scholarly journals Assessing coral health in Moorea, French Polynesia after a regional die-off of the coral antagonist, Dendropoma maxima

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Liam O'Malley
Keyword(s):  
Community Structure ◽  
Environmental Changes ◽  
French Polynesia ◽  
Coral Growth ◽  
Strong Positive Correlation ◽  
Growth And Survival ◽  
Positive Correlation ◽  
Cascading Effects ◽  
Positive Effects ◽  
Coral Health

Coral reefs are under pressure from numerous anthropogenic and natural threats. A species of vermetid worm, Dendropoma maxima, has a negative interaction with the corals it lives on. Vermetid worm interactions result in structural homogeneity of reef habitats, reduced coral growth, and increased coral death. Dendropoma maxima and corals have a naturally evolved competitive relationship. Therefore, it is inherent that removal of D. maxima from the environment would alleviate stress to coral associated with vermetid worm activity and lead to increased coral growth and survival. A 2015 die-off of D. maxima in French Polynesia is likely to have had direct positive effects to coral and cascading effects on reef community structure. The aim of this investigation was to contribute to the understanding of vermetid worm and coral interactions by quantifying the extent of stress on corals under reduced vermetid worm densities. This study measured D. maxima size and abundance on several coral types and assessed Porites coral health by the presence of pink lesions and growth along edges of coral. Surveys of D. maxima size and Porites coral health occurred at Temae Reef, Moorea in October and November 2016. Live D. maxima were less than half the size of dead D. maxima. Average size of live D. maxima was different between Porites coral and dead coral substrates and between Top or Side positions. There was a strong positive correlation between number of live D. maxima and number of lesions on Porites coral and positive correlation between live D. maxima and percent of coral death. A positive but insignificant correlation between number of live D. maxima and length of new growth was observed. The die-off of D. maxima in 2015 appears to have positively impacted coral health and the results are important to understanding shifts in community structure and ecological health, especially as environmental changes become more frequent in the future.

scholarly journals Assessing coral health in Moorea, French Polynesia after a regional die-off of the coral antagonist, Dendropoma maxima

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Liam O'Malley
Keyword(s):  
Community Structure ◽  
Environmental Changes ◽  
French Polynesia ◽  
Coral Growth ◽  
Strong Positive Correlation ◽  
Growth And Survival ◽  
Positive Correlation ◽  
Cascading Effects ◽  
Positive Effects ◽  
Coral Health

Coral reefs are under pressure from numerous anthropogenic and natural threats. A species of vermetid worm, Dendropoma maxima, has a negative interaction with the corals it lives on. Vermetid worm interactions result in structural homogeneity of reef habitats, reduced coral growth, and increased coral death. Dendropoma maxima and corals have a naturally evolved competitive relationship. Therefore, it is inherent that removal of D. maxima from the environment would alleviate stress to coral associated with vermetid worm activity and lead to increased coral growth and survival. A 2015 die-off of D. maxima in French Polynesia is likely to have had direct positive effects to coral and cascading effects on reef community structure. The aim of this investigation was to contribute to the understanding of vermetid worm and coral interactions by quantifying the extent of stress on corals under reduced vermetid worm densities. This study measured D. maxima size and abundance on several coral types and assessed Porites coral health by the presence of pink lesions and growth along edges of coral. Surveys of D. maxima size and Porites coral health occurred at Temae Reef, Moorea in October and November 2016. Live D. maxima were less than half the size of dead D. maxima. Average size of live D. maxima was different between Porites coral and dead coral substrates and between Top or Side positions. There was a strong positive correlation between number of live D. maxima and number of lesions on Porites coral and positive correlation between live D. maxima and percent of coral death. A positive but insignificant correlation between number of live D. maxima and length of new growth was observed. The die-off of D. maxima in 2015 appears to have positively impacted coral health and the results are important to understanding shifts in community structure and ecological health, especially as environmental changes become more frequent in the future.

scholarly journals Coral transplantation on a multilevel substrate of Artificial Patch Reefs: effect of fixing methods on the growth rate of two Acropora species

2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (5) ◽  
Author(s):  
M Munasik ◽  
AGUS SABDONO ◽  
AZELIA N. ASSYFA ◽  
DIAH PERMATA WIJAYANTI ◽  
SUGIYANTO SUGIYANTO ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Growth Rate ◽  
Environmental Changes ◽  
Patch Reef ◽  
Concrete Block ◽  
Coral Growth ◽  
Growth And Survival ◽  
Lower Survival Rate ◽  
Shallow Reef ◽  
Patch Reefs ◽  
Central Java

