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Coral loss through consumption by corallivorous crown-of-thorns seastars (CoTS, Acanthaster spp.) is a major contributor to the coral reef crisis in the Indo-Pacific region. The fourth wave of Acanthaster cf. solaris outbreaks since the 1960s started around 2010 on Australia’s Great Barrier Reef. Ecological monitoring failed to detect early outbreak stages, thus preventing timely intervention. Here, we develop a digital droplet PCR (ddPCR)-based method to detect environmental DNA (eDNA) of CoTS in 2-l water samples that can be compared with abundances of the species recorded by divers along 200-m2 transects. Aquarium tests demonstrated that eDNA was readily detectable and increases proportional to the biomass of CoTS (R2 = 0.99, p < 0.0001). Adaptation from a quantitative PCR technique developed for CoTS larvae (Doyle et al. in Marine Biology 164:176, 2017) to ddPCR improved the limit of quantification (LOQ) by a factor of 45. During field verification on 11 reefs, CoTS eDNA was detectable on all reefs suffering outbreaks. In contrast, CoTS eDNA was absent from ‘post-outbreak’ reefs after populations collapsed and from ‘pre-outbreak’ reefs. In linear models, CoTS densities explained a high amount of variance of eDNA concentrations, both for water samples taken at the depth of transects (R2 = 0.60, p < 0.0001) and on the sea surface (R2 = 0.46, p = 0.0004). The proportion of samples above LOQ was also correlated with CoTS densities, with a similar amount of variance explained as for the concentration (underwater R2 = 0.68, p < 0.0001; surface R2 = 0.49, p = 0.0004). We conclude that, after consideration of sampling locations and times, this method is promising for CoTS population monitoring and early detection of outbreaks and might supplement or replace traditional monitoring. Development of automated samplers and possibly on board PCR in the future will further improve early detection.

Environmental DNA (eDNA) represents an emerging opportunity for species monitoring in the marine environment. One aspect that poses challenges is the ability to detect target DNA without the complexity of specialized laboratory equipment. Lateral flow is an analytical technique that has been adopted in point‐of‐care diagnostics for human, veterinary, and agricultural health. Here, we aim to use lateral flow assay as a detection method for eDNA monitoring using a commercially available nucleic acid lateral flow device (PCRD™) in combination with previously developed species‐specific mtDNA primers. Episodic population explosions of coral‐eating crown‐of‐thorns sea star (CoTS) contribute significantly to the coral reef crisis on tropical Pacific coral reefs. Laboratory testing revealed our lateral flow assay developed for CoTS was as sensitive as digital droplet PCR and able to detect < 10 copies of target DNA, per PCR. Furthermore, the lateral flow assay was completed in less than half the time compared with digital droplet PCR and cost less than half that of digital droplet PCR. We applied this method to eDNA water samples collected in field locations where CoTS were present in low (=nonoutbreak) population densities and found lateral flow assay to be sufficiently sensitive to detect these populations. Detection of low‐density CoTS populations is critical for early warning of outbreaks and leads to early management interventions (e.g., culling). Importantly, we demonstrate that with species‐specific primers, the development and application of lateral flow assay methods for eDNA detection are feasible, for example, for invasive or threatened species, or those with high conservation value. Lateral flow assay was found to as sensitive as digital droplet PCR in both laboratory and field settings for the detection of crown‐of‐thorns sea star environmental DNA. We propose that lateral flow assay provides a simplified detection method for species‐specific environmental DNA applications.

Curcumin is a tumeric-derived, water-insoluble polyphenol with potential beneficial health effects for humans. It has been shown to have preventive as well as therapeutic effects in chemically induced murine models of colitis. To investigate whether curcumin exerts a similar effect on the spontaneous colitis in interleukin (IL)-10 gene-deficient mice, we gavaged these mice daily for 2 weeks with 200 mg/kg per day curcumin emulsified in carboxymethyl cellulose, a food additive generally used as a viscosity modifier. Mice fed the curcumin/carboxymethyl cellulose mixture and those receiving carboxymethyl cellulose alone demonstrated similar reductions in histological injury score and colon weight/length ratio compared to water-fed controls. However, significant reductions in pro-inflammatory cytokine release in intestinal explant cultures were only seen in mice treated with the curcumin mixture. Our data demonstrate that in IL-10 gene-deficient mice, both oral curcumin and carboxymethyl cellulose, appear to have modifying effects on colitis. However, curcumin has additional anti-inflammatory effects mediated through a reduced production of potent pro-inflammatory mucosal cytokines.

