Density and Diversity of Seaweed in Weda Bay Waters, North Mollucas Province

The study on seaweed density and diversity in many substrates was conducted in Weda Bay waters, North Mollucas in 2013. The objectives of this research was to determine the density and diversity of seaweed in many different substrates and to determine the relationship of substrate types and seaweed density and diversity in Weda Bay waters. Data were collected using quadrate transect method and collections. The result showed that the coastal area of Batlol, Weda Bay contained higher density and diversity of macroalgae than other locations with 35 species of 24 families consisting of 14 species of red macroalgae, 12 species of green algae, and 9 species of brown algae. The dominan families of macroalgae were Gracilaria, Acanthophora, Caulerpa, Halimeda, Sargassum, and Turbinaria. The dominant difference of macroalgae in each location was caused by differences in habitat type, e.q., habitat in Batlol consisted of fragments of dead coral, sand, little living coral with vegetation seaweed that dominated by Thalasia hemprizii and Symodacea rotundata. While habitat conditions at other locations experienced severe damage that dominated by chunks of dead coral, dead coral rubble, and sand. Environmental conditions in study regions were considered to be in a good condition to support macro-algae growth

Macroalgae Biomass Productivity in Ambalau Island Waters, South Buru District

Studies on the diversity and density of macroalga have been carried out in Ambalau island waters, south Buru district since 2010. The purposes of this study were to determine the diversity, density, frequency, and the dominance of macroalga in the coastal waters of the Ambalau island. Data collection with squares transect line method were conducted in October-November 2009. The results showed that the coastal areas of Masawoy showed the highest values in diversity, density, frequency, and the dominance of macroalga in the study area with 33 species from 20 genera consisting of 14 species of green alga, 10 species of red alga, and 9 species of brown alga. Caulerpa, Halimeda, Gracilaria, Acanthophora, Sargassum, and Padina were the most dominance in the region. The highest diversity, density, frequency, and dominance of macroalga on the Masawoy coastal waters were due to its habitat conditions in relatively good condition consisting of dead coral rubble, sand, coral live with seagrass vegetation dominated by Thalasia hemprizii and Enhalus acuroides. Meanwhile, habitat conditions at other locations have suffered a severe damage and dominated by dead coral. Environmental conditions in the study region were within the limits of decent support for the growth of macro alga

The Wow Factor? A Comparative Study of the Development of Student Music Teachers' Talents in Scotland and Australia

For some time there has been debate about differing perspectives on musical gift and musical intelligence. One view is that musical gift is innate: that it is present in certain individuals from birth and that the task of the teacher is to develop the potential which is there. A second view is that musical gift is a complex concept which includes responses from individuals to different environments and communities (Howe and Sloboda, 1997). This then raises the possibility that musical excellence can be taught. We have already explored this idea with practising musicians (Stollery and McPhee, 2002). Our research has now expanded to include music teachers in formation, and, in this paper, we look at the influences in their musical development which have either 'crystallised' or 'paralysed' the musical talent which they possess. Our research has a comparative dimension, being carried out in Scotland and in Australia. We conclude that there are several key influences in the musical development of the individual, including home and community support, school opportunities and teaching styles and that there may be education and culture-specific elements to these influences

Bladder Cancer at the time of COVID-19 Outbreak

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Ex Vivo

The measurement of vaccine-induced humoral and CD4+ and CD8+ cellular immune responses represents an important correlate of vaccine efficacy. Accurate and reliable assays evaluating such responses are therefore critical during the clinical development phase of vaccines. T cells play a pivotal role both in coordinating the adaptive and innate immune responses and as effectors. During the assessment of cell-mediated immunity (CMI) in subjects participating in a large-scale influenza vaccine trial, we identified the expansion of an IFN-γ-producing CD3+CD4-CD8-γδ+ T cell population in the peripheral blood of 90/610 (15%) healthy subjects. The appearance of CD3+CD4-CD8-γδ+ T cells in the blood of subjects was transient and found to be independent of the study cohort, vaccine group, subject gender and ethnicity, and ex vivo restimulation conditions. Although the function of this population and relevance to vaccination are unclear, their inclusion in the total vaccine-specific T-cell response has the potential to confound data interpretation. It is thus recommended that when evaluating the induction of IFN-γ-producing CD4+ and CD8+ immune responses following vaccination, the CD3+CD4-CD8-γδ+ T cells are either excluded or separately enumerated from the overall frequency determination

Implementation and strategies to ensure adequate coordination within a Urology Department during the COVID-19 pandemic

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The evolution of the Australian ‘ndrangheta. An historical perspective

This paper explores the phenomenon of the ‘ndrangheta – a criminal organisation from Calabria, South of Italy and allegedly the most powerful among the Italian mafias – through its migrating routes. In particular, by focusing on the peculiar case of Australia, the paper aims to show the overlapping of migrating flows with criminal colonisation, which has proven to be a strategy of this particular mafia. The paper uses the very thin literature on the subject alongside official reports and newspaper articles on migration and crime, mainly from Italian sources, to trace an historical journey on the migration of people from Calabria to Australia in various moments of the last century. The aim is to present the evolution and growth of Calabrian clans in Australia. The topic is largely unexplored and is still underreported among Australian institutions and scholars, which is why the paper chooses an historical approach to describe the principal paths in this very new field of research

Body mass index and outcome in renal transplant recipients: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND: Whether overweight or obese end stage renal disease (ESRD) patients are suitable for renal transplantation (RT) is often debated. The objective of this review and meta-analysis was to systematically investigate the outcome of low versus high BMI recipients after RT. METHODS: Comprehensive searches were conducted in MEDLINE OvidSP, Web of Science, Google Scholar, Embase, and CENTRAL (the Cochrane Library 2014, issue 8). We reviewed four major guidelines that are available regarding (potential) RT recipients. The methodology was in accordance with the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions and written based on the PRISMA statement. The quality assessment of studies was performed by using the GRADE tool. A meta-analysis was performed using Review Manager 5.3. Random-effects models were used. RESULTS: After identifying 5,526 studies addressing this topic, 56 studies were included. We extracted data for 37 outcome measures (including data of more than 209,000 RT recipients), of which 26 could be meta-analysed. The following outcome measures demonstrated significant differences in favour of low BMI (<30) recipients: mortality (RR = 1.52), delayed graft function (RR = 1.52), acute rejection (RR = 1.17), 1-, 2-, and 3-year graft survival (RR = 0.97, 0.95, and 0.97), 1-, 2-, and 3-year patient survival (RR = 0.99, 0.99, and 0.99), wound infection and dehiscence (RR = 3.13 and 4.85), NODAT (RR = 2.24), length of hospital stay (2.31 days), operation duration (0.77 hours), hypertension (RR = 1.35), and incisional hernia (RR = 2.72). However, patient survival expressed in hazard ratios was in significant favour of high BMI recipients. Differences in other outcome parameters were not significant. CONCLUSIONS: Several of the pooled outcome measurements show significant benefits for ‘low’ BMI (<30) recipients. Therefore, we postulate that ESRD patients with a BMI >30 preferably should lose weight prior to RT. If this cannot be achieved with common measures, in morbidly obese RT candidates, bariatric surgery could be considered. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12916-015-0340-5) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users