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Studies of the effects of volcanic activity on the Hawaiian Islands are extremely relevant due to the past and current co-eruptions at both Mauna Loa and Kilauea. The Big Island of Hawai'i is one of the most seismically monitored volcanic systems in the world, and recent investigations of the Big Island suggest a widespread subsurface connectivity between volcanoes. Volcanic activity has the potential to add mineral contaminants into groundwater ecosystems, thus affecting water quality, and making inhabitants of volcanic islands particularly vulnerable due to dependence on groundwater aquifers. As part of an interdisciplinary study on groundwater aquifers in Kona, Hawai'i, over 40 groundwater wells were sampled quarterly from August 2017 through March 2019, before and after the destructive eruption of the Kilauea East Rift Zone in May 2018. Sample sites occurred at great distance (~80 km) from Kilauea, allowing us to pose questions of how volcanic groundwater aquifers might be influenced by volcanic subsurface activity. Approximately 400 water samples were analyzed and temporally split by pre-eruption and post-eruption for biogeochemical analysis. While most geochemical constituents did not differ across quarterly sampling, microbial communities varied temporally (pre- and post-eruption). When a salinity threshold amongst samples was set, the greatest microbial community differences were observed in the freshest groundwater samples. Differential analysis indicated bacterial families with sulfur (S) metabolisms (sulfate reducers, sulfide oxidation, and disproportionation of S-intermediates) were enriched post-eruption. The diversity in S-cyclers without a corresponding change in sulfate geochemistry suggests cryptic cycling may occur in groundwater aquifers as a result of distant volcanic subsurface activity. Microbial communities, including taxa that cycle S, may be superior tracers to changes in groundwater quality, especially from direct inputs of subsurface volcanic activity.

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Resource-constrained island populations have thrived in Hawai'i for over a millennium, but now face aggressive new challenges to fundamental resources, including the security and sustainability of water resources. Characterizing the microbial community in groundwater ecosystems is a powerful approach to infer changes from human impacts due to land management in hydrogeological complex aquifers. In this study, we investigate how geology and land management influence geochemistry, microbial diversity and metabolic functions. We sampled a total of 19 wells over 2-years across the Hualalai watershed of Kona, Hawai'i analyzing geochemistry, and microbial communities by 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing. Geochemical analysis revealed significantly higher sulfate along the northwest volcanic rift zone, and high nitrogen (N) correlated with high on-site sewage disposal systems (OSDS) density. A total of 12,973 Amplicon Sequence Variants (ASV) were identified in 220 samples, including 865 ASVs classified as putative N and sulfur (S) cyclers. The N and S cyclers were dominated by a putative S-oxidizer coupled to complete denitrification (Acinetobacter), significantly enriched up to 4-times comparatively amongst samples grouped by geochemistry. The significant presence of Acinetobacter infers the bioremediation potential of volcanic groundwater for microbial-driven coupled S-oxidation and denitrification providing an ecosystem service for island populations dependent upon groundwater aquifers.

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As urban areas expand around the world, there are growing efforts to restore and protect natural and agricultural systems for the multitude of ecosystem services they provide to urban communities. This study presents a researcher-farmer collaboration in a highly urbanized area of O'ahu focused on understanding the historical and current challenges and opportunities faced by a culturally and socially valued spring-dependent urban farm, Sumida Farm, which produces the majority of the state of Hawai'i's watercress. We conducted a long-term trend analysis (25 years) of factors identified by the farmers to be important historical drivers of crop yield, including groundwater pumping, pest outbreaks, temperature, Oceanic Niño Index, and precipitation. We combined this analysis with a year of intensive spring water sampling on the farm to evaluate nutrient and contaminant composition and flow to understand water-related stressors, as well as evaluate the potential of the farm to provide nutrient retention services. We found negative correlations between historical crop yields and increases in the Oceanic Niño Index, temperature thresholds, and pest outbreaks. Despite the surrounding urbanization, we found on-farm water quality to be very high, and microbial analyses revealed an abundance of denitrifiers (nirS gene) suggesting that the farm provides a nutrient retention service to downstream systems. Finally, we found that socio-cultural values including heritage value, aesthetic value, and educational value are increasingly important for the Sumida family and surrounding community. These socio-cultural benefits alongside highly valued local food production and nutrient retention services are essential for continued community and political support. Collectively, our study demonstrates that challenges facing urban agricultural systems shift through time, and that recognition of the beyond crop-yield benefits of these systems to urban communities is essential to their long-term survival.

