Synechococcus as an indicator of trophic status in the Cochin backwaters,west coast of India

Eutrophication is a major problem in coastal water bodies. Information about the trophic status of water bodies will enable proper management of coastal ecosystems. In this regard, biological organisms which are sensitive to environmental changes can serve as indicators of ecosystem trophic status. In this study, seasonal and spatial variations of picophytoplankton (PP; <3 μm size) community structure was assessed in the Cochin backwaters (CB) with respect to the prevailing environmental conditions during three seasons, post-monsoon (PM-I; October 2011 and PM-II; November 2012), pre-monsoon (PrM; May 2012) and monsoon (MON; August 2012). CB, along the west coast of India, receives continuous load of nutrients throughout the year through anthropogenic wastes. Trophic status index (TRIX) scores showed that CB is highly eutrophic with a high phytoplankton biomass. Synechococcus was the dominant PP observed in the study area. Seasonal and spatial salinity variations influenced the PP distribution, especially Synechococcus where PE-rich Synechococcus (SYN-PE) were dominant in higher saline (>30) and PC-rich Synechococcus (SYN-PC) in lower saline (<30) waters. SYN-PC showed a significant positive relation with chlorophyll a suggesting that this group contributes substantially to the total phytoplankton biomass. TRIX scores and SYN-PC: SYN-PE abundance ratio were negatively correlated with salinity suggesting an influence of the tidal amplitude. SYN-PC correlated positively and SYN-PE negatively with TRIX scores suggesting that these groups occupy contrasting ecological niches. These findings imply that PP distribution pattern can serve as an indicator of the trophic status of coastal water bodies.     

Early life socioeconomic factors and genomic DNA methylation in mid-life

Epigenetic modifications may be one mechanism linking early life factors, including parental socioeconomic status (SES), to adult onset disease risk. However, SES influences on DNA methylation patterns remain largely unknown. In a US birth cohort of women, we examined whether indicators of early life and adult SES were associated with white blood cell methylation of repetitive elements (Sat2, Alu and LINE-1) in adulthood. Low family income at birth was associated with higher Sat2 methylation (β = 19.7, 95% CI: 0.4, 39.0 for lowest vs. highest income quartile) and single parent family was associated with higher Alu methylation (β = 23.5, 95% CI: 2.6, 44.4), after adjusting for other early life factors. Lower adult education was associated with lower Sat2 methylation (β = -16.7, 95% CI: -29.0, -4.5). There were no associations between early life SES and LINE-1 methylation. Overall, our preliminary results suggest possible influences of SES across the life-course on genomic DNA methylation in adult women. However, these preliminary associations need to be replicated in larger prospective studies.     

Egg maturation dynamics of the parasitoid Microplitis rufiventris: starvation speeds maturation in early life

The number of mature eggs carried by a female parasitoid at any given moment (egg load) is a fitness‐related parameter affecting reproductive potential and impacting upon host population dynamics. Microplitis rufiventris Kokujev (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) is a solitary koinobiont endoparasitoid wasp of several noctuid pests, including Spodoptera littoralis. The number of mature eggs carried by females at emergence is approximately 50. The rate of egg maturation is strongly affected both by feeding status and access to host larvae. In early adult life, egg maturation rates are lower for 6–72 h in fed wasps compared with food‐deprived wasps. When given access to hosts, honey‐fed wasps live for approximately 9 days with high lifetime fecundity (226 eggs). By contrast to early adult life, the total realized fecundity is positively affected by feeding status, where water‐fed and starved females have 140 and 107 eggs, respectively. Egg resorption is most pronounced in the later life of females. The results suggest, in addition to confirming the effect of honey‐feeding on total fecundity, that fecundity of starved wasps includes rapid egg maturation early in life, which potentially could improve the performance of the parasitoid as a biological control agent.     

