Evidence of extensive multispecies macrofouling in Eckström's topknot Zeugopterus regius (Bonnaterre, 1788), Pleuronectiformes, Scophthalmidae.

Diverse and extensive macrofouling of the left-hand (eyed) side has been observed in multiple films and photographs of different specimens of Eckström's topknot Zeugopterus regius. Identified foulers include macroalgae and tunicates. Photographs of unfouled specimens and preserved juveniles have also been inspected. Macrofouling is not universal in this species; unfouled fish were observed around the strongly tidal British Isles, whereas the worst-fouled topknots were seen in the eutrophic, microtidal northern Adriatic.

Food transport in Reptilia: a comparative viewpoint.

Reptilia exploit a large diversity of food resources from plant materials to living mobile prey. They are among the first tetrapods that needed to drink to maintain their water homeostasis. Here were compare the feeding and drinking mechanisms in Reptilia through an empirical approach based on the available data to open perspectives in our understanding of the evolution of the various mechanisms determined in these Tetrapoda for exploiting solid and liquid food resources. This article is part of the theme issue 'Food processing and nutritional assimilation in animals'.

Simulations of mode-selective photonic lanterns for efficient coupling of starlight into the single-mode regime.

In ground-based astronomy, starlight distorted by the atmosphere couples poorly into single-mode waveguides, but a correction by adaptive optics, even if only partial, can boost coupling into the few-mode regime, allowing the use of photonic lanterns to convert into multiple single-mode beams. Corrected wavefronts result in focal patterns that couple mostly with circularly symmetric waveguide modes. A mode-selective photonic lantern is hence proposed to convert multimode light into a subset of single-mode waveguides of the standard photonic lantern, thereby reducing the required number of outputs. We ran simulations to show that only two out of the six waveguides of a 1×6 photonic lantern carry >95% of the coupled light to the outputs at D/r0<10 if the wavefront is partially corrected and the photonic lantern is made mode selective.

Does the common topknot Zeugopterus punctatus (Teleosteii: Pleuronectiformes: Scophthalmidae) use a novel Venturi-effect attachment mechanism? A testable hypothesis.

Common topknots (Zeugopterus punctatus) attach to vertical rock surfaces and overhangs. It has been speculated that attachment is by a suction cup, with the median (anal, dorsal) fins providing a peripheral seal. Here the authors propose that the attachment is actually based on a Venturi effect. The rear portions of the median fins continually move in a fan-like fashion (at c. 4 cycles per second). This movement produces a tailward fluid flow that ventilates the shallow underbody space between the fish and its rocky substratum. The anterior portions of the median fins seal the space laterally, but the space is open anterior (beneath the raised head) and posterior to the sea. The mid-underbody space likely has a lower cross-sectional area than does the front intake or rear exit, so flow should be faster (and pressure lower) within it than outside, thus providing pressure gradient suction. Topknots attach to rough and heavily biofouled surfaces, presumably because the high numbers of fin rays and their associated membranes plus fine muscle control allow effective sealing. The attachment ability is shared by all members of the flatfish tribe Phrynorhombini; it can be related to anatomical peculiarities and constitutes a probable synapomorphy for this clade.

"Not a whole woman": an interpretative phenomenological analysis of the lived experience of women's body image and sexuality following amputation.

Background: Lower-limb amputations can lead to depression, performance anxiety, altered body image, relationships and sexual well-being. However, there is little published literature investigating how people experience changes to body image and their sexuality post-amputation and minimal literature exploring sexuality specifically from the female perspective post-amputation.Purpose: To gain an in-depth understanding of women's experience of sexuality and body image following amputation of a lower limb to inform rehabilitation and clinical practice.Method: Semi-structured interviews with female amputees (n = 9) were conducted to collect rich contextual data. This qualitative data was analysed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA).Results: Three superordinate themes emerged from IPA data analysis: "I don't like the way I am", which illustrated participants' changed relationship with their embodied selves, "Broken/not wanted" which reflected changes participants experienced in their romantic relationships, and "Same but different" which related to participants' changed societal roles as women.Discussion: Participants' accounts highlighted experiences of decreased sexual well-being, disrupted body image, stigmatisation and resilience. These accounts point to the potential utility of compassion focused approaches in therapeutic intervention, as well as the necessity for health professionals to involve spouses in sexual rehabilitation conversations and encourage patient-led peer support networks.Implications for rehabilitationPsychosexual assessment following limb loss involving open-ended questions will likely capture issues of sexual well-being as well as functioning, ensuring that interventions are comprehensive, targeted and relevant to the individual.Women struggle with reconciling their post-amputation kinetic representations of their selves to new ways of functioning, which may impact body image and prosthesis uptake.Compassion focused psychotherapeutic interventions could be effective in addressing problematic coping strategies post-amputation such as avoidance and disengagement while enhancing more self-compassionate coping styles.Couples distressed about their relationship may not engage in problem-solving discussions around sexuality, highlighting the necessity for health professionals to involve spouses in sexual rehabilitation conversations and interventions.Supporting the creation of gendered, peer-led groups to address issues related to sexual well-being is likely to improve overall quality of life for these individuals.