Abstract. Munasik, Sabdono A, Assyfa AN, Wijayanti DP, Sugiyanto, Irwani, Pribadi R. 2020. Coral transplantation on a multilevel substrate of Artificial Patch Reefs: effect of fixing methods on the growth rate of two Acropora species. Biodiversitas 21: 1816-1822. Branching Acropora is generally used in coral transplantation to rehabilitate coral reefs. However, these corals are sensitive to environmental changes. Artificial Patch Reef  (APR) is an artificial structure that provides a multilevel hard substrate. The purpose of the study was to investigate the effectiveness of the APR structure to facilitate the growth and survival of Acropora branching. Two species Acropora aspera and Acropora copiosa were transplanted vertically and horizontally on a modular concrete block in different levels of APR situated in the shallow reef of Panjang Island, Central Java. The results showed that the coral growth rate varied from 96.7 to 346.9 cm3/month, while survival ranged from 30 to 100% after 8 months. Lower survival rate mostly was found in the upper level of APR. The statistical analyses showed that the growth rate of A. copiosa fragment was significantly higher than that of A. aspera  (p<0.05). Moreover, there were also significant differences in the treatments of transplantation method  (p<0.05) to enhance coral growth. However, multilevel substrates were not significantly influenced by coral growth. This study suggested that A. copiosa which has high-level complexity in branching pattern will be selected to apply in shallow reef rehabilitation with transplanted vertically.

scholarly journals The vermetid gastropod Dendropoma maximum reduces coral growth and survival

2010 ◽  
Vol 6 (6) ◽  
pp. 815-818 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeffrey S. Shima ◽  
Craig W. Osenberg ◽  
Adrian C. Stier
Keyword(s):  
Coral Species ◽  
French Polynesia ◽  
Coral Community ◽  
Skeletal Growth ◽  
Coral Growth ◽  
Live Coral ◽  
Potential Importance ◽  
Growth And Survival ◽  
Natural Reefs ◽  
Dendropoma Maximum

Coral reefs are one of the most diverse systems on the planet; yet, only a small fraction of coral reef species have attracted scientific study. Here, we document strong deleterious effects of an often overlooked species—the vermetid gastropod, Dendropoma maximum— on growth and survival of reef-building corals. Our surveys of vermetids on Moorea (French Polynesia) revealed a negative correlation between the density of vermetids and the per cent cover of live coral. Furthermore, the incidence of flattened coral growth forms was associated with the presence of vermetids. We transplanted and followed the fates of focal colonies of four species of corals on natural reefs where we also manipulated presence/absence of vermetids. Vermetids reduced skeletal growth of focal corals by up to 81 per cent and survival by up to 52 per cent. Susceptibility to vermetids varied among coral species, suggesting that vermetids could shift coral community composition. Our work highlights the potential importance of a poorly studied gastropod to coral dynamics.

The Strong Positive Correlation between Factor VII Clotting Activity Using Bovine Thromboplastin and the Activated Factor VII Level

1995 ◽  
Vol 73 (03) ◽  
pp. 429-434 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kazuomi Kario ◽  
Takefumi Matsuo ◽  
Reiko Asada ◽  
Toshiyuki Sakata ◽  
Hisao Kato ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factor ◽  
Bovine Brain ◽  
Factor Vii ◽  
Rabbit Brain ◽  
Strong Positive Correlation ◽  
Chromogenic Substrate ◽  
Moderate Correlation ◽  
Positive Correlation ◽  
Activated Factor Vii

SummaryWe compared factor VII clotting activity (FVIIc) assays using different thromboplastins to determine which is the most sensitive for activated FVII (FVIIa) or for FVII antigen (FVIIag). FVIIc levels were measured using thromboplastins derived from bovine brain (FVIIc Bov), human placenta (FVIIc Hum), and rabbit brain (FVIIc Rab). FVIIa levels were measured by fluorogenic assays using human soluble tissue factor (rsTF) or bovine rsTF. We also measured FVII activity by an amidolytic assay (FVIIc:am Hum) using human thromboplastin and a chromogenic substrate for thrombin. FVIIag levels were determined by ELISA. In the FVIIa assay, the reaction time obtained from using bovine rsTF was shorter than that with human rsTF, suggesting that the interaction of plasma FVIIa with bovine rsTF was stronger than with human rsTF. The plasma FVIIa levels measured using human rsTF and bovine rsTF were almost the same (r=0.947, p<0.0001). Among the three FVIIc assays, FVIIc Bov had the strongest positive correlation with the plasma FVIIa level (r=0.886, p<0.000l), but had no correlation with FVIIag. An increase of 1 ng/ml in the plasma FVIIa level yielded a 27.9% increase of FVIIc Bov. Plasma FVIIc Hum and FVIIc:am Hum showed moderate correlations with both FVIIa (r=0.520, p<0.02 and r=0.569, p<0.01, respectively) and FVIIag (r=0.438, p<0.05 and r=0.468, p<0.05, respectively). FVIIc Rab had the lowest correlation with FVIIa (r=0.367, p<0.1), but had a moderate correlation with FVIIag (r=0.436, p<0.05). After in vitro cold activation, FVIIc Bov levels increased the most and FVIIc:am levels showed the least change. These findings indicate that consideration of the thromboplastin used for assay is necessary when assessing the clinical significance of FVII activity as a cardiovascular risk factor.

