Billie Jean King with swimmer Micki King at the Women of the Year Awards

General note: Title and date provided by Bettye Lane.

Developmental exposure to a complex PAH mixture causes persistent behavioral effects in naive Fundulus heteroclitus (killifish) but not in a population of PAH-adapted killifish.

Acute exposures to some individual polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and complex PAH mixtures are known to cause cardiac malformations and edema in the developing fish embryo. However, the heart is not the only organ impacted by developmental PAH exposure. The developing brain is also affected, resulting in lasting behavioral dysfunction. While acute exposures to some PAHs are teratogenically lethal in fish, little is known about the later life consequences of early life, lower dose subteratogenic PAH exposures. We sought to determine and characterize the long-term behavioral consequences of subteratogenic developmental PAH mixture exposure in both naive killifish and PAH-adapted killifish using sediment pore water derived from the Atlantic Wood Industries Superfund Site. Killifish offspring were embryonically treated with two low-level PAH mixture dilutions of Elizabeth River sediment extract (ERSE) (TPAH 5.04 μg/L and 50.4 μg/L) at 24h post fertilization. Following exposure, killifish were raised to larval, juvenile, and adult life stages and subjected to a series of behavioral tests including: a locomotor activity test (4 days post-hatch), a sensorimotor response tap/habituation test (3 months post hatch), and a novel tank diving and exploration test (3months post hatch). Killifish were also monitored for survival at 1, 2, and 5 months over 5-month rearing period. Developmental PAH exposure caused short-term as well as persistent behavioral impairments in naive killifish. In contrast, the PAH-adapted killifish did not show behavioral alterations following PAH exposure. PAH mixture exposure caused increased mortality in reference killifish over time; yet, the PAH-adapted killifish, while demonstrating long-term rearing mortality, had no significant changes in mortality associated with ERSE exposure. This study demonstrated that early embryonic exposure to PAH-contaminated sediment pore water caused long-term locomotor and behavioral alterations in killifish, and that locomotor alterations could be observed in early larval stages. Additionally, our study highlights the resistance to behavioral alterations caused by low-level PAH mixture exposure in the adapted killifish population. Furthermore, this is the first longitudinal behavioral study to use killifish, an environmentally important estuarine teleost fish, and this testing framework can be used for future contaminant assessment.

Age, body mass, mass change and dispersal distance of suckling and weaned grey seal (Halichoerus grypus) pups

Grey seal, Halichoerus grypus, pups in the breeding colony at Froan, Norway, have a bimodal pattern of early aquatic behaviour. About 40% of the pups spend their time ashore to save energy, which can be allocated to growth or deposition of energy-rich adipose tissue. The other 60% of the pups enter the sea during suckling and the early postweaning period, and disperse to other locations within the breeding colony. Pups may swim distances up to 12 km. Neonatal aquatic dispersal behaviour may lead to increased energy expenditure for thermoregulation and swimming, and thus lead to a low rate of body mass gain during suckling and a high rate of body mass loss after weaning. Thus, we examined relationships between natal aquatic dispersal behaviour and change in body mass (DeltaBM) in suckling and weaned pups. Suckling pups that had dispersed >2000 m had a significantly lower DBM than suckling pups that dispersed <2000 m or that did not disperse. In weaned pups, there were no effects of aquatic dispersal behaviour on DBM. We suggest that the bimodal natal aquatic dispersal behaviour in grey seals at the study site reflects two different strategies for postweaning survival: to stay ashore and get fat, or to take a swim and acquire diving and feeding skills.

Seawater carbonate chemistry, nutrient uptake and biological processes of coral Stylophora pistillata during experiments, 2011

The effects of ocean acidification and elevated seawater temperature on coral calcification and photosynthesis have been extensively investigated over the last two decades, whereas they are still unknown on nutrient uptake, despite their importance for coral energetics. We therefore studied the separate and combined impacts of increases in temperature and pCO2 on phosphate, ammonium, and nitrate uptake rates by the scleractinian coral S. pistillata. Three experiments were performed, during 10 days i) at three pHT conditions (8.1, 7.8, and 7.5) and normal temperature (26°C), ii) at three temperature conditions (26°, 29°C, and 33°C) and normal pHT(8.1), and iii) at three pHT conditions (8.1, 7.8, and 7.5) and elevated temperature (33°C). After 10 days of incubation, corals had not bleached, as protein, chlorophyll, and zooxanthellae contents were the same in all treatments. However, photosynthetic rates significantly decreased at 33°C, and were further reduced for the pHT 7.5. The photosynthetic efficiency of PSII was only decreased by elevated temperature. Nutrient uptake rates were not affected by a change in pH alone. Conversely, elevated temperature (33°C) alone induced an increase in phosphate uptake but a severe decrease in nitrate and ammonium uptake rates, even leading to a release of nitrogen into seawater. Combination of high temperature (33°C) and low pHT(7.5) resulted in a significant decrease in phosphate and nitrate uptake rates compared to control corals (26°C, pHT = 8.1). These results indicate that both inorganic nitrogen and phosphorus metabolism may be negatively affected by the cumulative effects of ocean warming and acidification.