Visualization and Manipulation of Bilayer Graphene Quantum Dots with Broken Rotational Symmetry and Nontrivial Topology.

Electrostatically defined quantum dots (QDs) in Bernal stacked bilayer graphene (BLG) are a promising quantum information platform because of their long spin decoherence times, high sample quality, and tunability. Importantly, the shape of QD states determines the electron energy spectrum, the interactions between electrons, and the coupling of electrons to their environment, all of which are relevant for quantum information processing. Despite its importance, the shape of BLG QD states remains experimentally unexamined. Here we report direct visualization of BLG QD states by using a scanning tunneling microscope. Strikingly, we find these states exhibit a robust broken rotational symmetry. By using a numerical tight-binding model, we determine that the observed broken rotational symmetry can be attributed to low energy anisotropic bands. We then compare confined holes and electrons and demonstrate the influence of BLG's nontrivial band topology. Our study distinguishes BLG QDs from prior QD platforms with trivial band topology.

"The things that people can't see" The impact of TBI on relationships: an interpretative phenomenological analysis.

Objective: To explore the impact of TBI on couple relationships, from the perspective of both injured and uninjured partners in the relationship.Method: In-depth, semi-structured interviews were conducted with six uninjured women and five of their male partners living with TBI for between four and eight years who had attended a tertiary neurorehabilitation service. The principles of Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) were used to analyze the data.Results: The three major themes emerged. Broken Bonds: "those special things just between the two of us" captures the emotional fallout from TBI on each individual and on the relationship; New Dynamics: "like oil and water" describes the effect of individual changes on relationship dynamics in general, on sexuality, conflict and family life; Moving Forward Together: "We figure it out" describes coping strategies in maintaining relationships post-TBI including hope, time, understanding TBI and positive reappraisal.Conclusions: This research provides an in-depth, phenomenological account of couples' experiences of the impact of TBI on relationships, including the perspectives of both TBI survivors and their partners. The three major themes that emerged capture the stresses that impinge on relationships post-TBI and confirms the importance of supportive clinical interventions for couples as an essential component of neurorehabilitation.

Visualizing the Effect of an Electrostatic Gate with Angle-Resolved Photoemission Spectroscopy.

Electrostatic gating is pervasive in materials science, yet its effects on the electronic band structure of materials has never been revealed directly by angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES), the technique of choice to noninvasively probe the electronic band structure of a material. By means of a state-of-the-art ARPES setup with submicron spatial resolution, we have investigated a heterostructure composed of Bernal-stacked bilayer graphene (BLG) on hexagonal boron nitride and deposited on a graphite flake. By voltage biasing the latter, the electric field effect is directly visualized on the valence band as well as on the carbon 1s core level of BLG. The band gap opening of BLG submitted to a transverse electric field is discussed and the importance of intra layer screening is put forward. Our results pave the way for new studies that will use momentum-resolved electronic structure information to gain insight on the physics of materials submitted to the electric field effect.

Nanowrinkled Carbon Aerogels Embedded with FeN x Sites as Effective Oxygen Electrodes for Rechargeable Zinc-Air Battery.

