Coral disease outbreak monitoring program - Implications for management

Seasonal environmental anomalies regularly affect the health of coral communities on the Great Barrier Reef (the Reef), particularly warm sea temperature anomalies in summer and low salinity anomalies following coastal run-off during the wet season. Such events can have severe impacts on corals, particularly those living in near shore habitats, causing stress that is typically manifested as bleaching and increasing their susceptibility to disease. During the 2008/2009 summer, seasonal anomalies occurred in both the northern and central sectors of the Reef. Thermal stress in the northern sector caused a moderate patchy bleaching event and freshwater inundation in the central sector caused a low salinity bleaching event. Selected reef sites, which form part of a long-term program to monitor coral disease annually on the Reef, were re-surveyed following reports of bleaching to evaluate the impacts of thermal and salinity stress on the prevalence of coral bleaching and disease in these two regions

Using bacterial extract along with differential gene expression in Acropora millepora Larvae to decouple the processes of attachment and metamorphosis

Biofilms of the bacterium Pseudoalteromonas induce metamorphosis of acroporid coral larvae. The bacterial metabolite tetrabromopyrrole (TBP), isolated from an extract of Pseudoalteromonas sp. associated with the crustose coralline alga (CCA) Neogoniolithon fosliei, induced coral larval metamorphosis (100%) with little or no attachment (0-2%). To better understand the molecular events and mechanisms underpinning the induction of Acropora millepora larval metamorphosis, including cell proliferation, apoptosis, differentiation, migration, adhesion and biomineralisation, two novel coral gene expression assays were implemented. These involved the use of reverse-transcriptase quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) and employed 47 genes of interest (GOI), selected based on putative roles in the processes of settlement and metamorphosis. Substantial differences in transcriptomic responses of GOI were detected following incubation of A. millepora larvae with a threshold concentration and 10-fold elevated concentration of TBP-containing extracts of Pseudoalteromonas sp. The notable and relatively abrupt changes of the larval body structure during metamorphosis correlated, at the molecular level, with significant differences (p<0.05) in gene expression profiles of 24 GOI, 12 hours post exposure. Fourteen of those GOI also presented differences in expression (p<0.05) following exposure to the threshold concentration of bacterial TBP-containing extract. The specificity of the bacterial TBP-containing extract to induce the metamorphic stage in A. millepora larvae without attachment, using a robust, low cost, accurate, ecologically relevant and highly reproducible RT-qPCR assay, allowed partially decoupling of the transcriptomic processes of attachment and metamorphosis. The bacterial TBP-containing extract provided a unique opportunity to monitor the regulation of genes exclusively involved in the process of metamorphosis, contrasting previous gene expression studies that utilized cues, such as crustose coralline algae, biofilms or with GLW-amide neuropeptides that stimulate the entire onset of larval metamorphosis and attachment. © 2012 Siboni et al

Applications of Direct Injection Soft Chemical Ionisation-Mass Spectrometry for the Detection of Pre-blast Smokeless Powder Organic Additives

Analysis of smokeless powders is of interest from forensics and security perspectives. This article reports the detection of smokeless powder organic additives (in their pre-detonation condition), namely the stabiliser diphenylamine and its derivatives 2-nitrodiphenylamine and 4-nitrodiphenylamine, and the additives (used both as stabilisers and plasticisers) methyl centralite and ethyl centralite, by means of swab sampling followed by thermal desorption and direct injection soft chemical ionisation-mass spectrometry. Investigations on the product ions resulting from the reactions of the reagent ions H3O+ and O2+ with additives as a function of reduced electric field are reported. The method was comprehensively evaluated in terms of linearity, sensitivity and precision. For H3O+, the limits of detection (LoD) are in the range of 41-88 pg of additive, for which the accuracy varied between 1.5 and 3.2%, precision varied between 3.7 and 7.3% and linearity showed R20.9991. For O2+, LoD are in the range of 72 to 1.4 ng, with an accuracy of between 2.8 and 4.9% and a precision between 4.5 and 8.6% and R20.9914. The validated methodology was applied to the analysis of commercial pre-blast gun powders from different manufacturers.(VLID)4826148Accepted versio