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a blood-borne pathogen and a major cause of liver disease worldwide. Gene expression profiling was used to characterize the transcriptional response to HCV H77c infection. Evidence is presented for activation of innate antiviral signaling pathways as well as induction of lipid metabolism genes, which may contribute to oxidative stress. We also found that infection of chimeric SCID/Alb-uPA mice by HCV led to signs of hepatocyte damage and apoptosis, which in patients plays a role in activation of stellate cells, recruitment of macrophages, and the subsequent development of fibrosis. Infection of chimeric mice with HCV H77c also led an inflammatory response characterized by infiltration of monocytes and macrophages. There was increased apoptosis in HCV-infected human hepatocytes in H77c-infected mice but not in mice inoculated with a replication incompetent H77c mutant. Moreover, TUNEL reactivity was restricted to HCV-infected hepatocytes, but an increase in FAS expression was not. To gain insight into the factors contributing specific apoptosis of HCV infected cells, immunohistological and confocal microscopy using antibodies for key apoptotic mediators was done. We found that the ER chaperone BiP/GRP78 was increased in HCV-infected cells as was activated BAX, but the activator of ER stress-mediated apoptosis CHOP was not. We found that overall levels of NF-kappaB and BCL-xL were increased by infection; however, within an infected liver, comparison of infected cells to uninfected cells indicated both NF-kappaB and BCL-xL were decreased in HCV-infected cells. We conclude that HCV contributes to hepatocyte damage and apoptosis by inducing stress and pro-apoptotic BAX while preventing the induction of anti-apoptotic NF-kappaB and BCL-xL, thus sensitizing hepatocytes to apoptosis.

Athlete brands exist within a network of brand relationships. Thus, considering the joint influences of related brands at different levels (league, team, and athlete) is essential for understanding how athlete brands are built. We focus on growth factors impacting athletes’ social media followings (Twitter and Instagram) around the critical juncture of team transfer periods. We use data from the NFL Draft, because this moment in time provides a key opportunity to capture combined influences from league-, team-, athlete-, and platform-related factors on athlete brand development. Through comparing a large sample of athlete social media followings before and after the draft, we identify immediate changes as athletes start their professional careers. Results indicate examining multiple factors in the same model is essential for understanding the role each plays in building athlete brands. The league and team represent master brands into which an athlete brand is integrated, and consequently athlete brands are provided with benefits from these new brand relationships. Results further demonstrate network effects, highlighting the importance of possessing a strong brand before a high-profile event.

Coral reefs are under threat from a variety of sources including the corallivorous seastar, Acanthaster cf. solaris. (Crown of Thorns Seastar; CoTS). Outbreak prediction is a strategic component of managing the impact of this boom and bust species. Details on the fate and dispersal of planktonic life stages are limited, with CoTS larval stages indistinct morphologically from many other asteroid larvae. Given the similarity of many larvae, quantification of marine larvae stages is a major challenge for marine ecologists. We describe a quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) assay that enables the enumeration of CoTS larvae in field collected plankton samples. Specific primers for the mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase subunit 1 gene (mtCOI) were developed and validated for specificity and sensitivity. Larval culture experiments with CoTS allowed us to determine the mtCOI copy number per larval stage which aided in relating copy numbers in the plankton to actual larval densities. We found the mtCOI copy number varied 3.6-fold across all CoTS planktonic life stages from unfertilised oocyte to competent brachiolaria and this variation was taken into account when determining CoTS larval densities in field samples on the Great Barrier Reef (GBR). CoTS larvae were detected at many locations in the CoTS ‘initiation box’ on the GBR between Cairns and Lizard Island in December 2014 with the highest mean CoTS larval density at 36.9 (23.7–84.3) CoTS larvae m 3 between Rudder and Tongue Reef (16.233°S, 145.643°E). Field negative samples taken outside spawning season along with DNA extraction recovery experiments confirmed our sampling, extraction and assay methods were robust. This method will greatly help further studies on understanding CoTS larval ecology and outbreaks, with methods developed also important tools for other ecologically and commercially important marine species.

