The effects of environmental conditions on quorum sensing and community interactions in coral-associated bacteria

The coral holobiont contains diverse communities of bacteria that play a role in the maintenance of coral ecosystems, however little is known about the structure and conservation of the host-bacterial relationship. Declines in coral ecosystems have been partly attributed to outbreaks of disease in tropical and sub-tropical regions, which have been linked to increasing temperatures. Bacteria are thought to play a role in some of these diseases, however little is understood about the mechanisms behind disease progression or the series of events involved in the shifts of coral-associated bacteria from conserved, potentially beneficial communities to those including potential pathogens. Investigations into a cold-water gorgonian coral, Eunicella verrucosa, have shown similar bacterial communities to those present in tropical and sub-tropical regions, with high proportions of Spongiobacter and Endozoicomonas genera, suggesting an important role for these associates in the coral holobiont irrespective of location or the presence of zooxanthellae. A shift in bacterial community with disease was also shown, with suggestions that sedimentation and depth may affect the extent of bacterial community alteration. With the increasing knowledge that bacteria exhibit elaborate systems of intercellular communication (quorum sensing; QS) to allow a population response and to control the expression of genes for pathogenesis, antibiotic production and biofilm formation, the present study showed the presence, stability and species-specific nature of N-acyl-homoserine lactones (AHLs; most prevalent type of QS) in situ in a number of coral species. This finding and a high proportion of coral-associated bacteria found producing AHLs suggests an important role for QS in the coral holobiont. Further, AHL signals have been shown to break down in Stylophora pistillata kept at 30 °C, which coincided with a drop in bacterial numbers and a changing bacterial community which included more quorum quenching (QQ; AHL-degrading) bacteria. Temperature was shown to affect AHL-QS in a strain-dependent manner in E. verrucosa isolates, suggesting that the decline seen in S. pistillata is not primarily an effect of temperature. Further experiments with three species of soft coral (Sinularia sp., Discosoma sp. and a gorgonian) showed no such decline in AHLs at 30 °C and instead show a coral-specific response to temperature, including the ability of coral extracts to inhibit putative pathogens. A decline in the ability of crude coral extract to degrade AHLs in the Discosoma sp. and the high QQ activity in crude extract from all three species suggests a role for QQ in the coral holobiont, confirmed by the high percentage of QQ found in coral-associated bacterial isolates; again suggesting a role in the maintenance of bacterial communities. Further investigations attempted to link QS and QQ to antagonism and susceptibility in coral associated bacteria; however these results were inconclusive. The thesis concludes that priority should be given to further research of QS and QQ in the coral holobiont, which will reveal important knowledge that may lead to future mitigation of some forms of coral disease.Plymouth Marine Laboratory and the Natural Environment Research Counci

Philosophy and Dietetics in the Hippocratic On Regimen: A Delicate Balance of Health. By Hynek Bartos

Hynek Bartos does the field of ancient philosophy a great service by detailing the influence of early Greek thinkers (such as Heraclitus, Empedocles, Anaxagoras, Democritus, and Diogenes of Apollonia) on the Hippocratic work On Regimen, and by demonstrating that work’s innovative engagement with contemporary scientific and philosophical concepts as well as its direct influence on Plato and Aristotle. His study usefully counteracts the lamentable tendency among ancient philosophers to ignore or downplay the influence of medical literature on philosophy in general, and to heap scorn on this text in particular, which Kirk, Raven, and Schofield considered ‘an eclectic and very superficial quasi- philosophical treatise’ and Barnes famously called ‘a silly farrago of ill-digested Presocratic opinions’

The Geologic Features of the Occurrence of Copper in North America

Copper is of such widespread natural occurrence in North America and there are so few metal-mining districts that have not contributed to its production that it is obviously necessary in any brief general treatment of the geology of the copper deposits of the continent to restrict the discussion to the districts in which copper is the dominant metallic product. Otherwise the summary would be unreasonably long. The copper deposits of North America may be classified in various ways--with respect to form, genesis, geologic age, distribution, and distinctive features of character or occurrence. On the whole, an areal grouping will probably be most satisfactory. To some extent this will coincide with a classification based on the form or character of the deposits, but there will be notable exceptions. Classification, after all, is merely a human-expedient for systematizing description and for facilitating studies of origin. It is essentially artificial and sets up class distinctions, the legality of which, at least so far as ore deposits are concerned, Nature does not recognize