Seawater carbonate chemistry and Emiliania huxleyi biological processes during experiments, 2010

The calcifying phytoplankton species, coccolithophores, have their calcified coccoliths around the cells, however, their physiological roles are still unknown. Here, we hypothesized that the coccoliths may play a certain role in reducing solar UV radiation (UVR, 280-400 nm) and protect the cells from being harmed. Cells of Emiliania huxleyi with different thicknesses of the coccoliths were obtained by culturing them at different levels of dissolved inorganic carbon and their photophysiological responses to UVR were investigated. Although increased dissolved inorganic carbon decreased the specific growth rate, the increased coccolith thickness significantly ameliorated the photoinhibition of PSII photochemical efficiency caused by UVR. Increase by 91% in the coccolith thickness led to 35% increase of the PSII yield and 22% decrease of the photoinhibition of the effective quantum yield by UVR. The coccolith cover reduced more UVA (320-400 nm) than UVB (280-315 nm), leading to less inhibition per energy at the UV-A band.

Predictable hydrodynamic conditions explain temporal variations in the density of benthic foraging seabirds in a tidal stream environment

Tidal stream turbines could have several direct impacts upon pursuit-diving seabirds foraging within tidal stream environments (mean horizontal current speeds > 2 ms−1), including collisions and displacement. Understanding how foraging seabirds respond to temporally variable but predictable hydrodynamic conditions immediately around devices could identify when interactions between seabirds and devices are most likely to occur; information which would quantify the magnitude of potential impacts, and also facilitate the development of suitable mitigation measures. This study uses shore-based observational surveys and Finite Volume Community Ocean Model outputs to test whether temporally predictable hydrodynamic conditions (horizontal current speeds, water elevation, turbulence) influenced the density of foraging black guillemots Cepphus grylle and European shags Phalacrocorax aristotelis in a tidal stream environment in Orkney, United Kingdom, during the breeding season. These species are particularly vulnerable to interactions with devices due to their tendency to exploit benthic and epi-benthic prey on or near the seabed. The density of both species decreased as a function of horizontal current speeds, whereas the density of black guillemots also decreased as a function of water elevation. These relationships could be linked to higher energetic costs of dives in particularly fast horizontal current speeds (>3 ms−1) and deeper water. Therefore, interactions between these species and moving components seem unlikely at particularly high horizontal current speeds. Combining this information, with that on the rotation rates of moving components at lower horizontal current speeds, could be used to assess collision risk in this site during breeding seasons. It is also likely that moderating any device operation during both lowest water elevation and lowest horizontal current speeds could reduce the risk of collisions for these species in this site during this season. The approaches used in this study could have useful applications within Environmental Impact Assessments, and should be considered when assessing and mitigating negative impacts from specific devices within development sites.

Valorization of cultural diversity throught Good Practices Dissemination on Art Mediation: sharing experiencies

In this article, as part of the Erasmus+ project “Divercity”, we focus on the collection and analysis of good practices in Spain and other countries in Europe. The project revolves around the development of methods that valorize cultural diversity and in this respect, identifying and sharing best practices on diversity and inclusion through artistic mediation inside museums, culture institutions, our urban walks, forms an mandatory stage of the research process.

Speeches and paradoxes of cultural mediation: A practice between the elite and the cultural poverty

This text analyzes the speeches of a group of cultural mediators working in Madrid in public and private institutions of arts. The group was organized as part of the activities of the European Project Divercity: Diving into Diversity in Museums and the City of the Complutense University in March 2015. The aim of the interview was to unravel what they mean by diversity in the profession, and analyze the contradictions and objectives professions that arise in this new field of work.

