and calls for clear ethical guidelines for “Big Data” research, including rigorous quality checks of data and algorithms to eliminate underlying bias and enable transparency. Likewise, novel federated privacy-preserving data processing approaches may reduce the need for centralized data storage. Generative AI-systems including large language models such as ChatGPT currently enter the stage to reshape clinical research, clinical decision-support systems, and healthcare delivery. In our opinion, AI-based systems have a tremendous potential to transform laboratory medicine, however, their opportunities should be weighed against the risks carefully. Despite all enthusiasm, we advocate for stringent added-value assessments, just as for any new drug or treatment. Human experts should carefully validate AI-based systems, including patient-privacy protection, to ensure quality, transparency, and public acceptance. In this opinion paper, data prerequisites, recent developments, chances, and limitations of statistical learning approaches are highlighted