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Enhanced biological phosphorus removal (EBPR) exploits the metabolism of polyphosphate-accumulating organisms (PAOs) to remove excess phosphorus (P) from wastewater treatment. Candidatus Accumulibacter phosphatis (Accumulibacter) is the most abundant and well-studied PAO in EBPR systems. In a previous study, we detected polyphosphates throughout peripheral bay sediments, and hypothesized that an estuary is an ideal setting to evaluate PAOs in a natural system, given that estuaries are characterized by dynamic dissolved oxygen fluctuations that potentially favour PAO metabolism. We detected nucleotide sequences attributable to Accumulibacter (16S rRNA, ppk1) in sediments within three peripheral bays of the Columbia River estuary at abundances rivalling those observed in conventional wastewater treatment plants (0.01%-2.6%). Most of the sequences attributable to Accumulibacter were Type I rather than Type II, despite the fact that the estuary does not have particularly high nutrient concentrations. The highest diversity of Accumulibacter was observed in oligohaline peripheral bays, while the greatest abundances were observed at the mouth of the estuary in mesohaline sediments in the spring and summer. In addition, an approximately 70% increase in polyphosphate concentrations observed at one of the sites between dawn and dusk suggests that PAOs may play an important role in P cycling in estuary sediments.

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Studies of handedness suggest a relationship between hemispheric specialisation and emotional processing. Recently measures of lateralised tympanic membrane temperature (TMT) have identified similar relationships (i.e., the left hemisphere is involved in approach behaviour and the right hemisphere avoidance behaviour). In the present study we examined lateralised changes in TMT in response to social interaction in 10 Garnett's bushbabies. Additionally, we examined whether handedness could be used as a predictor of approach-avoidance tendencies. We found a positive association between temperature change and both allogrooming and affiliative approach. Social behaviour did not differ between right- and left-handed bushbabies. These findings are discussed in terms of existing theories of asymmetric emotional processing. Overall, the data suggest that there is a left hemisphere specialisation for processing approach-related behaviours, which is consistent with existing models of lateralised emotional processing. Our data also indicate that TMT is a reliable, cost-effective measure of cerebral activation that is less invasive and more practical than alternative measures such as EEG, PET, and fMRI.

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We examined differences in prey capture success when reaching for moving prey with the preferred and non-preferred hand (as determined previously using stationary food items) in 12 Garnett's bushbabies (Otolemur garnettii). Hand preference was determined by a test of simple reaching for stationary food items. We assessed both the frequency of hand use and success rates for each hand in capturing live mealworms. We also examined the effect of age on overall prey capture success. Subjects were individually presented with live mealworms in a cup partially filled with a cornmeal medium. The preferred hand was used significantly more often than the non-preferred hand to obtain the moving prey; however, no differences were found in the frequency of usage of the left vs the right hand. Furthermore, there were no differences in the success rates of the left vs the right hand, nor the preferred vs the non-preferred hand. There was a significant negative correlation between age and prey capture success. These data suggest that age, rather than preferred hand, may be the most relevant factor in the bushbabies' prey capture success.

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CONTEXT: Yoga is increasing in popularity, with an estimated 15 million practitioners in the United States, yet there is a dearth of empirical data addressing the holistic benefits of yoga. OBJECTIVE: To compare the physical and mental benefits of an exercise-based yoga practice to that of a more comprehensive yoga practice (one with an ethical/spiritual component). DESIGN: Students with mild to moderate depression, anxiety, or stress and who agreed to participate were assigned to one of three groups: integrated yoga, yoga as exercise, control. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 81 undergraduate students 18 years and older at a university in the southeastern United States participated in the study. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Depression, anxiety, stress, hope, and salivary cortisol. RESULTS: Over time, participants in both the integrated and exercise yoga groups experienced decreased depression and stress, an increased sense of hopefulness, and increased flexibility compared to the control group. However, only the integrated yoga group experienced decreased anxiety-related symptoms and decreased salivary cortisol from the beginning to the end of the study. CONCLUSIONS: Yoga, practiced in a more integrated form, ie, with an ethical and spiritual component, may provide additional benefits over yoga practiced as an exercise regimen.

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BACKGROUND: Children with severe corticosteroid-resistant ulcerative colitis either need to undergo surgery or be treated with more intensive immunosuppression. Our aim was to characterize the short- and long-term outcomes and adverse events associated with the use of tacrolimus in a steroid-refractory pediatric population. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 46 children with steroid-refractory colitis treated with tacrolimus at Children's Hospital Boston between 1994 and 2008. Oral tacrolimus was initiated at a dose of 0.1 mg/kg twice a day and titrated to yield trough levels of 10-15 ng/mL for induction, and 5-10 ng/mL once in remission. The Pediatric Ulcerative Colitis Activity Index (PUCAI) and other measures of disease activity, adverse events, and long-term outcomes were assessed. Statistical analysis of outcomes was performed using SAS statistical software. RESULTS: Ninety-three percent of patients were discharged without undergoing surgery. The median length of stay after starting tacrolimus was 10 days (range 4-37 days). The mean PUCAI score was 68 ± 13 prior to initiating tacrolimus, and 27 ± 18 at the time of hospital discharge. The probability of avoiding colectomy after starting tacrolimus was 40% at 26 months. The most common adverse events included hypertension (52%) and tremor (44%). There was one seizure and no deaths. CONCLUSIONS: Tacrolimus is useful as induction therapy in pediatric patients with corticosteroid-refractory colitis and side effects are generally mild and reversible. Despite these findings, many patients develop exacerbations of colitis upon transition to maintenance therapies. The long-term colectomy rate in this challenging population remains ≈60% over time.

