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The genus M icromonas comprises distinct genetic clades that commonly dominate eukaryotic phytoplankton community from polar to tropical waters. This phytoplankter is also recurrently infected by abundant and genetically diverse prasinoviruses. Here we report on the interplay between prasinoviruses and M icromonas with regard to the genetic diversity of this host. For 1 year, we monitored the abundance of three clades of M icromonas and their viruses in the Western English Channel, both in the environment using clade-specific probes and flow cytometry, and in the laboratory using clonal strains of M icromonas clades to assay for their viruses by plaque-forming units. We showed that the seasonal fluctuations of M icromonas clades were closely mirrored by the abundance of their corresponding viruses, indicating that the members of M icromonas genus are susceptible to viral infection, regardless of their genetic affiliation. The characterization of 45 viral isolates revealed that M icromonas clades are attacked by specific virus populations, which exhibit distinctive clade specificity, life strategies and genetic diversity. However, some viruses can also cross-infect different host clades, suggesting a mechanism of horizontal gene transfer within the M icromonas genus. This study provides novel insights into the impact of viral infection for the ecology and evolution of the prominent phytoplankter M icromonas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

From January 2011 to December 2013, we constructed a comprehensive pCO2 data set based on voluntary observing ship (VOS) measurements in the western English Channel (WEC). We subsequently estimated surface pCO2 and air-sea CO2 fluxes in northwestern European continental shelf waters using multiple linear regressions (MLRs) from remotely sensed sea surface temperature (SST), chlorophyll a concentration (Chl a), wind speed (WND), photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) and modeled mixed layer depth (MLD).We developed specific MLRs for the seasonally stratified northern WEC (nWEC) and the permanently well-mixed southern WEC (sWEC) and calculated surface pCO2 with uncertainties of 17 and 16 μatm, respectively. We extrapolated the relationships obtained for the WEC based on the 2011-2013 data set (1) temporally over a decade and (2) spatially in the adjacent Celtic and Irish seas (CS and IS), two regions which exhibit hydrographical and biogeochemical characteristics similar to those of WEC waters. We validated these extrapolations with pCO2 data from the SOCAT and LDEO databases and obtained good agreement between modeled and observed data. On an annual scale, seasonally stratified systems acted as a sink of CO2 from the atmosphere of -0.6±0.3, -0.9±0.3 and -0.5±0.3 m-2 yr-1 in the northern Celtic Sea, southern Celtic sea and nWEC, respectively, whereas permanently well-mixed systems acted as source of CO2 to the atmosphere of 0.2±0.2 and 0.3±0.2 molCm-2 yr-1 in the sWEC and IS, respectively. Air-sea CO2 fluxes showed important inter-annual variability resulting in significant differences in the intensity and/or direction of annual fluxes. We scaled the mean annual fluxes over these provinces for the last decade and obtained the first annual average uptake of -1.11±0.32 TgC yr-1 for this part of the northwestern European continental shelf. Our study showed that combining VOS data with satellite observations can be a powerful tool to estimate and extrapolate air-sea CO2 fluxes in sparsely sampled area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