Rational design of single-metal atom sites in carbon substrates by a flexible strategy is highly desired for the preparation of high-performance catalysts for metal-air batteries. In this study, biomass hydrogel reactors are utilized as structural templates to prepare carbon aerogels embedded with single iron atoms by controlled pyrolysis. The tortuous and interlaced hydrogel chains lead to the formation of abundant nanowrinkles in the porous carbon aerogels, and single iron atoms are dispersed and stabilized within the defective carbon skeletons. X-ray absorption spectroscopy measurements indicate that the iron centers are mostly involved in the coordination structure of FeN4, with a minor fraction (ca. 1/5) in the form of FeN3C. First-principles calculations show that the FeN x sites in the Stone-Wales configurations induced by the nanowrinkles of the hierarchically porous carbon aerogels show a much lower free energy than the normal counterparts. The resulting iron and nitrogen-codoped carbon aerogels exhibit excellent and reversible oxygen electrocatalytic activity, and can be used as bifunctional cathode catalysts in rechargeable Zn-air batteries, with a performance even better than that based on commercial Pt/C and RuO2 catalysts. Results from this study highlight the significance of structural distortions of the metal sites in carbon matrices in the design and engineering of highly active single-atom catalysts.

The locomotor system of the ocean sunfish Mola mola (L.): role of gelatinous exoskeleton, horizontal septum, muscles and tendons.

Adult ocean sunfish are the heaviest living teleosts. They have no axial musculature or caudal fin. Propulsion is by unpaired dorsal and anal fins; a pseudocaudal fin ('clavus') acts as a rudder. Despite common perception, young sunfish are active predators that swim quickly, beating their vertical fins in unison to generate lift-based propulsion and attain cruising speeds similar to salmon and marlin. Here we show that the thick subcutaneous layer (or 'capsule'), already known to provide positive buoyancy, is also crucial to locomotion. It provides two compartments, one for dorsal fin musculature and one for anal fin muscles, separated by a thick, fibrous, elastic horizontal septum that is bound to the capsule itself, the roof of the skull and the dorsal surface of the short vertebral column. The compartments are braced sagittally by bony haemal and neural spines. Both fins are powered by white muscles distributed laterally and red muscles located medially. The anal fin muscles are mostly aligned dorso-ventrally and have origins on the septum and haemal spines. Dorsal fin muscles vary in orientation; many have origins on the capsule above the skull and run near-horizontally and some bipennate muscles have origins on both capsule and septum. Such bipennate muscle arrangements have not been described previously in fishes. Fin muscles have hinged tendons that pass through capsular channels and radial cartilages to insertions on fin rays. The capsule is gelatinous (89.8% water) with a collagen and elastin meshwork. Greasy in texture, calculations indicate capsular buoyancy is partly provided by lipid. Capsule, septum and tendons provide elastic structures likely to enhance muscle action and support fast cruising.

Dual pO2/pCO2 fibre optic sensing film.

A fibre optic multi-sensor has been developed for biomedical sensing applications using a tip coating solution sensitive to both oxygen and carbon dioxide. An oxygen sensitive phosphorescence quenching complex based on platinum octaethylporphyrin (PtOEP) was combined with a carbon dioxide sensitive phosphorescence compound based on 8-hydroxypyrene-1,3,6-trisulfonic acid trisodium salt (HPTS). When excited by blue light (470 nm), the resultant coating had two fluorescent peaks at 515 nm (green) and 645 nm (red) which responded to partial pressure of CO2 and O2 respectively. The sensor was tested in vitro and shown to be able to measure CO2 and O2 simultaneously and in real time, with calibration constants of 0.0384 kPa-1 and 0.309 kPa-1 respectively. The O2 sensitive peak received some overlap from the 515 nm peak (0.38% of peak intensity) as well as some cross-sensitivity (maximum, 5.1 kPa pCO2 gave a measurement equivalent to 0.43 kPa of O2, a ratio of 0.08 : 1). However, these effects can be subtracted from measurements and no significant cross-sensitivity or overlap was seen in CO2 measurements from O2. This novel compound presents great potential for use in medical sensors and we expect it to be important to a wide range of future applications.

Crying a river: how much salt-laden jelly can a leatherback turtle really eat?

