Effects of Habitat-Specific Primary Production on Fish Size, Biomass, and Production in Northern Oligotrophic Lakes

Ecological theory predicts that the relative distribution of primary production across habitats influence fish size structure and biomass production. In this study, we assessed individual, population, and community-level consequences for brown trout (Salmo trutta) and Arctic char (Salvelinus alpinus) of variation in estimated habitat specific (benthic and pelagic) and total whole lake (GPPwhole) gross primary production in 27 northern oligotrophic lakes. We found that higher contribution of benthic primary production to GPPwhole was associated with higher community biomass and larger maximum and mean sizes of fish. At the population level, species-specific responses differed. Increased benthic primary production (GPPBenthic) correlated to higher population biomass of brown trout regardless of being alone or in sympatry, while Arctic char responded positively to pelagic primary production (GPPPelagic) in sympatric populations. In sympatric lakes, the maximum size of both species was positively related to both GPPBenthic and the benthic contribution to GPPWhole. In allopatric lakes, brown trout mean and maximum size and Arctic char mean size were positively related to the benthic proportion of GPPWhole. Our results highlight the importance of light-controlled benthic primary production for fish biomass production in oligotrophic northern lakes. Our results further suggest that consequences of ontogenetic asymmetry and niche shifts may cause the distribution of primary production across habitats to be more important than the total ecosystem primary production for fish size, population biomass, and production. Awareness of the relationships between light availability and asymmetric resource production favoring large fish and fish production may allow for cost-efficient and more informed management actions in northern oligotrophic lakes.

Micro-Aid Liquid 10 Promotes Growth Performance and Health Status of White Shrimp, Litopenaeus vannamei

An experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of the Micro-Aid Liquid 10 (MAL10) (DPI Global, Porterville, CA, USA), a product made from yucca extract, on growth performance, gut microbiota, and resistance of white shrimp, Litopenaeus vannamei against infectious disease caused by Vibrio alginolyticus. MAL10 was added to shrimp rearing water at different levels of 0 (control), 0.25 mL m3−1 (W0.25), 0.5 mL m3−1 (W0.5), 1 mL m3−1 (W1), and 5 mL m3−1 (W5), respectively, once per week for 70 days. Growth performances, including final body weight, specific growth rate, average daily growth and percentage of weight gain, were significantly improved by adding the MAL10 at levels up to 5 mL m3−1, which may be due to the proliferation of B cells in hepatopancreas of MAL10-treated shrimp. No significant differences in the total viable count and Vibrio-like count in the gut of shrimp were recorded by spread plate method. In the challenge test, shrimp reared in the water supplemented with MAL10 at levels of 1–5 mL m3−1 had significantly lower cumulative mortality after a challenge test with V. alginolyticus compared to shrimp reared in the control, W0.25 and W0.5 groups. Next-generation sequencing indicated that the relative distribution of phylum Proteobacteria in control (80.4%) was higher than the W (77.4%). The proportion of Vibrio was primarily dominant genera in the shrimp intestine and highest in the control group compared to the W group, followed by Spongiimonas, Motilimonas, Demequina, and Shewanella genera. Although there was no statistically significant difference, higher α-diversity indices were recorded in the W5-treated group than in the control group. Therefore, it is considered that MAL10 could be used as a natural alternative in shrimp aquaculture to reduce the risk of infectious disease caused by pathogenic Vibrio and improve the growth performance of white shrimp.