Prevalence and possible etiology of dental enamel hypoplasia

Two hundred black and white adult human skeletons and 200 living black and white children from the greater Cleveland area were examined for evidence of enamel hypoplasia. Enamel hypoplasia, present in varying expressings (pits, lines and grooves), was found to be more prevalent in both skeletal samples, than in the living groups. In the majority of cases, sex differences between white and black males and females through time and space are highly significant for all tooth catagories. Regardless of the mechanisms behind it, prevalence of enamel hypoplasia for both white and black group has significantly declined through time. No evidence suggesting specific etiologies responsible for enamel hypoplasia can be found. In the majority of previously published reports, the etiology is still idiopathic. The reduction in the prevalence of enamel hypoplasia in the groups examined through time may be related to improved nutritional conditions and the elimination or decline of childhood diseases that have been implicated in this condition.     

Long-term stability of parameters of antioxidant status in human serum

Abstract

The antioxidant status of serum or plasma can be determined using several commercially available assays. Here, four different assays, total antioxidant status (TAS), its second-generation assay (TAS2), biological antioxidant potential (BAP), and enzymatic assay using horseradish peroxidase (EAOC), were applied on human serum samples to test the temperature stability of antioxidants, upon storage of serum for 12 months. The two or three most commonly used temperatures for storage, that is, ? 20, ? 70 (or ? 80), and ? 196°C, were selected. The general conclusion is that all assays were stable at the temperatures tested. In addition, there were almost no statistically significant differences between the samples stored at different temperatures. Only the rank order of the EAOC assay was not very good in samples stored at ? 20°C. Also three components contributing to the total antioxidant capacity, uric acid, creatinine and bilirubin, showed no statistically significant differences between the temperatures. Therefore, storage at ? 20°C is sufficient to maintain a proper assay outcome of most of the total antioxidant assays, although storage at ? 70/80°C is to be preferred for longer storage times.     

Trace elements under the spotlight: A powerful nutritional tool in cancer

Cancer is the second leading cause of death worldwide. Research on the relationships between trace elements (TE) and the development of cancer or its prevention is a field that is gaining increasing relevance. This review provides an evaluation of the effects of TE (As, Al, B, Cd, Cr, Cu, F, I, Pb, Li, Mn, Hg, Mo, Ni, Se, Si, Sn, V and Zn) intake and supplementation in cancer risk and prevention, as well as their interactions with oncology treatments. Advancements in the knowledge of TE, their dietary interactions and their main food sources can provide patients with choices that will help them to improve their quality of life and therapy outcomes. This approach could open new opportunities for treatments based on the integration of conventional therapies (chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and immunotherapy) and dietary interventions that provide advanced personalized treatments.     

On justifying arguments of species membership

In the debate about the moral status of human beings at the margins of life, arguments of species membership are often considered to be the least plausible ones. Against this backdrop, this article explores two possible ways to formulate feasible arguments of species membership. The first is an (in the broadest sense of the word) Aristotelian or neo-Aristotelian argument; the second is an argument from the intrinsic logic of human rights, which Robert Spaemann refers toas a ‘transcendental-pragmatic’ argument. On these grounds, the article proposes a philosophical justification for an at least moderate speciesism.     

Association of suboptimal health status with intestinal microbiota in Chinese youths

Suboptimal health status (SHS), a physical state between health and disease, is a subclinical and reversible stage of chronic disease. Previous studies have shown alterations in the intestinal microbiota in patients with some chronic diseases. This study aimed to investigate the association between SHS and intestinal microbiota in a case‐control study with 50 SHS individuals and 50 matched healthy controls. Intestinal microbiota was analysed by MiSeq 250PE. Alpha diversity of intestinal microbiota in SHS individuals was higher compared with that of healthy controls (Simpson index, W = 2238, P = .048). Beta diversity was different between SHS and healthy controls (P = .018). At the phylum level, the relative abundance of Verrucomicrobia was higher in the SHS group than that in the controls (W = 2201, P = .049). Compared with that of the control group, nine genera were significantly higher and five genera were lower in abundance in the SHS group (all P < .05). The intestinal microbiota, analysed by a random forest model, was able to distinguish individuals with SHS from the controls, with an area under the curve of 0.79 (95% confidence interval: 0.77‐0.81). We demonstrated that the alteration of intestinal microbiota occurs with SHS, an early stage of disease, which might shed light on the importance of intestinal microbiota in the primary prevention of noncommunicable chronic diseases.