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Abstract Applications of seaweeds require the supply of uniform biomass, yet performance of Ulva is generally characterised by a wide variation across study sites and seasons, as well as among species or strains. This study aimed to determine the variation in growth, biochemical composition and nutrient uptake of five Ulva strains collected in the Eastern Scheldt estuary (the Netherlands) and cultivated under standardised outdoor conditions from July to November. Surprisingly, only two strains performed well (maximum 291 ± 95 and 570 ± 122 kg FW ha−1 day−1 for VEE and YER strain), one strain showed slow growth (maximum 155 ± 91 kg FW ha−1 day−1 for SCH strain), and the last two strains (JAC and KOM) did not grow at all. Chemical composition was only determined for the well-performing strains. For most of the parameters, strong seasonality was observed; growth, crude fat (0.4–1.3%), ash (16–25%) and starch (3–11%) decreased, whereas fibres (37–45%) and proteins (7–22% crude; 6–18% true) increased. To evaluate the bio-remediation potential, nutrient uptake of YER, VEE and SCH strains was determined from in- and outflowing water (453–2027 µmol DIN; 4–101 µmol PO4 kg FW h−1). Highest rates were observed for the SCH strain which was not in accordance with growth nor composition, suggesting that nutrients were not (all) directed towards vegetative growth. This study demonstrates a large variation in performance between different Ulva strains collected in relatively close proximity and thereby highlights the importance to test a variety of local seaweed strains prior to commercial farming.

Ocean warming can mediate species interactions and provoke changes in community structure worldwide. Species interactions vary along environmental gradients and life-history stages and increasing temperatures may change competitive dominance between species. Kelps, being marine foundation species, have a complex heteromorphic life cycle, with the early developmental stages being a bottleneck for successful establishment of the adult population. Here, we investigated how temperature influences interactions in early life-history stages of two kelp species with different thermal affinities (Alaria esculenta and Laminaria digitata from Spitsbergen) by cultivating them in mono- and co-culture and different temperatures. Irrespectively of cultivation treatment, spore germination, gametogenesis, and sporophyte development of both species were mostly positively stimulated by a temperature increase from mean ambient summer temperatures (4–5 °C) to a global warming scenario for the Arctic future (9–10 °C) but not at 15 °C which is the southern temperature limit of A. esculenta. At 15 °C gametogenesis and sporophyte formation of A. esculenta were greatly inhibited in monoculture but not so in L. digitata. On the other hand at 5 °C and 10 °C, gametogenesis and sporophyte growth were generally faster in A. esculenta than in L. digitata, leading to a competitive advantage of A. esculenta over L. digitata in the co-cultivation treatments. The interactive effects of co-cultivation and temperature were evident, where development of A. esculenta was accelerated in the presence of L. digitata at 9 °C but not at 4 °C. Although the mechanisms triggering interspecific interactions were not determined in this study, future global warming was found to give competitive advantage of A. esculenta over L. digitata, which could affect community structure and dominance in coastal environments.

Purpose The CASP-19 is a quality-of-life measure comprising four domains ('control', 'autonomy', 'pleasure' and ' self-realization'), developed initially in a population aged 65-75 years. This study tested the scale for use in a population whose demographic profile and residential status differed markedly from the original population. Methods CASP-19 data were gathered from 120 residents of a UK retirement community. Distribution of scores, factor structure, internal consistency and construct validity were examined. Results Scores were negatively skewed, especially on the pleasure domain. Attempts to confirm the factor structure of the scale were equivocal. Coefficients for composite reliability ranged from 0.52 to 0.84 across domains. Some items, particularly in the control and autonomy domains, showed low correlations with their domains. The CASP-19 correlated with the Diener Satisfaction with Life Scale (r = 0.66), and the physical (r = 0.53) and mental (r = 0.49) component summaries of the SF-12, supporting its construct validity. A recently proposed 12-item version of the scale appears to have superior dimensionality. Conclusion Although in some respects the CASP-19 exhibited good psychometric properties, the internal consistency and dimensionality of the control and autonomy domains are suspect. Further modification of the scale may be fruitful from a psychometric point of view.

The filamentous algal endophyte Laminarionema elsbetiae is highly prevalent in European populations of the brown alga Saccharina latissima , but has also been found occasionally in the other kelp species Laminaria digitata . The presence of L. elsbetiae coincides with morphological changes in the hosts such as twisted stipes and deformed blades, however, little is known about the molecular bases of these algal host-endophyte interactions. Using a co-cultivation experiment, we showed that physiological and gene regulation responses, and later endophyte prevalences are different between the main and the occasional host. The contact with the endophyte L. elsbetiae induced a stronger and faster transcriptomic regulation in the occasional host L. digitata after 24 h, from which growth rate was later affected. During the first two days of co-cultivation, only 21 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were common in both kelps, indicating a crucial difference between the molecular responses of the two hosts. By functional annotation, we identified DEGs related to host-endophyte recognition, defense response and cell wall modification. Our results suggest that expression pattern differences between the two kelps related to the recognition of the endophyte and later defense reactions could explain the variability of observed physiological responses and host-endophyte specificity in kelp natural populations.

