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Predation pressure and herbivory exert cascading effects on coral reef health and stability. However, the extent of these cascading effects can vary considerably across space and time. This variability is likely a result of the complex interactions between coral reefs' biotic and abiotic dimensions. A major biological component that has been poorly integrated into the reefs' trophic studies is the microbial community, despite its role in coral death and bleaching susceptibility. Viruses that infect bacteria can control microbial densities and may positively affect coral health by controlling microbialization. We hypothesize that viral predation of bacteria has analogous effects to the top-down pressure of macroorganisms on the trophic structure and reef health. Here, we investigated the relationships between live coral cover and viruses, bacteria, benthic algae, fish biomass, and water chemistry in 110 reefs spanning inhabited and uninhabited islands and atolls across the Pacific Ocean. Statistical learning showed that the abundance of turf algae, viruses, and bacteria, in that order, were the variables best predicting the variance in coral cover. While fish biomass was not a strong predictor of coral cover, the relationship between fish and corals became apparent when analyzed in the context of viral predation: high coral cover (> 50%) occurred on reefs with a combination of high predator fish biomass (sum of sharks and piscivores > 200 g m-2) and high virus-to-bacteria ratios (> 10), an indicator of viral predation pressure. However, these relationships were non-linear, with reefs at the higher and lower ends of the coral cover continuum displaying a narrow combination of abiotic and biotic variables, while reefs at intermediate coral cover showed a wider range of parameter combinations. The results presented here support the hypothesis that viral predation of bacteria is associated with high coral cover and, thus, coral health and stability. We propose that combined predation pressures from fishes and viruses control energy fluxes, inhibiting the detrimental accumulation of ecosystem energy in the microbial food web.

Deciphering the mechanisms that regulate the sensitivity of pathogen recognition receptors is imperative to understanding infection and inflammation. Here we demonstrate that the RNA triphosphatase dual-specificity phosphatase 11 (DUSP11) acts on both host and virus-derived 5'-triphosphate RNAs rendering them less active in inducing a RIG-I-mediated immune response. Reducing DUSP11 levels alters host triphosphate RNA packaged in extracellular vesicles and induces enhanced RIG-I activation in cells exposed to extracellular vesicles. Virus infection of cells lacking DUSP11 results in a higher proportion of triphosphorylated viral transcripts and attenuated virus replication, which is rescued by reducing RIG-I expression. Consistent with the activity of DUSP11 in the cellular RIG-I response, mice lacking DUSP11 display lower viral loads, greater sensitivity to triphosphorylated RNA, and a signature of enhanced interferon activity in select tissues. Our results reveal the importance of controlling 5'-triphosphate RNA levels to prevent aberrant RIG-I signaling and demonstrate DUSP11 as a key effector of this mechanism.

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper.

We present a consensus-based checklist to improve and document the transparency of research reports in social and behavioural research. An accompanying online application allows users to complete the form and generate a report that they can submit with their manuscript or post to a public repository.

Extant research on juvenile legal system (JLS) involved girls generally focuses on individual and proximal environmental levels that bring girls into contact with the JLS. There is less research on how the JLS responds to girls in case dispositions (e.g., sanction-based responses, treatment-focused services), and how combinations of dispositions relate to girls' further system involvement. In this study, we apply latent class analysis (LCA) to the juvenile legal context to categorize system responses in a sample of 1,133 adjudicated girls. We identify four distinct classes, comprising different types and combinations of dispositions. We then further analyzed the classes using individual characteristics and risk factors of girls to understand precursors to the system's response and further JLS involvement. Our findings offer insight into how packages of court dispositions are correlated with increased recidivism. We consider implications for JLS intervention with girls and provide suggestions for further research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined the relationship between acculturation modes (assimilation, integration, separation and marginalization), social support, and acculturative stress in undergraduate and graduate international students (N=104) at a medium-sized public university in the Midwestern United States. The study found that international students with broad-based social support and an Integration approach to acculturation experienced lower levels of acculturative stress. Implications for more effective counseling with international students are addressed.

Evaluating policy in imperfectly competitive markets requires understanding firm behavior. While researchers test conduct via model selection and assessment, we present the advantages of Rivers and Vuong (2002) (RV) model selection under misspecification. However, degeneracy of RV invalidates inference. With a novel definition of weak instruments for testing, we connect degeneracy to instrument strength, derive weak instrument properties of RV, and provide a diagnostic for weak instruments by extending the framework of Stock and Yogo (2005) to model selection. We test vertical conduct (Villas‐Boas (2007)) using common instrument sets. Some are weak, providing no power. Strong instruments support manufacturers setting retail prices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate-related changes in fish communities can present new challenges for fishery managers who must address declines in cool- and cold-water sportfish while dealing with increased abundance of warm-water sportfish. We used largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides) in Wisconsin lakes as model populations to determine whether angler harvest provides a realistic method for reducing abundance of a popular warm-water sportfish that has become more prevalent and has prompted management concerns around the globe. Model results indicate largemouth bass will be resilient to increased fishing mortality. Furthermore, high rates of voluntary catch-and-release occurring in most largemouth bass fisheries likely preclude fishing mortality rates required to reduce bass abundance at meaningful levels ([greater than or equal to] 25% reductions). Increasing fishing mortality in these scenarios may require more 'stimulus' than merely providing anglers with greater harvest opportunities via less stringent harvest regulations. Angler harvest could result in populations dominated by small fish, a scenario that may be undesirable to anglers, but could provide ecological benefits in certain situations. Les modifications des communautes de poissons associees au climat peuvent presenter de nouveaux defis pour les gestionnaires des peches qui doivent composer avec des baisses de poissons de sport d'eau fraiche et d'eau froide parallelement a une abondance croissante des poissons de sport d'eau chaude. Nous avons utilise les achigans a grande bouche (Micropterus salmoides) dans des lacs du Wisconsin comme populations modeles pour etablir si les prises de pecheurs a la ligne constituent une methode viable pour reduire l'abondance d'un poisson de sport d'eau chaude prise qui est devenu plus repandu, au point de susciter des inquietudes sur le plan de la gestion partout dans le monde. Les resultats de modelisation indiquent que l'achigan a grande bouche presentera une resilience a l'augmentation de la mortalite par peche. En outre, des taux eleves de prise avec remise a l'eau volontaire dans la plupart des peches a l'achigan a grande bouche rendent probablement impossibles les taux de mortalite par peche necessaires pour abaisser l'abondance des achigans a des niveaux interessants (baisses de [greater than or equal to] 25 %). L'augmentation de la mortalite par peche dans ces scenarios pourrait necessiter un<> plus important que de simplement offrir aux pecheurs a la ligne plus d'occasions de peche par l'assouplissement de la reglementation visant les prises. Les prises de pecheurs a la ligne pourraient se traduire par des populations dans lesquelles les petits poissons sont dominants, un scenario qui pourrait etre non souhaitable pour les pecheurs, mais qui pourrait offrir des avantages ecologiques dans certaines situations. [Traduit par la Redaction], Introduction Climate change and species introductions have been implicated as primary causes of fish community changes observed around the world (Hrabik et al. 2001; Baxter et al. 2004; Lynch et [...]