Outbreaks of crown-of-thorns seastars (CoTS; Acanthaster spp.) are a major contributor to degradation of Indo-Pacific coral reefs. Understanding the dispersal and fate of planktonic life stages is crucial to understand and manage outbreaks, but visual detection of CoTS larvae is challenging. We apply a quantitative PCR (qPCR) assay to enumerate CoTS larvae in a 3-year time series of plankton samples from two reefs (Agincourt and Moore Reefs) on the Great Barrier Reef. Plankton surveys were complemented with settlement assays, and benthic surveys of juvenile and adult densities over time. Only one out of 109 plankton samples from Agincourt Reef had detectable CoTS mtDNA compared to 41 out of 575 samples from Moore Reef. This may be explained by differences in adult densities, or differences in connectivity and larval retention. Detections of larval CoTS were restricted to summer (November–February), with first detections each year coinciding with water temperatures reaching 28 °C and peak detections late December. A disproportionate number of larval detections occurred in 7 days around full moon. Complementary sampling of settlement and post-settlement life stages confirmed that elevated densities of CoTS larvae at Moore Reef translated to high rates of settlement adding to infestations at this reef. Moreover, there were declines in the detection of larvae, as well densities of juvenile and adult CoTS at Moore Reef, in 2017 and 2018. This study demonstrates that qPCR for genetic identification and quantification of larvae can assist to elucidate life history parameters of nuisance species difficult to obtain with other tools.

Crown-of-thorns seastar (CoTS, Acanthaster cf. solaris ) outbreaks remain a significant cause of coral loss on the Great Barrier Reef (GBR) and across the West-Pacific Ocean. Previous outbreaks on the GBR have only been discovered once fully established, which constrains opportunities for effective control. Early detection of outbreaks would provide an important opportunity for early intervention and increase understanding of outbreak cause(s). Here, we assess the utility of environmental DNA (eDNA) monitoring to detect the initiation of a population outbreak at Lizard Island over five years (2019–2023), compared with density estimates obtained using Scooter-Assisted Large Area Diver-based (SALAD) surveys. At each of the five eDNA sampling sites, 30 replicate samples were collected annually and analysed with CoTS-specific primer sets and digital droplet PCR. Both methods detected distinct increases in CoTS densities from 2020/21 onwards, indicating the start of a new population outbreak. A large part of the observed variation in eDNA (expressed as the percentage of positive samples) was explained by changes in recorded CoTS density, confirming that eDNA data provide a quantitative estimate for adult CoTS abundance. SALAD surveys and eDNA are new and complementary monitoring methods that facilitate early detection of CoTS outbreaks, which will enable more effective management intervention.

PurposeThe purpose of this research was to test the influence of consumer knowledge management on attitudinal and behavioral loyalty through service quality and psychological involvement.Design/methodology/approachThe participants (N = 396) were recruited through a convenience sampling technique from non-profit sport clubs in Iran. Data were analyzed with the Structural Equation Modeling using Mplus 7.4.FindingsThe results revealed that the effects of service quality on psychological involvement were dependent on consumer knowledge management. Furthermore, there were the mediating effects of service quality and psychological involvement in the relationships between the consumer knowledge management and loyalty.Practical implicationsThe research findings provide valuable insights for non-profit sport club managers seeking to better attract and retain their consumers by demonstrating the importance of investing in consumer knowledge management initiatives. Managers should thus integrate knowledge orientation into their marketing and relationship management strategies and apply the strategy into consumer knowledge within club services.Originality/valueThis study empirically highlights the important role of knowledge from, for and about the consumer on perceived service quality and loyalty building among the non-profit consumer base.