Objectives. To describe the clinical characteristics of patients presenting with fulminant liver failure after varying periods of exposure to Efavirenz containing antiretroviral medications. Methods. We report a series of 4 patients with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection who were admitted with acute liver failure (ALF) over a 6-month period. All these patients had been treated with a range of Efavirenz containing antiretroviral regimens and were negative for hepatitis A, B, and C infections as well as other opportunistic infections, all were negative for autoimmune hepatitis, and none had evidence of chronic liver disease or use of alcohol or herbal medications. Information on patient clinical characteristics, current antiretroviral regimen, CD4 count, HIV-1 RNA levels, and clinical chemistry parameters was collected. Informed consent was provided. Results. During a 6-month period, four patients without other known risk factors for acute hepatitis presented with symptomatic drug-induced liver injury with varying symptoms and outcomes. The pattern of liver injury was hepatocellular for all the 4 cases. Liver biopsies were done for all the four cases and the results showed a heavy mixed inflammatory cell infiltrate with eosinophils. For three patients withdrawal of Efavirenz from their antiretroviral regimen was sufficient to restore transaminase levels to normal and led to improvement of clinical symptoms. For one patient his clinical course was characterized by fulminant liver failure and fluctuating episodes of hepatic encephalopathy which ultimately resulted in his death. Conclusion. Hepatotoxicity of Efavirenz is not as rare as previously described in the literature and does actually present with fatal outcomes. The key message to note is that frequent monitoring of liver enzymes should be done at initiation of antiretroviral therapy and should continue throughout the treatment period.

This article contributes to emerging debates around age-friendly environments, providing empirical evidence concerning the relative age-friendliness of purpose-built retirement communities. Adopting a new definition – ‘underpinned by a commitment to respect and social inclusion, an age-friendly community is engaged in a strategic and ongoing process to facilitate active ageing by optimising the community's physical and social environments and its supporting infrastructure’ – the article analyses the age-friendliness of one retirement community in England. The Longitudinal Study of Ageing in a Retirement Community (LARC) encompassed two waves of a survey with residents, interviews and focus groups with stakeholders involved in staffing, managing and designing the community, and other qualitative data collected from residents. Reviewing the different data sources, the article argues that purpose-built retirement communities have the potential to be age-friendly settings but might better involve residents in a regular cycle of planning, implementation, evaluation and continual improvement if they are to facilitate active ageing. In addition, more clarity is needed on how such developments can better fit with the age-friendly agenda, particularly in terms of their capacity to support ageing in place, the accessibility of the wider neighbourhood, opportunities for intergenerational interactions, and the training of staff to work with older people.

Despite the growth of cultural gerontology this century, relatively few gerontologists have interrogated their own experiences of ageing through a critical reflexive lens. This paper seeks to address this lack of attention by discussing some findings of the Ageing of British Gerontology project: a two-year (2015–2017) Leverhulme-funded study focused on identifying key developments and changes in gerontological research, theory, policy and practice in Britain since the founding of the British Society of Social and Behavioural Gerontology (now the British Society of Gerontology) in 1971. As part of our mixed-method study, we undertook 50 in-depth biographical interviews with ‘senior’ or retired individuals who have played a key role in the creation and development of gerontology in Britain. As well as focusing more widely on gerontological developments, we asked participants about the relationship between their professional insights into ageing and their personal experiences of ageing – both their own and that of loved ones. In this paper, we discuss the findings in relation to five key themes: health, illness and mortality; close personal relationships; work relationships; challenging ageism; and ageing selves. We found evidence that participants often drew upon their personal experiences of ageing in a range of contexts, including teaching and research. There were also numerous examples of professional insights informing personal decision-making, especially in relation to care of loved ones, though the emotionally challenging aspects of this emphasised the limitations of professional insights. Ultimately, we argue that the distinction between the personal and the professional is something of a false dichotomy, and there is often a complex interplay between the two aspects.

Morphological changes—such as dark spots, twisted stipes and deformed blades—have been observed in wild and cultivated Saccharina latissima. The putative cause for the disease symptoms is the filamentous endophytic brown alga Laminarionema elsbetiae, which is known to invade stipes and fronds of its hosts. Little is known about this interaction and its occurrence in the field, although former studies indicated high endophyte prevalence in kelp populations. Previous epidemiological studies on kelp endophytes were mainly based on the examination of microscopic sections, followed by time-consuming isolation and cultivation steps in order to identify the endophyte and a reliable method to quantify endophyte infections was missing. As a novel approach, we established and validated a qPCR assay for relative quantification of the endophyte L. elsbetiae within its host S. latissima, which allows to examine both, the prevalence of endophytic algae and the severity of infections. The assay was shown to be highly specific and suitable to reliably detect small amounts of endophyte DNA in the host. Using this method, we detected very high endophyte prevalence in the investigated kelp populations, up to 100% in young S. latissima sporophytes in Brittany during spring. Furthermore, our results suggest that Saccharina sporophytes are infected early in their life and that seasonality and environmental factors have a significant impact on infection rates. In the future, this approach could also be applied to study other host-endophyte pairs using specific primers.