scholarly journals Microsatellite Variation and Recombination Rate in the Human Genome

Genetics ◽  
2000 ◽  
Vol 156 (3) ◽  
pp. 1285-1298 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bret A Payseur ◽  
Michael W Nachman
Keyword(s):  
Recombination Rate ◽  
Microsatellite Polymorphism ◽  
Published Data ◽  
Strong Positive Correlation ◽  
Background Selection ◽  
Recombination Rates ◽  
Microsatellite Variation ◽  
Positive Correlation ◽  
Genome Recombination ◽  
Neutral Mutations

Abstract Background (purifying) selection on deleterious mutations is expected to remove linked neutral mutations from a population, resulting in a positive correlation between recombination rate and levels of neutral genetic variation, even for markers with high mutation rates. We tested this prediction of the background selection model by comparing recombination rate and levels of microsatellite polymorphism in humans. Published data for 28 unrelated Europeans were used to estimate microsatellite polymorphism (number of alleles, heterozygosity, and variance in allele size) for loci throughout the genome. Recombination rates were estimated from comparisons of genetic and physical maps. First, we analyzed 61 loci from chromosome 22, using the complete sequence of this chromosome to provide exact physical locations. These 61 microsatellites showed no correlation between levels of variation and recombination rate. We then used radiation-hybrid and cytogenetic maps to calculate recombination rates throughout the genome. Recombination rates varied by more than one order of magnitude, and most chromosomes showed significant suppression of recombination near the centromere. Genome-wide analyses provided no evidence for a strong positive correlation between recombination rate and polymorphism, although analyses of loci with at least 20 repeats suggested a weak positive correlation. Comparisons of microsatellites in lowest-recombination and highest-recombination regions also revealed no difference in levels of polymorphism. Together, these results indicate that background selection is not a major determinant of microsatellite variation in humans.

scholarly journals Changes in Antioxidative, Oxidoreductive and Detoxification Enzymes during Development of Aphids and Temperature Increase

Antioxidants ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (8) ◽  
pp. 1181
Author(s):  
Roma Durak ◽  
Jan Dampc ◽  
Monika Kula-Maximenko ◽  
Mateusz Mołoń ◽  
Tomasz Durak
Keyword(s):  
Antioxidant Enzymes ◽  
Enzymatic Activity ◽  
Antioxidant Enzyme ◽  
Temperature Increase ◽  
Enzyme System ◽  
Life Cycles ◽  
Detoxification Enzymes ◽  
Strong Positive Correlation ◽  
Positive Correlation ◽  
Antioxidant Enzyme System

Temperature, being the main factor that has an influence on insects, causes changes in their development, reproduction, winter survival, life cycles, migration timing, and population dynamics. The effects of stress caused by a temperature increase on insects may depend on many factors, such as the frequency, amplitude, duration of the stress, sex, or the developmental stage of the insect. The aim of the study was to determine the differences in the enzymatic activity of nymphs and adult aphids Aphis pomi, Macrosiphum rosae and Cinara cupressi, and changes in their response to a temperature increase from 20 to 28 °C. The activity of enzymatic markers (superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione S-transferase (GST), β-glucosidase, polyphenol oxidase (PPO) and peroxidase (POD)) in aphid tissues was analysed for three constant temperatures. The results of our research showed that the enzymatic activity of aphids (measured as the activity of antioxidant, detoxifying and oxidoreductive enzymes) was mainly determined by the type of morph. We observed a strong positive correlation between the activity of the detoxifying and oxidoreductive enzymes and aphids’ development, and a negative correlation between the activity of the antioxidant enzymes and aphids’ development. Moreover, the study showed that an increase in temperature caused changes in enzyme activity (especially SOD, CAT and β-glucosidase), which was highest at 28 °C, in both nymphs and adults. Additionally, a strong positive correlation between metabolic activity (heat flow measured by microcalorimeter) and longevity was observed, which confirmed the relationship between these characteristics of aphids. The antioxidant enzyme system is more efficient in aphid nymphs, and during aphid development the activity of antioxidant enzymes decreases. The antioxidant enzyme system in aphids appears to deliver effective protection for nymphs and adults under stressful conditions, such as high temperatures.