Different Sweet Orange‒Rootstock Combinations Infected by Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus under Greenhouse Conditions: Effects on the Roots

Grafting a scion onto a rootstock results in physical and physiological changes in plant growth and development, which can affect tree vigor, productivity, and tolerance to stress and disease. Huanglongbing (HLB) is one of the most destructive citrus diseases and has become endemic in Florida since its introduction in 2005. It is associated with the phloem-limited bacteria Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus (CLas), which cause severe metabolic disruptions in affected plants. Although most scion cultivars are highly susceptible, some rootstock cultivars are tolerant and allow the grafted tree to cope better with the disease. The objectives of this study were to identify rootstock traits that can be used to assess cultivars under controlled greenhouse conditions in advance of longer-term field trials. We used 10 commercially important rootstocks with different genetic backgrounds and known field performance in graft combination with ‘Valencia’ sweet orange scion. Trees were graft-inoculated with CLas and compared against mock-inoculated trees. Tree health and CLas populations were assessed regularly, and root growth was monitored using a minirhizotron imaging system. Plants were excavated and destructively sampled 21 months after inoculation to assess biomass distributions and other CLas-induced effects. We found significant differences between healthy and infected trees for most variables measured, regardless of the rootstock. In contrast to leaf CLas titers, root titers were significantly influenced by the rootstock, and highest levels were measured for ‘Ridge’ sweet orange and sour orange. Root growth and root biomasses were reduced upon infection but differences among rootstocks did not always agree with reported field performances. Despite severe biomass reductions plants maintained their relative distribution of biomass among different components of the root system, and no dead roots were observed. Root respiration was reduced by CLas infection and was overall higher in tolerant cultivars suggesting its potential as a physiological marker. This study improves our knowledge about the strengths and weaknesses of assessing rootstock traits of grafted trees in a controlled greenhouse setting. Results from the study suggest that in addition to HLB tolerance, other rootstock traits will ultimately have major contributions to field survival and productivity of the grafted trees in an HLB endemic production environment.

Simulation of flutter suppression for a transonic fan blade based on plasma excitation

Along with the development of advanced high-performance aero-engines to the higher thrust-weight ratio, further improvement of stage load, the adoption of new materials and new lightweight structures, the aeroelasticity of blade structure is becoming more and more prominent. The high cycle fatigue failure of blades significantly reduces the structural reliability during the process of development and using. At the same time, a large number of failure forms of aero-engine experimental and server can be attributed to aeroelastic problems. Therefore, it is urgent to improve the aeroelastic stability of the blade. One of the most important factors is to suppress the airflow separation, but its mechanism is still unclear. Based on this, this paper combines the aerodynamic damping analysis of energy method with the plasma excitation simulation and references low-speed wind tunnel plasma expansion test to consider the effects of different exciter distributions and intensities on flutter. The results show that stall flutter is related to the flow separation, but the flow separation is not a key factor that determinates whether the flutters occurs or not. Flutter suppression is strongly correlated with the shock wave intensity, amplitude of first harmonic aerodynamic force, low-speed separation and aerodynamic work density. In addition, the relative distribution of the excitation field and the positive work zone also has a direct effect on the suppression of flutter.

Pharmacokinetic Evaluation of Cefazolin in the Cerebrospinal Fluid of Critically Ill Patients

Background The relative distribution of cefazolin into the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) remains debated. Determining the distribution of cefazolin to the CSF in non-infected adults may allow for further treatment applications of cefazolin. This prospective pharmacokinetic study aimed to determine the pharmacokinetic parameters of cefazolin in serum and CSF from external ventricular drains (EVD) in neurologically injured adults. Methods Blood and CSF was collected, using a biologic waste protocol, for cefazolin quantification and trapezoidal rule based pharmacokinetic analysis in a total of 15 critically ill adults receiving 2000mg IV every 8 hours or the renal dose equivalent for EVD prophylaxis. Results A median of 3 blood (range 2-4) and 3 CSF (range 2-5) samples were collected in each patient. The most common admitting diagnosis was subarachnoid hemorrhage (66.7%). Median calculated cefazolin CSF Cmax and Cmin (IQR) were 2.97mg/L (1.76-8.56) and 1.59mg/L (0.77-2.17), respectively. Median (IQR) CSF to serum area under-the-curve ratio was 6.7% (3.7%-10.6%), with time matched estimates providing a similar estimate (8.4%). Of those receiving cefazolin every 8 hours, the median and minimum directly measured CSF cefazolin concentration 4 hours or greater following administration were 1.87 and 0.78 mg/L, respectively. Conclusion Cefazolin dosed for EVD prophylaxis achieved CSF concentrations suggesting viability as a therapeutic option for patients with meningitis or ventriculitis due to susceptible bacteria such as methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus. Further clinical trials are required to confirm a role in therapy for cefazolin. Population-based pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamic modeling may suggest an optimal cefazolin regimen for the treatment of central nervous system infections.

