scholarly journals First insights into the impacts of benthic cyanobacterial mats on fish herbivory functions on a nearshore coral reef

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Amanda K. Ford ◽  
Petra M. Visser ◽  
Maria J. van Herk ◽  
Evelien Jongepier ◽  
Victor Bonito
Keyword(s):  
Functional Groups ◽  
Amplicon Sequencing ◽  
Herbivorous Fish ◽  
Good Representation ◽  
Cyanobacterial Mats ◽  
Fundamental Knowledge ◽  
Fish Herbivory ◽  
Video Observations ◽  
Inshore Reef ◽  
Insight Into

AbstractBenthic cyanobacterial mats (BCMs) are becoming increasingly common on coral reefs. In Fiji, blooms generally occur in nearshore areas during warm months but some are starting to prevail through cold months. Many fundamental knowledge gaps about BCM proliferation remain, including their composition and how they influence reef processes. This study examined a seasonal BCM bloom occurring in a 17-year-old no-take inshore reef area in Fiji. Surveys quantified the coverage of various BCM-types and estimated the biomass of key herbivorous fish functional groups. Using remote video observations, we compared fish herbivory (bite rates) on substrate covered primarily by BCMs (> 50%) to substrate lacking BCMs (< 10%) and looked for indications of fish (opportunistically) consuming BCMs. Samples of different BCM-types were analysed by microscopy and next-generation amplicon sequencing (16S rRNA). In total, BCMs covered 51 ± 4% (mean ± s.e.m) of the benthos. Herbivorous fish biomass was relatively high (212 ± 36 kg/ha) with good representation across functional groups. Bite rates were significantly reduced on BCM-dominated substratum, and no fish were unambiguously observed consuming BCMs. Seven different BCM-types were identified, with most containing a complex consortium of cyanobacteria. These results provide insight into BCM composition and impacts on inshore Pacific reefs.

scholarly journals Gut Microbiome and Metabolome Profiles Associated with High-Fat Diet in Mice

Metabolites ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (8) ◽  
pp. 482
Author(s):  
Jae-Kwon Jo ◽  
Seung-Ho Seo ◽  
Seong-Eun Park ◽  
Hyun-Woo Kim ◽  
Eun-Ju Kim ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gut Microbiota ◽  
Relative Abundance ◽  
High Fat Diet ◽  
Amplicon Sequencing ◽  
Gas Chromatography Mass Spectrometry ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Rrna Gene ◽  
High Fat ◽  
Underlying Mechanisms ◽  
Insight Into

Obesity can be caused by microbes producing metabolites; it is thus important to determine the correlation between gut microbes and metabolites. This study aimed to identify gut microbiota-metabolomic signatures that change with a high-fat diet and understand the underlying mechanisms. To investigate the profiles of the gut microbiota and metabolites that changed after a 60% fat diet for 8 weeks, 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS)-based metabolomic analyses were performed. Mice belonging to the HFD group showed a significant decrease in the relative abundance of Bacteroidetes but an increase in the relative abundance of Firmicutes compared to the control group. The relative abundance of Firmicutes, such as Lactococcus, Blautia, Lachnoclostridium, Oscillibacter, Ruminiclostridium, Harryflintia, Lactobacillus, Oscillospira, and Erysipelatoclostridium, was significantly higher in the HFD group than in the control group. The increased relative abundance of Firmicutes in the HFD group was positively correlated with fecal ribose, hypoxanthine, fructose, glycolic acid, ornithine, serum inositol, tyrosine, and glycine. Metabolic pathways affected by a high fat diet on serum were involved in aminoacyl-tRNA biosynthesis, glycine, serine and threonine metabolism, cysteine and methionine metabolism, glyoxylate and dicarboxylate metabolism, and phenylalanine, tyrosine, and trypto-phan biosynthesis. This study provides insight into the dysbiosis of gut microbiota and metabolites altered by HFD and may help to understand the mechanisms underlying obesity mediated by gut microbiota.

Correlation between sustainability education and engineering students’ attitudes towards sustainability

2018 ◽  
Vol 19 (3) ◽  
pp. 459-472 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kuok Ho Daniel Tang
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Engineering Students ◽  
Sustainability Education ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Fundamental Knowledge ◽  
Students Attitudes ◽  
Development Course ◽  
Beliefs And Attitudes ◽  
Insight Into

Purpose The purpose of this study is to investigate the impacts of a sustainable development course on the beliefs, attitudes and intentions of a cohort of engineering students in a university in Miri, Malaysia, towards sustainability. Design/methodology/approach Questionnaire survey was conducted among the cohort of students encompassing the three facets mentioned. Findings The respondents expressed low to medium agreement towards all the survey items related to beliefs, attitudes and intentions. A sense of moral obligation towards sustainability is linked to higher sustainability awareness, willingness to safeguard sustainability and a sense of responsibility towards sustainable development. The respondents were generally perceived to have fundamental knowledge of sustainable development. Research limitations/implications This study shows that a sustainable development course called Engineering Sustainable Development offered in a university in Miri, produced positive impacts on the beliefs, attitudes and intentions of the engineering students towards sustainable development. Sustainable development courses are generally instrumental to impart the value and practices of sustainability among university students. Originality/value As limited correlational studies on whether sustainable development courses effectively shape the beliefs and attitudes of students have been previously conducted, this study provides insight into the effectiveness of one of such courses and how the course can be further improved to enhance its effectiveness.