Coaching Teachers of English Language Learners

The following qualitative study examined how Reading First Literacy Coaches refined their literacy coaching to meet the cultural and linguistic needs of Hispanic English language learners (ELLs) in 30 elementary schools located along the US Mexico Border. Data were gathered from the coaches through written surveys and a focus group. Findings from the coaches’ practices identified three themes: 1) Coaches understood bilingual programs and the theory underlying such instruction; 2) Coaches supported teachers of ELLs by sharing their knowledge and experiences about ELLs; and 3) Coaches faced challenges in meeting the needs of teachers of Hispanic ELLs. This study is an addition to the literature that describes and contextualizes the work of instructional coaches. It has practical implications for schools seeking to build the capacity of teachers of ELLs. Guidance is suggested related to hiring coaches with special dispositions and the professional development of existing coaches

Instructional Decisions of Elementary Principals for Implementing Dual Language Programs for Emergent Bilinguals

This study explores the instructional decisions made by elementary principals in implementing dual language programs, with a focus on the choice of language for state reading assessments. Utilizing a qualitative phenomenological approach, the research examines the lived experiences of eight principals in a South Texas school district, offering insights into the challenges of maintaining program fidelity while meeting state accountability demands. Key findings highlight the tensions principals face in balancing the integrity of the dual language model with the pressures of standardized testing. The study underscores the need for flexible district policies and enhanced leadership training, advocating for a leadership approach rooted in transformative and social justice principles to better support the academic success of Emergent Bilingual students. This research contributes to the broader understanding of the complexities involved in dual language program implementation and offers recommendations for educational leaders and policymakers

Brazilian Bee Observatory: program for the consolidation of official data on bee mortalities and actions to protect pollinators.

The global decline of pollinators has repercussions on the loss of the ecosystem service of pollination, with consequences for biodiversity and agriculture. The pollinator issue transcends borders and is integrated into the UN's 2030 Agenda Sustainable Development Goals. Monitoring pollinators is essential for interpreting long-term data; however, the scarcity of investments limits these actions. On the other hand, losses of Apis mellifera colonies are often reported lacking technical data. In this scenario, technical monitoring and systematic recording of information on an official data platform are necessary. In this context, the Brazilian Bee Observatory Program is under construction, hosted at Embrapa Meio Ambiente – Jaguaríuna/SP, jointly coordinated with the Ministério da Agricultura e Pecuária, and in collaboration with public and private entities. The Program aims to take actions to mitigate bee mortalities, in line with state health defense, and its objectives are: 1) Strengthen the systematization of response to bee incidents; 2) Consolidate records on the Official Data Platform (POD); 3) Establish a network of laboratories to detect pesticides in bees; 4) Implement capacity-building actions on good agricultural and apicultural practices, and facilitate dialogue between sectors; 5) Encourage the registration of apiaries/meliponaries; 6) Support public policies for pollinator protection. Among the actions carried out, the diagnosis of cases involving bee deaths (RS, SC, PR, SP, MS, MT, GO) stands out, as well as the structuring of the POD and an application for field use, with georeferenced data and a WebGis interface for dissemination, currently undergoing validation. As data is registered in the POD, a better understanding of the causes of bee mortalities and the expansion of mitigation actions will become possible

Brazilian bee observatory: program to mitigate losses of bee colonies.

Bees are essential for maintaining the pollination ecosystem service, necessary forbiodiversity conservation and agricultural growth. However, the decline of pollinators on a globalscale became part of the 2030 agenda, based on the inclusion of pollinators in the SustainableDevelopment Goals established by the UN. In Brazil, bee deaths in different states indicate theneed to identify the causes of incidents, as well as to link this information in a systematic way onan official public platform. In this context the Brazilian Bee Observatory Program, coordinated byEMBRAPA Environment (Jaguariuna, SP, Brazil) together with the Ministério da Agricultura ePecuária, in collaboration with public and private agents, has the mission of supporting actions tomitigate bee deaths in the country, and OBJECTIVES: 1) Strengthen the systematization ofassistance with bee deaths by public agents; 2) Consolidate the records in an Official DataIntegration Platform (POD), with the possibility of establishing a causal link with the agents thatcaused the incidents; 3) Support laboratories dedicated to animal health and detection of pesticidesin bees; 4) Support training actions in good agricultural and beekeeping practices, and dialoguebetween those involved in the theme; 5) Stimulate the registration of apiaries/meliponary to officialinstitutions; 6) Support the development of public policies based on POD data for the protection ofpollinators. The implementation of the Observatory started in August/2022, and the first phaseincluded the diagnosis regarding the resources to deal with incidents with bees with the assistancenetwork of Brazilian states (RS, SC, PR, SP, MS, MT, GO). The second phase, currently underway,is the construction of the POD, an application for use in the field with forms on bee mortality,georeferenced data, and an interface with WebGis for disseminating the data on dashboards. Thesubsequent phases will contemplate the implementation of the POD, training of human resourcesand discussions with different sectors of society aiming to mitigate the deaths of bees in Brazil.The initial steps of the Program inspire optimism, and advances are dynamic and dependent onofficial data records in the POD