Environmental influence on the seasonal movements of satellite-tracked ocean sunfish Mola mola in the north-east Atlantic

Determining the habitat use of mobile marine species is important for understanding responses to climate change and aids the implementation of management and conservation measures. Inference of preferred habitat use has been greatly improved by combining satellite-based oceanographic data with animal tracking techniques. Although there have been several satellite-tracking studies on ocean sunfish Mola mola, limited information is available about either horizontal or vertical environmental preferences. In this study, both geographical movements and diving behaviour of ocean sunfish were explored together with the environmental factors influencing this species’ space use in the north-east Atlantic.

Environmental influence on the seasonal movements of satellite-tracked ocean sunfish Mola mola in the north-east Atlantic

Determining the habitat use of mobile marine species is important for understanding responses to climate change and aids the implementation of management and conservation measures. Inference of preferred habitat use has been greatly improved by combining satellite-based oceanographic data with animal tracking techniques. Although there have been several satellite-tracking studies on ocean sunfish Mola mola, limited information is available about either horizontal or vertical environmental preferences. In this study, both geographical movements and diving behaviour of ocean sunfish were explored together with the environmental factors influencing this species’ space use in the north-east Atlantic.

Learning to manage complexity through simulation: students' challenges and possible strategies

Many have called for medical students to learn how to manage complexity in healthcare. This study examines the nuances of students' challenges in coping with a complex simulation learning activity, using concepts from complexity theory, and suggests strategies to help them better understand and manage complexity.Wearing video glasses, participants took part in a simulation ward-based exercise that incorporated characteristics of complexity. Video footage was used to elicit interviews, which were transcribed. Using complexity theory as a theoretical lens, an iterative approach was taken to identify the challenges that participants faced and possible coping strategies using both interview transcripts and video footage.Students' challenges in coping with clinical complexity included being: a) unprepared for 'diving in', b) caught in an escalating system, c) captured by the patient, and d) unable to assert boundaries of acceptable practice.Many characteristics of complexity can be recreated in a ward-based simulation learning activity, affording learners an embodied and immersive experience of these complexity challenges. Possible strategies for managing complexity themes include: a) taking time to size up the system, b) attuning to what emerges, c) reducing complexity, d) boundary practices, and e) working with uncertainty. This study signals pedagogical opportunities for recognizing and dealing with complexity.

The Undersea World of the Sound Department: the Construction of Sonic Conventions in Sub-aqua Screen Environments

The availability of new underwater cameras and sub-aqua diving gear in the immediate post-war era opened up exciting possibilities for both narrative and documentary filmmakers. While the visual elements of this new world could now be more easily captured on film, the sound elements of the sub-aqua environment remained more elusive. What did, or should, this undersea world sound like? This article examines the use of sound in the sub-aqua scenes of both fictional and documentary films in the 1950s and asks questions about the methods used in the sonification of these worlds. Comparing the operation of underwater sound and human hearing with the production and post-production strategies used by filmmakers, I seek to identify the emergence of a sound convention and its implications for issues of cinematic realism. Central to this convention is the manipulation of sonic frequencies. The sound strategies adopted also raise questions about the malleability of viewer perspective and sound-image relationship in terms of a realist mode of address. Linked to this is the use of sound to enhance audience experience on an affective level. As well as underpinning cinematic realism, these new sound environments offered fresh experiences to audiences seeking new reasons to visit the cinema in an era of widening forms of entertainment.