Leatherback turtles (Dermochelys coriacea) are capital breeders that accumulate blubber (33 kJ g-1 wet mass) by hyperphagia on a gelatinous diet at high latitudes; they breed in the tropics. A jellyfish diet is energy poor (0.1-0.2 kJ g-1 wet mass) so leatherbacks must ingest large quantities. Two published estimates of feeding rate [50% body mass day-1 (on Rhizostoma pulmo) and 73% body mass day-1 (on Cyanea capillata)] have been criticised as too high. Jellyfish have high salt and water contents that must be removed to access organic material and energy. Most salt is removed (as NaCl) by paired lachrymal salt glands. Divalent ions are lost via the gut. In this study, the size of adult salt glands (0.622 kg for a 450 kg turtle; relatively three times the size of salt glands in cheloniid turtles) was measured for the first time by computed tomography scanning. Various published values for leatherback field metabolic rate, body fluid composition and likely blubber accumulation rates are combined with known jellyfish salt, water and organic compositions to calculate feasible salt gland secretion rates and feeding rates. The results indicate that leatherbacks can produce about 10-15 ml secretion g-1 salt gland mass h-1 (tear osmolality 1800 mOsm kg-1). This will permit consumption of 80% body mass day-1 of Ccapillata Calculations suggest that leatherbacks will find it difficult/impossible to accumulate sufficient blubber for reproduction in a single feeding season. Rapid jellyfish digestion and short gut transit times are essential.

Fiber-optic fluorescence-quenching oxygen partial pressure sensor using platinum octaethylporphyrin.

The development and bench testing of a fiber-optic oxygen sensor is described. The sensor is designed for measurement of tissue oxygen levels in the mucosa of the digestive tract. The materials and construction are optimized for insertion through the mouth for measurement in the lower esophagus. An oxygen-sensitive fluorescence-quenching film was applied as a solution of platinum octaethylporphyrin (PtOEP) poly(ethyl methacrylate) (PEMA) and dichloromethane and dip coated onto the distal tip of the fiber. The sensor was tested by comparing relative fluorescence when immersed in liquid water at 37°C, at a range of partial pressures (0-101 kPa). Maximum relative fluorescence at most oxygen concentrations was seen when the PtOEP concentration was 0.1 g.L-1, four layers of coating solution were applied, and a fiber core radius of 600 µm was selected, giving a Stern-Volmer constant of 0.129 kPa-1. The performance of the sensor is suitable for many in vivo applications, particularly mucosal measurements. It has sufficient sensitivity, is sterilizable, and is sufficiently flexible and robust for insertion via the mouth without damage to the probe or risk of harm to the patient.

Ecotoxicological assessment of diamondback terrapin (Malaclemys terrapin) pond habitat, prey and eggs in Bermuda.

Total petroleum hydrocarbons, PAH and various trace metal residues were extracted and analyzed from fresh whole diamondback terrapin (Malaclemys terrapin) eggs, whole brackish-water gastropods (terrapin prey) and benthic sediment from anchialine pond environments in Bermuda inhabited by terrapins. Gastropods and terrapin eggs showed higher concentrations of trace metals and organic contaminants than sediments. Conversely, PAHs were mostly found within the sediment and smaller amounts detected in gastropods and terrapin eggs. Results indicated that contaminants in prey were transferred to terrapin eggs, and that concentrations of several contaminants exceeded potentially toxic concentrations for aquatic vertebrates. Necropsy of unhatched eggs from nests that had yielded viable hatchlings showed significantly compromised embryonic development. Bermudian diamondback terrapins reside and feed in brackish wetland habitats characterized by widespread, multifactorial contamination. This study suggests that environmental contamination plays a role in the recorded low hatching success in terrapin eggs in Bermuda.

Topsy-turvy: turning the counter-current heat exchange of leatherback turtles upside down.

Counter-current heat exchangers associated with appendages of endotherms feature bundles of closely applied arteriovenous vessels. The accepted paradigm is that heat from warm arterial blood travelling into the appendage crosses into cool venous blood returning to the body. High core temperature is maintained, but the appendage functions at low temperature. Leatherback turtles have elevated core temperatures in cold seawater and arteriovenous plexuses at the roots of all four limbs. We demonstrate that plexuses of the hindlimbs are situated wholly within the hip musculature, and that, at the distal ends of the plexuses, most blood vessels supply or drain the hip muscles, with little distal vascular supply to, or drainage from the limb blades. Venous blood entering a plexus will therefore be drained from active locomotory muscles that are overlaid by thick blubber when the adults are foraging in cold temperate waters. Plexuses maintain high limb muscle temperature and avoid excessive loss of heat to the core, the reverse of the accepted paradigm. Plexuses protect the core from overheating generated by muscular thermogenesis during nesting.

