Whether phenotypic plasticity facilitates adaptive evolution is a key question in evolutionary ecology. The discovery of limb-length plasticity in two Anolis lizard species led to hypotheses about its role in the Anolis radiation. Yet, whether limb plasticity is realized in nature and has adaptive significance is poorly understood. In this study, we combined a limb-length plasticity experiment, lab-based assays of hatchling be...

Coral reefs near high human population areas suffer from sedimentation and increased turbidity due to coastal development. However, there is limited research on how key species respond to turbidity caused by terrigenous sediment and how this response may change with increased water temperatures. This study investigated the effects of ambient and elevated turbidity (+ 26 NTU) in combination with ambient (27.1 °C) and elevated t...

Minipig models are rapidly gaining popularity in gene therapy preclinical studies. This includes biodistribution studies that are required by regulatory agencies, but are poorly described in the literature. This is particularly true for ddPCR assays with enhanced sensitivity over traditional “real-time” PCR. We, therefore, validated a novel duplex ddPCR assay for quantifying AVGN7, an AAV gene therapeutic featuring a codon-opt...

The migratory behavior of Atlantic salmon ( Salmo salar ) post‐smolts in coastal waters is poorly understood. In this collaborative study, 1914 smolts, from 25 rivers, in four countries were tagged with acoustic transmitters during a single seasonal migration. In total, 1105 post‐smolts entered the marine study areas and 438 (39.6%) were detected on a network of 414 marine acoustic receivers and an autonomous underwater vehicl...

Apolipoprotein E ε4 allele (APOE4) is the predominant genetic risk factor for late-onset Alzheimer’s disease (AD). APOE4 mouse models have provided advances in the understanding of disease pathogenesis, but unaccounted variables like rodent housing status may hinder translational outcomes. Non-sterile aspects like food and bedding can be major sources of changes in rodent microflora. Alterations in intestinal microbial ecology...

Several modifiable lifestyle factors have been linked to cognitive ability and the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRD). Health coaching (HC) is an intervention that addresses lifestyle factors associated with cognition. The effectiveness of an HC protocol was evaluated and compared with a health education (HE) intervention, representing the current standard of care, in a sample of 216 adults bet...

European North Atlantic ranavirus (ENARV, Iridoviridae ), is a ranavirus species recently isolated from lumpfish ( Cyclopterus lumpus , L.), which are used as cleaner fish in Atlantic salmon ( Salmo salar ) farming in Northern Europe. This study aimed to investigate (1) the virulence of ENARV isolates from Ireland, Iceland and the Faroe Islands to lumpfish; (2) horizontal transmission between lumpfish; and (3) virulence to Atl...

The microsporidian Desmozoon lepeophtherii Freeman and Sommerville, 2009 is considered significant in the pathogenesis of gill disease in Atlantic salmon ( Salmo salar Linnaeus, 1758). Due to the difficulty in detecting D. lepeophtherii in tissue sections, infections are normally diagnosed by molecular methods, routine haematoxylin and eosin (H&E) stained gill tissue sections and the use of other histochemical stains and label...

Gill disease of farmed Atlantic salmon ( Salmo salar ) in the marine environment has emerged as a significant problem for the salmon aquaculture industry. Different types of marine salmon gill disease reported include amoebic gill disease (AGD), parasitic gill disease, viral gill disease, bacterial gill disease, zooplankton (cnidarian nematocyst)‐associated gill disease, harmful algal gill disease and chemical/toxin‐associated...

In recent years, the use of cleaner fish for biological control of sea lice has increased considerably. Along with this, a number of infectious diseases have emerged. The aim of this study was to investigate the susceptibility of lumpfish ( Cyclopterus lumpus ) to Betanodavirus since it was detected in asymptomatic wild wrasses in Norway and Sweden. Three betanodaviruses were used to challenge lumpfish: one RGNNV genotype and...

Gill diseases are a complex and multifactorial challenge for marine farmed Atlantic salmon. Co‐infections with putative pathogens are common on farms; however, there is a lack of knowledge in relation to the potential effect co‐infections may have on pathology. The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence and potential effects of Neoparamoeba perurans, Desmozoon lepeophtherii , Candidatus Branchiomonas cysticola...

Summary Chemolithoautotrophic bacteria from the genera Hydrogenovibrio, Thiomicrorhabdus and Thiomicrospira are common, sometimes dominant, isolates from sulfidic habitats including hydrothermal vents, soda and salt lakes and marine sediments. Their genome sequences confirm their membership in a deeply branching clade of the Gammaproteobacteria . Several adaptations to heterogeneous habitats are apparent. Their genomes include...