Early Pyrrhonism as a Sect of Buddhism? A Case Study in the Methodology of Comparative Philosophy

We offer a sceptical examination of a thesis recently advanced in a monograph published by Princeton University Press, entitled Greek Buddha: Pyrrho’s Encounter with Early Buddhism in Central Asia. In this dense and probing work, Christopher I. Beckwith, a professor of Central Eurasian studies at Indiana University, Bloomington, argues that Pyrrho of Elis adopted a form of early Buddhism during his years in Bactria and Gandhāra, and that early Pyrrhonism must be understood as a sect of early Buddhism. In making his case Beckwith claims that virtually all scholars of Greek, Indian, and Chinese philosophy have been operating under flawed assumptions and with flawed methodologies, and so have failed to notice obvious and undeniable correspondences between the philosophical views of the Buddha and of Pyrrho. In this study we take Beckwith’s proposal and challenge seriously, and we examine his textual basis and techniques of translation, his methods of examining passages, his construal of problems and his reconstruction of arguments. We find that his presuppositions are contentious and doubtful, his own methods are extremely flawed, and that he draws unreasonable conclusions. Although the result of our study is almost entirely negative, we think it illustrates some important general points about the methodology of comparative philosophy

WHY GIRLS’ SCHOOLS? THE DIFFERENCE IN GIRL-CENTERED EDUCATION

The past decade has witnessed a remarkable resurgence of interest in all-girls’ education. Following the enactment of Title IX in 1972, the number of single-sex schools declined. By the mid 1990s, only two public girls’ schools remained. What, then, explains the remarkable renaissance that has occurred in just over a decade’s time? What has led to the renewal of interest in girls’ schools? How does an all-girls education differ from a co-educational education? The answers to these questions can be found in a series of interrelated developments in educational theory, gender research, and the link between brain function and the learning process

Investigation into participant experiences of guided self-help interventions for depression

Section A: Presented here is a meta-synthesis of the current literature investigating participant experiences of guided self-help interventions for depression. A total of twelve studies were included within the review which were assessed to be of medium to high quality. Methodological limitations included a lack of author reflexivity and relatively homogenous samples. Findings from the review suggested a range of experience across participants with the perceived suitability and acceptability of the guided self-help intervention playing an important role. Participants largely perceived the guidance offered to be a helpful factor particularly where the supporter was flexible and able to form a good therapeutic alliance. The findings of the review are discussed in light of the limitations and recommendations for future research and implications for clinical practice are discussed. Section B: Presented here is a qualitative study investigating the comparative experiences of participants attending either a guided self-help intervention based on cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT-GSH) or mindfulness based cognitive therapy (MBCT-GSH). Twenty-four participants took part in a semi-structured interview within one month of completing the guided self-help intervention. Interviews were analysed using template analysis, a form of thematic analysis, and presented within the results as a series of themes and sub-themes. The findings discuss the experiences of participants of a novel MBCT-GSH and an established CBT-GSH intervention within clinical settings. Key limitations, directions for future research and implications for clinical practice are discusse

Protrepticus

A new translation and edition of Aristotle's Protrepticus (with critical comments on the fragments) Welcome The Protrepticus was an early work of Aristotle, written while he was still a member of Plato's Academy, but it soon became one of the most famous works in the whole history of philosophy. Unfortunately it was not directly copied in the middle ages and so did not survive in its own manuscript tradition. But substantial fragments of it have been preserved in several works by Iamblichus of Chalcis, a third century A.D. neo-Pythagorean philosopher and educator. On the basis of a close study of Iamblichus' extensive use and excerption of Aristotle's Protrepticus, it is possible to reconstruct the backbone of the lost work, and then to flesh it out with the other surviving reports about the work from antiquity (for example in Alexander of Aphrodisias and other ancient commentators on Aristotle). It is also possible to identify several papyrus fragments of the work, and many references and literary allusions in later authors, especially Cicero, whose own lost dialogue Hortensius was a defense of philosophy modeleld on Aristotle's

Can Religion and Socioeconomic Status Explain Black-White Differences in Alcohol Abuse?