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Animal personality research has become increasingly popular over the past few decades. The two main methods used to examine individual differences in animals are rating and coding. The rating method involves human scoring of an animal's behavioral tendencies along various behavioral dimensions, such ratings are typically based on the human rater's experience with the animal. The coding method also requires humans to score an animal's behavior, but differs in that the scoring is based on the animal's immediate behavior in a specific context. This brief report describes the use of both the rating and coding methods to examine personality within a group of 10 Garnett's bushbabies (Otolemur garnettii). The results indicated that individual personalities do exist in bushbabies, but also suggested that the rating method is heavily influenced by the rater's experience with an animal. Consequently, it is important that the nature of the rater's interactions with the target animals be considered when using the rating method to assess animal personality.

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Behavioral laterality, a common measure of hemispheric specialization of the brain, has been examined in multiple tasks across several species of prosimian primates; however, there is inconsistency among findings between and within species that leaves many questions about laterality unanswered. Most studies have employed few measures of laterality, most commonly handedness. This study examined multiple measures of laterality within subjects in 17 captive-born Garnett's bushbabies (Otolemur garnettii) to assess the consistency of lateralized behaviors and to examine possible influences such as age, posture, novelty, and arousal to elucidate the relations between direction and strength of laterality. We measured reaching, turning bias, scent marking, tail wrapping, leading foot, side-of-mouth preference, and hand use in prey capture. Because autonomic arousal has been invoked as a determinant of strength of lateralization, we included multiple tasks that would allow us to test this hypothesis. All subjects were significantly lateralized on simple reaching tasks (P<0.01) and tail wrapping (P<0.01). Moreover, the number of animals lateralized on turning (P<0.01), leading limb (P<0.05), mouth use (P<0.01), and prey capture (P<0.01) was greater than would be expected by chance alone. There was consistency in the strength and direction of hand biases across different postures. Tasks requiring hand use were more strongly lateralized than tasks not involving hand use (P<0.001). The data do not support the assumption that arousal (as subjectively categorized) or novelty strengthens lateralized responding. The results of this study are discussed in terms of the effects of arousal, posture, and age on lateralized behavior.

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Self-injurious behavior (SIB) among captive primates is a recurring problem for those who manage such facilities. Its prevalence highlights the need for research evaluating the effectiveness of potential treatment approaches. In the present study, 4 wk of dietary supplementation with L-tryptophan (100 mg daily) was evaluated for the treatment of self-inflicted wounds in 22 small-eared bushbabies, a prosimian primate, with a history of SIB. The treatment significantly reduced stereotypy and was associated with a reduction in wound area and severity. In terms of physiologic measures, preexisting high levels of cortisol were reduced in bushbabies with SIB, whereas serotonin concentrations were increased after 4 wk of treatment. Results indicate that L-tryptophan as a dietary supplement may be a viable adjunct to standard husbandry procedures for animals exhibiting maladaptive behaviors such as stereotypy and SIB.

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Research suggests that auditory environmental enrichment might reduce abnormal behavior in certain primate species. The authors evaluated the behavioral effects of exposure to music in a prosimian primate (Garnett's bushbaby; Otolemur garnettii). They exposed bushbabies to a Mozart concerto for 15 min per day for 20 d (5 h exposure total), video-recorded them and subsequently analyzed the frequency of subjects' grooming and stereotypic behaviors. The authors compared the data with baseline behavioral data that had been recorded over a 20-d period before the experimental treatment. Neither stereotypy nor grooming behavior varied as a result of exposure to music. These results do not support the hypothesis that auditory enrichment in the form of exposure to music is an effective means of reducing stereotypic behavior in O. garnettii.

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Relocation of research animals, either within a facility or from one facility to another, is assumed to be stressful. Development of appropriate research methodologies may be facilitated by understanding the extent and duration of the physiological response to relocation stress and whether the stress can be buffered by environmental or social factors, such as the presence of a cagemate. To characterize the response to relocation stress in Garnett's bushbaby, we assessed cortisol concentrations in nine female and six male bushbabies during relocation to a different facility; six of the animals were pair-housed at the time of the move and were moved with their respective cagemates. Fecal cortisol was assessed at three time points: 1) baseline (1 day prior to moving); 2) relocation (the day the animals were relocated); and 3) post-relocation (7 days after relocation). Cortisol concentrations were higher at the relocation time point than at baseline and post-relocation, which did not differ. Cortisol concentration did not differ as a function of having a cagemate during relocation. Although relocation resulted in a significant (P < 0.05) increase in cortisol excretion concentration, the levels returned to baseline within 7 days after the stressor.

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