scholarly journals Multi-domain probiotic consortium as an alternative to chemical remediation of oil spills at coral reefs and adjacent sites

Microbiome ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Denise P. Silva ◽  
Helena D. M. Villela ◽  
Henrique F. Santos ◽  
Gustavo A. S. Duarte ◽  
José Roberto Ribeiro ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Microbial Community ◽  
Coral Reefs ◽  
Environmental Changes ◽  
Oil Spills ◽  
Anthropogenic Activities ◽  
Oil Contamination ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Corexit 9500 ◽  
Coral Health ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Background Beginning in the last century, coral reefs have suffered the consequences of anthropogenic activities, including oil contamination. Chemical remediation methods, such as dispersants, can cause substantial harm to corals and reduce their resilience to stressors. To evaluate the impacts of oil contamination and find potential alternative solutions to chemical dispersants, we conducted a mesocosm experiment with the fire coral Millepora alcicornis, which is sensitive to environmental changes. We exposed M. alcicornis to a realistic oil-spill scenario in which we applied an innovative multi-domain bioremediator consortium (bacteria, filamentous fungi, and yeast) and a chemical dispersant (Corexit® 9500, one of the most widely used dispersants), to assess the effects on host health and host-associated microbial communities. Results The selected multi-domain microbial consortium helped to mitigate the impacts of the oil, substantially degrading the polycyclic aromatic and n-alkane fractions and maintaining the physiological integrity of the corals. Exposure to Corexit 9500 negatively impacted the host physiology and altered the coral-associated microbial community. After exposure, the abundances of certain bacterial genera such as Rugeria and Roseovarius increased, as previously reported in stressed or diseased corals. We also identified several bioindicators of Corexit 9500 in the microbiome. The impact of Corexit 9500 on the coral health and microbial community was far greater than oil alone, killing corals after only 4 days of exposure in the flow-through system. In the treatments with Corexit 9500, the action of the bioremediator consortium could not be observed directly because of the extreme toxicity of the dispersant to M. alcicornis and its associated microbiome. Conclusions Our results emphasize the importance of investigating the host-associated microbiome in order to detect and mitigate the effects of oil contamination on corals and the potential role of microbial mitigation and bioindicators as conservation tools. Chemical dispersants were far more damaging to corals and their associated microbiome than oil, and should not be used close to coral reefs. This study can aid in decision-making to minimize the negative effects of oil and dispersants on coral reefs.

scholarly journals Vitamin D Status Among Children aged 2 months to 13 years-a Hospital Based Study

2018 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 381-384
Author(s):  
Hem Sagar Rimal ◽  
Shripad J Walavalkar
Keyword(s):  
Vitamin D ◽  
Vitamin D Deficiency ◽  
Urban Area ◽  
Serum Calcium ◽  
Winter Season ◽  
College Teaching ◽  
Vitamin D Insufficiency ◽  
P Value ◽  
Strong Positive Correlation ◽  
Positive Correlation

Introduction: Vitamin D is an important micronutrient having crucial role in calcium and phosphate homeostasis but there is emerging evidence to suggest its role in prevention of infectious, inflammatory and neoplastic diseases. The vitamin D insufficiency/deficiency is a widely recognized problem among children in developed as well as developing countries.Objective: To find out the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency/insufficiency among children aged 2 months to 13 yrs and its correlation with serum calcium, phosphate and demographic factors.Methodology: Prospective, cross sectional, hospital based study conducted at Birat Medical College Teaching Hospital for a period of one year among children presented to pediatric OPD in whom pediatrician had a suspicion of Vitamin D Insufficiency /Deficiency. Venous blood Samples were taken for the estimation of 25(OH) Vitamin D, Calcium and Phosphate. Statistical analysis was done using SPSS software version 16. Results Among 174 children aged 2 months to 13 years, the prevalence of vitamin D insufficiency at the cutoff of <30ng/ml was 82.75% where as no cases of vitamin D deficiency was noted at cut off level of < 10 ng/ml. Children residing in urban area, samples taken in the winter season had higher prevalence of vitamin D insufficiency (p value <0.05). Serum calcium and phosphate level were found positively correlated with Vitamin D level (p<.05). However the relationship was very strong between Vitamin D and Calcium (r=0.402, p-value <0.001) and weak positive correlation was noted with phosphate(r=0.155, p value <0.05).Conclusion: There is very high prevalence of Vitamin D insufficiency among children. The vitamin D insufficiency was significantly higher in winter season as compared to summer. Children living in the urban area are more prone to Vitamin D insufficiency. Moderately strong positive correlation was observed between Vitamin D level and calcium but weak correlation existed with phosphate. BJHS 2018;3(1)5 : 381-384