Backgroud: Drinking to a level that causes harm to oneself or others is characterized by several terms in the alcohol literature. These include: alcohol abuse, alcoholism, excessive drinking, heavy drinking, and problem drinking. The latter is the term used throughout the dissertation. Findings across various alcohol measures and across time show that Blacks have lower prevalence rates of problem drinking than Whites. These results appear paradoxical. First Blacks have poorer health status than Whites for many health outcomes such as diabetes, hypertension, and cirrhosis of the liver--a chronic condition attributed to heavy alcohol use. Blacks lower problem drinking than Whites seem contrary to the way social determinants and tension-reduction theories are thought to influence health. According those theories and frameworks, exposure to poor economic and social circumstances are considered socioeconomic status-related stressors, which are risk factors for problem drinking. Blacks therefore would be expected to have higher prevalence rates of problem drinking because they are exposed to a greater number and frequency of poor socioeconomic status conditions, and greater frequency of stressors relative to Whites. Quite often, the typical investigation of Black-White differences in health aims to understand why Blacks have poorer health than Whites. I investigated problem drinking for my dissertation because I thought it was equally important to understand health and behavioral outcomes for which Blacks do better than Whites and to learn about what contributes to that better health. Levels of religious involvement, the salience of religion among groups, and the potential strength of religion to regulate the lives of individuals differ across social statuses such as race/ethnicity and socioeconomic status. That rationale is discussed through historical evolution of religion among Blacks, beginning slavery, through theories attributed to Max Weber and Karl Marx, and through analysis of a passage within the Holy Bible. Given that measures of religion differ across social status, it is plausible then that religion's protective effect on health too is expected to be different across social statuses. My second hypothesis is that the protective benefits of religion on problem drinking will be stronger among Blacks than Whites. My third hypothesis is that lower socioeconomic status is associated with higher levels of religious involvement. My fourth hypothesis is that the protective benefits of religion on problem drinking are stronger among persons with low compared to high socioeconomic status. Finally, I argue that the dual social location of low socioeconomic status and Black race creates an opportunity where the protective effects of religious involvement on problem drinking become compounded. My fifth hypothesis is that the protective effects of religious involvement on problem drinking among Black low socioeconomic status would explain their lower prevalence rates of drinking compared to Whites. Methods: A secondary data analysis was conducted using Wave 2 of the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions (NESARC) among a sample of Non-Hispanic Blacks (n=6, 587) and Non-Hispanic Whites (n=20,161). The main dependent variable was DSM-IV alcohol abuse. A second variable, heavy drinking, which was used for sensitivity analyses, was derived from two variables (1) frequency of consuming 5+ drinks in a single day and (2) largest number of drinks in a single day. The exposure variables were four measures of religious involvement: (1) currently attending religious services, (2) frequency of religious service attendance, (3) count of the number of religious members one interacted with on a social basis, and (4) importance of spirituality in one's daily life. Education and income were the socioeconomic status (SES) variables. Race/ethnicity was a binary variable indicating Non-Hispanic Blacks versus Non-Hispanic Whites. Results: Detailed results of this analysis are presented in this dissertation. Conclusions: Overall, religion measures had a protective effect on problem drinking, but service attendance had the most robust association. It appears that religion and socioeconomic status are not competing factors that potentially explain race-differences, in fact, they work together. There appears to be some support for the perspective that Black-White differences are explained, or at least better understood, when socioeconomic status and religion operate in an interaction model framework. The lack of finding of Black-White differences across all combinations of religion and socioeconomic status, and those differences being dependent on the type of problem drinking measure used limits the ability to generalize to an overall hypothesis. There are some noteworthy contributions this dissertation that advances the state of knowledge on this topic. It appears that the effect of religion on DSM-IV alcohol abuse for Blacks operates under different model assumptions than for Whites. Therefore, statistical comparisons may not tell the full story of Black-White differences and I recommend a renewed focus on race-specific analyses. Two main theoretical contributions emerge from this study. First, these findings suggest that individual religiosity plays an important protective role on problem drinking for equally for Blacks and Whites. The study adds more evidence as to which dimensions of religiosity most salient for protecting against problem are drinking, which is lacking in the research literature. Second, sensitivity analyses showed that the type of alcohol measure one uses to characterize problem drinking has potential implications racial disparities in alcohol research

[re] turned earth a community project for a rhino breeding and ranger training facility in the heart of rooiberg, Limpopo

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