The green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii usually occurs in cultures as single, biflagellated cells. However, C. reinhardtii is known for its ability to form gelatinous and palmelloid stages that arise as a result of an interaction with its environment. Exponentially growing unicellular C. reinhardtii formed palmelloid colonies rapidly within 25 h when cultured together with their enemy the rotifer Brachionus calyciflorus. Consequences of palmelloid formation for population dynamics of both C. reinhardtii and B. calyciflorus were examined in continuous flow systems. Palmelloids were only formed in a one-stage system where B. calyciflorus grazers and C. reinhardtii prey were cultured together, but not in a two-stage system in which mainly unicellular C. reinhardtii was pumped into a rotifer culture placed in darkness. The rotifer abundance was lower and the algal biomass higher in the one-stage system compared to the grazing unit of the two-stage system. Inasmuch as palmelloids seemed to give C. reinhardtii cells resistance to grazing, we suggest that at least one of the reasons why C. reinhardtii is capable of forming palmelloids is to cope with herbivory. desmus and Chlamydomonas formed colonies in the presence of herbivorous zooplankton. Divisive colony formation in Scenedesmus has been studied intensively the last decade and has become a paradigm of induced defences in phytoplankton (Hessen & Van Donk 1993, Lampert et al. 1994, Lürling 1998, von Elert & Franck 1999, van Holthoon et al. 2003. In contrast, until now no studies have been undertaken to verify the second part of the findings of Mikheeva & Kruchkova (1980) and to examine the potential of grazer-induced phenotypic plasticity in Chlamydomonas. The first objective of the current study was to test the hypothesis that zooplankton (the rotifer Brachionus calyciflorus) can induce palmelloid formation in Chlamydomonas as has been found for Scenedesmus .Forming colonies made Scenedesmus more difficult to eat by zooplankton and reduced the enemy's population growth (Hessen & Van Donk 1993, Lürling & Van Donk 1996. In those studies, defended algae were fed at a constant concentration to the consumers and their effects on zooplankton were examined. However, to improve our understanding of the dynamics of induced defences, an assessment of the population consequences for both grazer and algal prey is required (Tollrian & Harvell 1999). Simulations with a predator-prey model for algae and rotifers (Brachionus) predicted that induced defences in algae stabilised the population dynamics of this system; increased algal biomass and decreased rotifer biomass (Vos et al. 2004). The second objective of the current study was to test these modelling predictions experimentally for continuous flow systems with C. reinhardtii as prey and B. calyciflorus as predators. Formation of palmelloid colonies in C. reinhardtii is expected to occur in a onestage system where B. calyciflorus grazers and C. reinhardtii prey are cultured together, but not in a two-stage system in which un...

Filtrates from crushed Moringa oleifera seeds were tested for their effects on growth and Photosystem II efficiency of the common bloom-forming cyanobacterium Microcystis aeruginosa. M. aeruginosa populations exhibited good growth in controls and treatments with 4- and 8-mg crushed Moringa seeds per liter, having similar growth rates of 0.50 (±0.01) per day. In exposures of 20- to 160-mg crushed Moringa seeds L−1, growth rates were negative and on average −0.23 (±0.05) .day−1. Presumably, in the higher doses of 20- to 160-mg crushed seeds per liter, the cyanobacteria died, which was supported by a rapid drop in the Photosystem II efficiency (ΦPSII), while the ΦPSII was high and unaffected in 0, 4, and 8 mg L−1. High-density populations of M. aeruginosa (chlorophyll-a concentrations of ∼270 µg L−1) were reduced to very low levels within 2 weeks of exposure to ≥80-mg crushed seeds per liter. At the highest dosage of 160 mg L−1, the ΦPSII dropped to zero rapidly and remained nil during the course of the experiment (14 days). Hence, under laboratory conditions, a complete wipeout of the bloom could be achieved. This is the first study that yielded evidence for cyanobactericidal activity of filtrate from crushed Moringa seeds, suggesting that Moringa seed extracts might have a potential as an effect-oriented measure lessening cyanobacterial nuisance.

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IntroductionThe present study aimed to describe characteristics of patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D) in UK primary care initiated on dapagliflozin, post-dapagliflozin changes in glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c), body weight and blood pressure, and reasons for adding dapagliflozin to insulin.MethodsRetrospective study of patients with T2D in the Clinical Practice Research Datalink with first prescription for dapagliflozin. Patients were included in the study if they: (1) had a first prescription for dapagliflozin between November 2012 and September 2014; (2) had a Read code for T2D; (3) were registered with a practice for at least 6 months before starting dapagliflozin; and (4) remained registered for at least 3 months after initiation. A questionnaire ascertained reason(s) for adding dapagliflozin to insulin.ResultsDapagliflozin was most often used as triple therapy (27.7%), dual therapy with metformin (25.1%) or added to insulin (19.2%). Median therapy duration was 329 days [95% confidence interval (CI) 302–361]. Poor glycemic control was the reason for dapagliflozin initiation for 93.1% of insulin-treated patients. Avoiding increases in weight/body mass index and insulin resistance were the commonest reasons for selecting dapagliflozin versus intensifying insulin. HbA1c declined by mean of 9.7 mmol/mol (95% CI 8.5–10.9) (0.89%) 14–90 days after starting dapagliflozin, 10.2 mmol/mol (95% CI 8.9–11.5) (0.93%) after 91–180 days and 12.6 mmol/mol (95% CI 11.0–14.3) (1.16%) beyond 180 days. Weight declined by mean of 2.6 kg (95% CI 2.3–2.9) after 14–90 days, 4.3 kg (95% CI 3.8–4.7) after 91–180 days and 4.6 kg (95% CI 4.0–5.2) beyond 180 days. In patients with measurements between 14 and 90 days after starting dapagliflozin, systolic and diastolic blood pressure decreased by means of 4.5 (95% CI −5.8 to −3.2) and 2.0 (95% CI −2.9 to −1.2) mmHg, respectively from baseline. Similar reductions in systolic and diastolic blood pressure were observed after 91–180 days and when follow-up extended beyond 180 days. Results were consistent across subgroups.ConclusionHbA1c, body weight and blood pressure were reduced after initiation of dapagliflozin in patients with T2D in UK primary care and the changes were consistent with randomized clinical trials.FundingAstraZeneca.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s13300-016-0193-8) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

The effect of filtration of medium through different kinds of filters (glass fiber, mixed esters of cellulose and nitrocellulose) on the morphology in the green alga Scenedesmus obliquus was examined. Several compounds potentially released from membrane filters were further investigated, and among them, two anionic surfactants were found to be morphologically active. Exposure to the anionic surfactants resulted within 2 d in the transformation of unicellular populations of Scenedesmus in populations dominated by colonies. Growth rates between control and surfactant-exposed populations were identical, and the morphological effect occurred at surfactant concentrations far below the reported no-observed-effect concentration for growth inhibition, stressing the need for inclusion of morphological appearance of Scenedesmus in algal toxicity testing to improve the assessment of ecological risks.