scholarly journals Spatial Variation of the Relationship between PM2.5Concentrations and Meteorological Parameters in China

2015 ◽  
Vol 2015 ◽  
pp. 1-15 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gang Lin ◽  
Jingying Fu ◽  
Dong Jiang ◽  
Jianhua Wang ◽  
Qiao Wang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Negative Correlation ◽  
Meteorological Parameters ◽  
Semiarid Region ◽  
Strong Positive Correlation ◽  
Annual Average ◽  
Strong Negative Correlation ◽  
Positive Correlation ◽  
Humid Region ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Warm Temperate

Epidemiological studies around the world have reported that fine particulate matter (PM2.5) is closely associated with human health. The distribution of PM2.5concentrations is influenced by multiple geographic and socioeconomic factors. Using a remote-sensing-derived PM2.5dataset, this paper explores the relationship between PM2.5concentrations and meteorological parameters and their spatial variance in China for the period 2001–2010. The spatial variations of the relationships between the annual average PM2.5, the annual average precipitation (AAP), and the annual average temperature (AAT) were evaluated using the Geographically Weighted Regression (GWR) model. The results indicated that PM2.5had a strong and stable correlation with meteorological parameters. In particular, PM2.5had a negative correlation with precipitation and a positive correlation with temperature. In addition, the relationship between the variables changed over space, and the strong negative correlation between PM2.5and the AAP mainly appeared in the warm temperate semihumid region and northern subtropical humid region in 2001 and 2010, with some localized differences. The strong positive correlation between the PM2.5and the AAT mainly occurred in the mid-temperate semiarid region, the humid, semihumid, and semiarid warm temperate regions, and the northern subtropical humid region in 2001 and 2010.

Relationship amongst ResearchGate altmetric indicators and Scopus bibliometric indicators

2015 ◽  
Vol 116 (9/10) ◽  
pp. 564-577 ◽  
Author(s):  
RISHABH SHRIVASTAVA ◽  
Preeti Mahajan
Keyword(s):  
Sample Size ◽  
Correlation Coefficients ◽  
Strong Positive Correlation ◽  
Bibliometric Indicators ◽  
Pearson’S Correlation ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Positive Correlation ◽  
Pearson's Correlation ◽  
Different Characteristics ◽  
The Relationship

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is twofold. First, the study aims to investigate the relationship between the altmetric indicators from ResearchGate (RG) and the bibliometric indicators from the Scopus database. Second, the study seeks to examine the relationship amongst the RG altmetric indicators themselves. RG is a rich source of altmetric indicators such as Citations, RGScore, Impact Points, Profile Views, Publication Views, etc. Design/methodology/approach – For establishing whether RG metrics showed the same results as the established sources of metrics, Pearson’s correlation coefficients were calculated between the metrics provided by RG and the metrics obtained from Scopus. Pearson’s correlation coefficients were also calculated for the metrics provided by RG. The data were collected by visiting the profile pages of all the members who had an account in RG under the Department of Physics, Panjab University, Chandigarh (India). Findings – The study showed that most of the RG metrics showed strong positive correlation with the Scopus metrics, except for RGScore (RG) and Citations (Scopus), which showed moderate positive correlation. It was also found that the RG metrics showed moderate to strong positive correlation amongst each other. Research limitations/implications – The limitation of this study is that more and more scientists and researchers may join RG in the future, therefore the data may change. The study focuses on the members who had an account in RG under the Department of Physics, Panjab University, Chandigarh (India). Perhaps further studies can be conducted by increasing the sample size and by taking a different sample size having different characteristics. Originality/value – Being an emerging field, not much has been conducted in the area of altmetrics. Very few studies have been conducted on the reach of academic social networks like RG and their validity as sources of altmetric indicators like RGScore, Impact Points, etc. The findings offer insights to the question whether RG can be used as an alternative to traditional sources of bibliometric indicators, especially with reference to a rapidly developing country such as India.

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