Higher host-plant specialization of root-associated endophytes than mycorrhizal fungi along an arctic elevational gradient

How community-level specialization differs among groups of organisms, and changes along environmental gradients, is fundamental to understanding the mechanisms influencing ecological communities. In this paper, we investigate the specialization of root-associated fungi for plant species, asking whether the level of specialization varies with elevation. For this, we applied DNA barcoding based on the ITS region to root samples of five plant species equivalently sampled along an elevational gradient at a high arctic site. To assess whether the level of specialization changed with elevation and whether the observed patterns varied between mycorrhizal and endophytic fungi, we applied a joint species distribution modeling approach. Our results show that host plant specialization is not environmentally constrained in arctic root-associated fungal communities, since there was no evidence for changing specialization with elevation, even if the composition of root-associated fungal communities changed substantially. However, the level of specialization for particular plant species differed among fungal groups, root-associated endophytic fungal communities being highly specialized on particular host species, and mycorrhizal fungi showing almost no signs of specialization. Our results suggest that plant identity affects associated mycorrhizal and endophytic fungi differently, highlighting the need of considering both endophytic and mycorrhizal fungi when studying specialization in root-associated fungal communities.Peer reviewe

Higher host-plant specialization of root-associated endophytes than mycorrhizal fungi along an arctic elevational gradient

How community-level specialization differs among groups of organisms, and changes along environmental gradients, is fundamental to understanding the mechanisms influencing ecological communities. In this paper, we investigate the specialization of root-associated fungi for plant species, asking whether the level of specialization varies with elevation. For this, we applied DNA barcoding based on the ITS region to root samples of five plant species equivalently sampled along an elevational gradient at a high arctic site. To assess whether the level of specialization changed with elevation and whether the observed patterns varied between mycorrhizal and endophytic fungi, we applied a joint species distribution modeling approach. Our results show that host plant specialization is not environmentally constrained in arctic root-associated fungal communities, since there was no evidence for changing specialization with elevation, even if the composition of root-associated fungal communities changed substantially. However, the level of specialization for particular plant species differed among fungal groups, root-associated endophytic fungal communities being highly specialized on particular host species, and mycorrhizal fungi showing almost no signs of specialization. Our results suggest that plant identity affects associated mycorrhizal and endophytic fungi differently, highlighting the need of considering both endophytic and mycorrhizal fungi when studying specialization in root-associated fungal communities.Peer reviewe

Symbiotic status alters fungal eco-evolutionary offspring trajectories

Despite host-fungal symbiotic interactions being ubiquitous in all ecosystems, understanding how symbiosis has shaped the ecology and evolution of fungal spores that are involved in dispersal and colonization of their hosts has been ignored in life-history studies. We assembled a spore morphology database covering over 26,000 species of free-living to symbiotic fungi of plants, insects and humans and found more than eight orders of variation in spore size. Evolutionary transitions in symbiotic status correlated with shifts in spore size, but the strength of this effect varied widely among phyla. Symbiotic status explained more variation than climatic variables in the current distribution of spore sizes of plant-associated fungi at a global scale while the dispersal potential of their spores is more restricted compared to free-living fungi. Our work advances life-history theory by highlighting how the interaction between symbiosis and offspring morphology shapes the reproductive and dispersal strategies among living forms