Psychometric Properties of The 26-Item Eating Attitudes Test (EAT-26): An Application of Rasch Analysis

Background: The 26-item Eating Attitudes Test (EAT-26) is a commonly used tool to assess eating disorder risk. The purpose of this study was to examine the psychometric properties of the EAT-26 with a sample of adults (n=469; age=36.17±17.83 years; female =72.5%; white=66.3%; obese BMI category=58%).Methods: Rasch analysis of the EAT-26 assessed model-data fit, an item-person map to evaluate relative distribution items and persons, item difficulty, and person’s eating disorder (ED) risk level, differential item functioning (DIF), and rating scale functioning. Results: A total of 7 misfit items were removed from the final analysis due to unacceptable Infit and Outfit mean square residual values. The item-person map showed that the items were biased toward participants with moderate to high levels of ED risk and did not cover those who had low risk for having an ED (< -1 logits). The DIF analyses results showed that none of the items functioned differently across sex, but 5 items were flagged based on obesity status. The six-category Likert-type rating scale did not function well indicating a different response format may be needed.Conclusion: Several concerns were identified with the psychometric evaluation of the EAT-26 that may question its utility in assessing ED risk. Because the EAT-26 is a frequently used screening tool for nonclinical populations, future work should focus on developing screening tools that are more effective at assessing ED risk in people with overweight and obesity.

Cartographic analysis of the distribution of degraded lands (on the example of the Рoltava region)

Cartographic analysis can be considered as one of the means of the land monitoringsystem, in particular, by the distribution of degradation processes. The work is proposed to createfor regions of cartogram of total distribution of degraded agricultural land and cartograms offraction of agricultural lands that have undergone water and wind erosion, acidification, salinization,with indispensable drawing on these cartograms of the river network scheme. The zoning of the Poltava region is presented and analyzed in terms of the total distribution ofdegraded agricultural land, as well as separately by the particles of water, wind erosion,acidification, salinization.According to the relative distribution of degraded agricultural lands (without taking intoaccount the overlap of various types of degradation) within the Poltava region, there are 2 groups ofdistricts of increased land degradation: 1) northern (covers 7 districts – Pyriatyn, Chornukhy, Lubny,Lokhvytsia, Myrhorod, Hadiach, Zinkiv) and 2) southeastern (covers 3 districts – Kobeliaky, NoviSanzhary and Mashivka).Water erosion is inherent in districts with significant difference in heights and largest forestcover. This is primarily Dykanka, Zinkiv, Reshetylivka districts (watershed between rivers of Psel andVorskla), Lokhvytsia and Chornukhy districts (watershed between rivers of Sula and Udai) and theChutove district (watershed between rivers of Vorskla and Orel). Wind erosion covers predominantlynorthwestern, north and southeastern districts – Pyriatyn, Chornukhy, Hrebinka, Lokhvytsia,Hadiach, Mashivka, Novi Sanzhary.Cartograms of distribution of degraded land are supplemented by the river network on them.The method of their creation is described. The cartographic method is substantiated by theinterconnection of the districts of increased acidification of soils with basins of the rivers Udai andVorskla, and the districts of minimum acidification of soils – with the basin of the river Khorol.Salinization of soils of the Poltava region should be associated, obviously not with superficial,and with groundwater. In the future, it is recommended to use for a cartographic analysis of thedistribution of degraded lands additionally maps of groundwater hydroisogyps.