Sinusite maxilar odontogénica

O seio maxilar é o seio paranasal mais susceptível a invasões bacterianas, tanto pelo óstio nasal, como pela cavidade oral. As sinusites maxilares têm como causas mais frequentes, as infecções víricas, rinites alérgicas ou não alérgicas, variações anatómicas, diabetes mellitus, fumar, nadar, mergulhar, escalar a altas atitudes, e as infecções e tratamentos dentários. A pesquisa bibliográfica, foi realizada sem quaisquer limitações temporais, com restrição linguística a Português, Espanhol e Inglês, sendo excluídos os artigos de outros idiomas; em vários livros e revistas, assim como artigos científicos obtidos, entre Maio e Julho de 2015, nos motores de busca Pubmed, ScienceDirect, Scielo, Elsevier e B-on. A sinusite maxilar odontogénica é uma doença infecto-inflamatória, habitualmente associada à ruptura da membrana de Schneider e a processos infecciosos dentários crónicos. Causa hiperplasia e hipertrofia da mucosa, o que origina sinais e sintomas próprios, assim como mudanças radiográficas perceptíveis. Existem diferentes etiologias de causa odontogénica: cárie, doença periodontal, quistos odontogénicos e iatrogenia – tratamento endodôntico não cirúrgico, cirurgia endodôntica, comunicações oro-antrais, implantes dentários, elevação do seio maxilar, cirurgia pré-protética e cirurgia ortognática – sendo que a iatrogenia é a mais comum (cerca de 56%). Esta patologia afecta com mais frequência indivíduos dos 42,7 aos 51, 7 anos, e preferencialmente a região molar, seguida dos pré-molares e em alguns casos, caninos. Os organismos que dominam na fase aguda e crónica, são sensivelmente os mesmos, mas em número diferente, e existe uma conexão entre a flora comensal periapical e a flora patogénica em caso de sinusite maxilar odontogénica. O diagnóstico é essencialmente clínico, no entanto existem diferentes exames complementares para confirmarem ou formarem o diagnóstico. Pela grande acessibilidade ao método radiográfico, torna-se fundamental que o médico dentista saiba diferencial as diversas patologias que afectam o seio maxilar. O tratamento abrange a eliminação da causa dentária e o tratamento farmacológico, da infecção, essencialmente à base de antibióticos, e da dor se esta existir. E o tratamento cirúrgico, que contempla a punção-lavagem sinusal, antrostomia intranasal, técnica de Caldwell-Luc e cirurgia sinusal endoscópica. Concluindo, o médico dentista deve ter um amplo conhecimento sobre esta patologia para que a possa reconhecer, tratar ou preveni-la.

Phocid seal leptin: tertiary structure and hydrophobic receptor binding site preservation during distinct leptin gene evolution

The cytokine hormone leptin is a key signalling molecule in many pathways that control physiological functions. Although leptin demonstrates structural conservation in mammals, there is evidence of positive selection in primates, lagomorphs and chiropterans. We previously reported that the leptin genes of the grey and harbour seals (phocids) have significantly diverged from other mammals. Therefore we further investigated the diversification of leptin in phocids, other marine mammals and terrestrial taxa by sequencing the leptin genes of representative species. Phylogenetic reconstruction revealed that leptin diversification was pronounced within the phocid seals with a high dN/dS ratio of 2.8, indicating positive selection. We found significant evidence of positive selection along the branch leading to the phocids, within the phocid clade, but not over the dataset as a whole. Structural predictions indicate that the individual residues under selection are away from the leptin receptor (LEPR) binding site. Predictions of the surface electrostatic potential indicate that phocid seal leptin is notably different to other mammalian leptins, including the otariids. Cloning the grey seal leptin binding domain of LEPR confirmed that this was structurally conserved. These data, viewed in toto, support a hypothesis that phocid leptin divergence is unlikely to have arisen by random mutation. Based upon these phylogenetic and structural assessments, and considering the comparative physiology and varying life histories among species, we postulate that the unique phocid diving behaviour has produced this selection pressure. The Phocidae includes some of the deepest diving species, yet have the least modified lung structure to cope with pressure and volume changes experienced at depth. Therefore, greater surfactant production is required to facilitate rapid lung re-inflation upon surfacing, while maintaining patent airways. We suggest that this additional surfactant requirement is met by the leptin pulmonary surfactant production pathway which normally appears only to function in the mammalian foetus.

Molecular cloning and expression of leptin in gray and harbor seal blubber, bone marrow, and lung and its potential role in marine mammal respiratory physiology

Leptin is a multifunctional hormone, produced predominantly in adipocytes. It regulates energy balance through its impact on appetite and fat metabolism, and its concentration indicates the size of body fat reserves. Leptin also plays a vital role in stretch-induced surfactant production during alveolar development in the fetus. The structure, expression pattern, and role of leptin have not previously been explored in marine mammals. Phocid seals undergo cyclical changes in body composition as a result of prolonged fasting and intensive foraging bouts and experience rapid, dramatic, and repeated changes in lung volume during diving. Here, we report the tissue-specific expression pattern of leptin in these animals. This is the first demonstration of leptin expression in the lung tissue of a mature mammal, in addition to its expression in the blubber and bone marrow, in common with other animals. We propose a role for leptin in seal pulmonary surfactant production, in addition to its likely role in long-term energy balance. We identify substitutions in the phocine leptin sequence in regions normally highly conserved between widely distinct vertebrate groups, and, using a purified seal leptin antiserum, we confirm the presence of the leptin protein in gray seal lung and serum fractions. Finally, we report the substantial inadequacies of using heterologous antibodies to measure leptin in unextracted gray seal serum.