The association of invertebrate communities with macroalgae rafts has received much attention over recent decades, yet significant gaps in our knowledge remain with respect to the colonization process. Using laboratory-based experiments andin situfield trials in Strangford Lough, Northern Ireland, this study investigated whether members of the known rafting genusIdotea(sub-phylum Crustacea; order Isopoda) could effectively colonize rafts after shore seaweed detachment, or if their presence merely reflected a passive marooning process. Test tank arenas were used to identify traits that may influence the rafting potential of the dominant shore speciesIdotea granulosaand the well known rafterIdotea baltica. When released mid-water,I. granulosainitially ascended and associated with floating seaweed whereasI. balticatended to descend with no clear habitat association. These findings conflict with the differential distribution of theseIdoteaspecies among rafts and shore algae, thus highlighting the complex nature of the potential of organisms to raft. In the field we considered the relative ability of differentIdoteaspecies to colonize tethered rafts composed ofAscophyllum nodosumandFucus vesiculosus, cleaned of all vagile organisms and deployed at locations adjacent to established intertidalIdoteaspecies populations. At the end of the experiment (after 44 days) rafts were inhabited by known rafting and shoreline species, confirming that colonization can occur after algal detachment. Previously considered shoreline species on occasion outnumbered well known rafters suggesting that a wide range ofIdoteaspecies can readily avail of macroalgal rafts as a potential dispersal mechanism or alternative habitat.

Existing approaches to multi-game level generation rely upon level structure to emerge organically via level fitness. In this paper, we present a method for generating levels for games in the GVGAI framework using a design pattern-based approach, where design patterns are derived from an analysis of the existing corpus of GVGAI game levels. We created two new generators: one constructive, and one search-based, and compared them to a prior existing search-based generator. Results show that our generator is comparable, even preferred, over the prior generator, especially among players with existing game experience. Our search-based generator also outperforms our constructive generator in terms of player preference.

Herpes simplex virus 1 and 2 infections cause high unmet disease burdens worldwide. Mainly HSV-2 causes persistent sexually transmitted disease, fatal neonatal disease and increased transmission of HIV/AIDS. Thus, there is an urgent requirement to develop effective vaccines. We developed nucleic acid vaccines encoding a novel virus entry complex stabilising cell membrane fusion, ‘virus-like membranes’, VLM. Two dose intramuscular immunisations using DNA expression plasmids in a guinea pig model gave 100% protection against acute disease and significantly reduced virus replication after virus intravaginal challenge. There was also reduced establishment of latency within the dorsal root ganglia and spinal cord, but recurrent disease and recurrent virus shedding remained. To increase cellular immunity and protect against recurrent disease, cDNA encoding an inhibitor of chemokine receptors on T regulatory cells was added and compared to chemokine CCL5 effects. Immunisation including this novel human chemokine gene, newly defined splice variant from an endogenous virus genome, ‘virokine immune therapeutic’, VIT, protected most guinea pigs from recurrent disease and reduced recurrent virus shedding distinct from a gD protein vaccine similar to that previously evaluated in clinical trials. All DNA vaccines induced significant neutralising antibodies and warrant evaluation for new therapeutic treatments.

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