Noise analysis for CCD-based ultraviolet and visible spectrophotometry.

We present the results of a detailed analysis of the noise behavior of two CCD spectrometers in common use, an AvaSpec-3648 CCD UV spectrometer and an Ocean Optics S2000 Vis spectrometer. Light sources used include a deuterium UV/Vis lamp and UV and visible LEDs. Common noise phenomena include source fluctuation noise, photoresponse nonuniformity, dark current noise, fixed pattern noise, and read noise. These were identified and characterized by varying light source, spectrometer settings, or temperature. A number of noise-limiting techniques are proposed, demonstrating a best-case spectroscopic noise equivalent absorbance of 3.5×10(-4) AU for the AvaSpec-3648 and 5.6×10(-4) AU for the Ocean Optics S2000 over a 30 s integration period. These techniques can be used on other CCD spectrometers to optimize performance.

Neutral red retention time assay in determination of toxicity of nanoparticles.

The neutral red retention time (NRRT) assay is useful for detecting decreased lysosomal membrane stability in haemocytes sampled from bivalves, a phenomenon often associated with exposure to environmental pollutants including nanomaterials. Bivalves are popular sentinel species in ecotoxicology and use of NRRT in study of species in the genus Mytilus is widespread in environmental monitoring. The NRRT assay has been used as an in vivo test for toxicity of carbon nanoparticles (Moore MN, Readman JAJ, Readman JW, Lowe DM, Frickers PE, Beesley A. 2009. Lysosomal cytotoxicity of carbon nanoparticles in cells of the molluscan immune system: An in vivo study. Nanotoxicology. 3 (1), 40-45). We here report application of this assay adapted to a microtitre plate format to a panel of metal and metal oxide nanoparticles (2 ppm). This showed that copper, chromium and cobalt nanoparticles are toxic by this criterion while gold and titanium nanoparticles are not. As the former three nanoparticles are often reported to be cytotoxic while the latter two are thought to be non-cytotoxic, these data support use of NRRT as a general in vitro assay in nanotoxicology.

A fiberoptic sensor for tissue carbon dioxide monitoring.

We present a new fiberoptic carbon dioxide sensor for transcutaneous and mucosa (indwelling) blood gas monitoring. The sensor is based on optical fluorescence of molecules sensitive to pH changes associated with dissolved CO2. A three layer chemical coating was dip-coated onto the distal tip of an optical fiber (600µm core radius). It contained the 50mg/ml `polym H7', a coating polymer bonded to a fluorescence indicator dye, along with 125mg/ml of the transfer agent tetraoctylammonium hydroxide (TONOH). Light from a blue (460 nm) LED was launched into the fiber to excite the sensing film. The sensing film fluoresced green (530 nm), the intensity of which decreased in the presence of CO2. The sensor was tested in vitro, finding a correlation between change in fluorescence (in AU) and aqueous CO2 concentration with a minimum detection threshold of 40%. The sensor is being developed for medical applications where its small size and ability to continuously monitor the partial pressure of CO2 (PCO2) will make it an extremely useful diagnostic tool.

Dialectical behaviour therapy-informed skills training for deliberate self-harm: a controlled trial with 3-month follow-up data.

Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) has been shown to be an effective treatment for deliberate self-harm (DSH) and emerging evidence suggests DBT skills training alone may be a useful adaptation of the treatment. DBT skills are presumed to reduce maladaptive efforts to regulate emotional distress, such as DSH, by teaching adaptive methods of emotion regulation. However, the impact of DBT skills training on DSH and emotion regulation remains unclear. This study examined the Living Through Distress (LTD) programme, a DBT-informed skills group provided in an inpatient setting. Eighty-two adults presenting with DSH or Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) were offered places in LTD, in addition to their usual care. A further 21 clients on the waiting list for LTD were recruited as a treatment-as-usual (TAU) group. DSH, anxiety, depression, and emotion regulation were assessed at baseline and either post-intervention or 6 week follow-up. Greater reductions in the frequency of DSH and improvements in some aspects of emotion regulation were associated with completion of LTD, as compared with TAU. Improvements in DSH were maintained at 3 month follow-up. This suggests providing a brief intensive DBT-informed skills group may be a useful intervention for DSH.