Rywalizacja chińsko-amerykańska w drugiej dekadzie XXI wieku: Analiza porównawcza polityki Baracka Obamy i Donalda Trumpa

Sino-American Rivalry in the Second Decade of the 21st Century: A Comparative Analysis of Barack Obama and Donald Trump Policies The Sino-American trade war has become a symbol of rivalry for leadership in the international system. It also attracts growing attention to the problem of possible change to the regional and global hegemony. The debate with its possible ramifications is clear to academics, the media and political elites. However, it has focused on a limited scope of factors and mostly at the leadership level of, most notably, the United States of America. Considering its complexity, the issue of US policy towards China should be analyzed at various levels. These include the presidents, their collaborators, domestic politics and US strategy, and, finally, the international system as it experiences the relative change of power distribution. The main goal of this article is to analyze the recent US administrations’ strategy towards the People’s Republic of China. This is in the context of changes to the international system, focusing on the relative change of power distribution. The hypothesis driving this article states that the US strategy towards China is a response to the changing relative distribution of power in the regional and global system. It follows that American administrations differ rather in methods than in goals of foreign policy. This text is prepared with reference to the Power Transition Theory of A. Organski and J. Kugler, and the research is based on the US strategic documents’ analysis and statistical analysis of the power distribution in the system.

Lipid droplets 3D full measurement by holographic in-flow tomography

The most recent discoveries in the biochemical field are highlighting the increasingly important role of lipid droplets (LDs) in several regulatory mechanisms in living cells. LDs are dynamic organelles and therefore their complete characterization in terms of number, size, spatial positioning and relative distribution in the cell volume can shed light on the roles played by LDs. Until now, fluorescence microscopy and transmission electron microscopy are assessed as the gold standard methods for identifying LDs due to their high sensitivity and specificity. However, such methods generally only provide 2D assays and partial measurements. Furthermore, both can be destructive and with low productivity, thus limiting analysis of large cell numbers in a sample. Here we demonstrate for the first time the capability of 3D visualization and the full LD characterization in high-throughput with a tomographic phase-contrast flow-cytometer, by using ovarian cancer cells and monocyte cell lines as models. A strategy for retrieving significant parameters on spatial correlations and LD 3D positioning inside each cell volume is reported. The information gathered by this new method could allow more in depth understanding and lead to new discoveries on how LDs are correlated to cellular functions.

Morbidity profiles in Europe and Israel: international comparisons from 20 countries using biopsychosocial indicators of health via latent class analysis

Aim I examined health/morbidity profiles across 20 countries, determined their associated demographic characteristics and risk factors and compared the distribution of these health/morbidity profiles across countries. Subject and methods I used population-based data drawn from the European Social Survey (N = 20092, 52% female, ages 40+) covering 20 mostly European countries (Austria, Belgium, Czechia, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Great Britain, Hungary, Ireland, Israel, Lithuania, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland) from 2014. Diverse indicators of health/morbidity were used, including self-rated health, self-rated disability, self-reported health problems and mental health symptoms using the CES-D. Latent class analysis was conducted to determine health/morbidity profiles across countries. Results I found that four distinct health profiles best describe overall health/morbidity status in the international sample, each associated with specific demographic and behavioural risk factors: ‘healthy’ profile (62% of participants), ‘unhappy but healthy’ profile (14%), ‘high morbidity, mostly physical’ profile (16%) and ‘high morbidity, mostly psychological’ profile (8%). With few exceptions, participants from Northern Europe and Western Europe were more likely to belong to the ‘healthy’ and the ‘unhappy but healthy’ profiles, whereas participants from Eastern Europe were more likely to belong to the ‘high morbidity, mostly physical’ profile. Distribution of the ‘high morbidity, mostly psychological’ profile appeared to be more uniform across regions. Conclusions Distinct morbidity/health profiles could be identified across countries, and countries varied regarding the relative distribution of these profiles. Specific prevention and treatment consequences associated with each profile are discussed. Future studies should further investigate the patterns of overall health and morbidity in Europe’s populations.