Intelligent Tutoring and Games (ITaG)

2010 ◽  
pp. 44-65 ◽  
Author(s):  
Danielle S. McNamara ◽  
G. Tanner Jackson ◽  
Art Graesser
Keyword(s):  
Conceptual Framework ◽  
Learning Environments ◽  
Functional Groups ◽  
Intelligent Tutoring ◽  
Learning Systems ◽  
Potential Solution ◽  
Learning Gains ◽  
Tutoring Systems ◽  
System A ◽  
Insight Into

Intelligent Tutoring Systems (ITSs) have been producing consistent learning gains for decades. The authors describe here a conceptual framework that provides a guide to how adding game-based features and components may improve the effectiveness of ITS learning environments by improving students’ motivation to engage with the system. A problem consistently faced by ITS researchers is the gap between liking and learning. ITSs effectively produce learning gains, but students often dislike interacting with the system. A potential solution to this problem lies in games. ITS researchers have begun to incorporate game-based elements within learning systems. This chapter aims to describe some of those elements, categorize them within functional groups, and provide insight into how elements within each category may affect various types of motivation.

Demography of Open Source Software Prediction Models and Techniques

2021 ◽  
pp. 620-652
Author(s):  
Kaniz Fatema ◽  
M. M. Mahbubul Syeed ◽  
Imed Hammouda
Keyword(s):  
Open Source ◽  
Open Source Software ◽  
Preventive Maintenance ◽  
Prediction Models ◽  
Journal Article ◽  
Literature Survey ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Fundamental Knowledge ◽  
Future Research Directions ◽  
Insight Into

Open source software (OSS) is currently a widely adopted approach to developing and distributing software. Many commercial companies are using OSS components as part of their product development. For instance, more than 58% of web servers are using an OSS web server, Apache. For effective adoption of OSS, fundamental knowledge of project development is needed. This often calls for reliable prediction models to simulate project evolution and to envision project future. These models provide help in supporting preventive maintenance and building quality software. This chapter reports on a systematic literature survey aimed at the identification and structuring of research that offers prediction models and techniques in analysing OSS projects. The study outcome provides insight into what constitutes the main contributions of the field, identifies gaps and opportunities, and distils several important future research directions. This chapter extends the authors' earlier journal article and offers the following improvements: broader study period, enhanced discussion, and synthesis of reported results.

The origin of different driving forces between O–H/N–H functional groups in metal ligand cooperation: mechanistic insight into Mn(i) catalysed transfer hydrogenation

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 169-179 ◽  
Author(s):  
Li Zhou ◽  
Datai Liu ◽  
Haiyi Lan ◽  
Xiujian Wang ◽  
Cunyuan Zhao ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Catalytic Activity ◽  
Functional Groups ◽  
Driving Forces ◽  
Transfer Hydrogenation ◽  
Bifunctional Catalysts ◽  
Mechanistic Insight ◽  
Insight Into ◽  
Metal Ligand

The origin of different catalytic activity between two structurally similar Lewis basic bifunctional catalysts.

The utility of latent trait models in psychiatric epidemiology

1986 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. 391-405 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. Duncan-Jones ◽  
D. A. Grayson ◽  
P. A. P. Moran
Keyword(s):  
General Health Questionnaire ◽  
Latent Trait ◽  
Good Representation ◽  
Methodological Development ◽  
General Application ◽  
Latent Trait Model ◽  
Trait Model ◽  
Expository Paper ◽  
The Empirical Analysis ◽  
Insight Into

SynopsisLatent trait modelling is a recent psychometric technique with great potential for the construction and refinement of psychiatric instruments. It provides a greater insight into the nature of measurement in psychiatry and the statistical machinery for improving it. This expository paper starts with a non-technical outline of the latent trait model, gives a detailed analysis of the 12-item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ) and examines points raised by the empirical analysis through computer simulation. It is shown that the latent trait model can give a good representation of empirical data and uncover new aspects of a familiar instrument. It provides a precise methodology for evaluating the functioning of a questionnaire and for developing better short instruments. It highlights the need, and provides the means, to tailor instruments for different tasks, such as (a) screening, and (b) measuring over the whole range of the population. We examine scoring in the light of the model, and show that simple scoring is often adequate. While points for further methodological development are noted, it is argued that the method is already sufficiently developed for general application.

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