From January 2011 to December 2013, we constructed a comprehensive pCO2 dataset based on voluntary observing ship (VOS) measurements in the Western English Channel (WEC). We subsequently estimated surface pCO2 and air-sea CO2 fluxes in north-west European continental shelf waters using multiple linear regressions (MLRs) from remotely sensed sea surface temperature (SST), chlorophyll a concentration (Chl a), the gas transfer velocity coefficient (K), photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) and modeled mixed layer depth (MLD). We developed specific MLRs for the seasonally stratified northern WEC (nWEC) and the permanently well-mixed southern WEC (sWEC) and calculated surface pCO2 with relative uncertainties of 17 and 16 µ atm, respectively. We extrapolated the relationships obtained for the WEC based on the 2011-2013 dataset (1) temporally over a decade and (2) spatially in the adjacent Celtic and Irish Seas (CS and IS), two regions which exhibit hydrographical and biogeochemical characteristics similar to those of WEC waters. We validated these extrapolations with pCO2 data from the SOCAT database and obtained relatively robust results with an average precision of 4_22 µatm in the seasonally stratified nWEC and the southern and northern CS (sCS and nCS), but less promising results in the permanently well-mixed sWEC, IS and Cap Lizard (CL) waters. On an annual scale, seasonally stratified systems acted as a sink of CO2 from the atmosphere of -0.4, -0.9 and -0.4 mol C m-2 year-1 in the nCS, sCS and nWEC, respectively, whereas, permanently well-mixed systems acted as source of CO2 to the atmosphere of 0.2, 0.4 and 0.4 mol C m-2 year-1 in the sWEC, CL and IS, respectively. Air-sea CO2 fluxes showed important inter-annual variability resulting in significant differences in the intensity and/or direction of annual fluxes. We scaled the mean annual fluxes over six provinces for the last decade and obtained the first annual average uptake of -0.95 Tg C year-1 for this part of the north-western European continental shelf. Our study showed that combining VOS data with satellite observations can be a powerful tool to estimate and extrapolate air-sea CO2 fluxes in sparsely sampled area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study generated bioactive hydrolysates using the enzyme Alcalase and autolysis from mesopelagic fish, including Maurolicus muelleri and Benthosema glaciale . Generated hydrolysates were investigated for their bioactivities using in vitro bioassays, and bioactive peptides were identified using mass spectrometry in active hydrolysates with cyclooxygenase, dipeptidyl peptidase IV and antioxidant activities. In silico analysis was employed to rank identified peptide sequences in terms of overall bioactivity using programmes including Peptide Ranker, PrepAIP, Umami-MRNN and AntiDMPpred. Seven peptides predicted to have anti-inflammatory, anti-type 2 diabetes or Umami potential using in silico strategies were chemically synthesised, and their anti-inflammatory activities were confirmed using in vitro bioassays with COX-1 and COX-2 enzymes. The peptide QCPLHRPWAL inhibited COX-1 and COX-2 by 82.90% (+/-0.54) and 53.84%, respectively, and had a selectivity index greater than 10. This peptide warrants further research as a novel anti-inflammatory/pain relief peptide. Other peptides with DPP-IV inhibitory and Umami flavours were identified. These offer potential for use as functional foods or topical agents to prevent pain and inflammation.

Importance: A major issue in the management of craniopharyngioma-related obesity (CRO) is the ineffectiveness of the current therapeutic approaches., Objective: To study the efficacy of glucagon-like peptide-1 analogs compared with placebo in adults with obesity CRO., Design: A double-blind multicenter superiority randomized clinical in trial in two parallel arms., Setting: Eleven French University Hospital Centers., Participants: Adults with CRO (body mass index > 30 kg/m²) without the sign of recurrence of craniopharyngioma in the past year., Interventions: Exenatide or placebo injected subcutaneously twice a day during 26 weeks., Main Outcomes and Measures: The primary outcome was the mean change in body weight at week 26 in the intention-to-treat population. Secondary outcomes were eating behavior, calories intake, energy expenditure, cardiovascular, metabolic risk factor, quality of life, and the tolerance profile., Results: At week 26, weight decreased from baseline by a mean of -3.8 (SD 4.3) kg for exenatide and -1.6 (3.8) kg for placebo. The adjusted mean treatment difference was -3.1 kg (95% confidence interval [CI] -7.0 to 0.7, P = 0.11). Results were compatible with a higher reduction of hunger score with exenatide compared with placebo (estimated treatment difference in change from baseline to week 26: -2.3, 95% CI -4.5 to -0.2), while all other outcomes did not significantly differ between groups. Adverse events were more common with exenatide versus placebo, and occurred in, respectively, 19 (95%) participants (108 events) and 14 (70%) participants (54 events)., Conclusions and Relevance: Combined with intensive lifestyle interventions, a 26-week treatment with exenatide was not demonstrated superior to placebo to treat craniopharyngioma-related obesity., Competing Interests: Conflict of interest: G.R. is on the editorial board of EJE. He was not involved in the review or editorial process for this paper, on which he is listed as an author. The other authors declare no competing interests., (© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of European Society of Endocrinology. All rights reserved. For commercial re-use, please contact reprints@oup.com for reprints and translation rights for reprints. All other permissions can be obtained through our RightsLink service via the Permissions link on the article page on our site—for further information please contact journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Coccolithophores have global ecological and biogeochemical significance as the most important calcifying marine phytoplankton group. The structure and selection of prokaryotic communities associated with the most abundant coccolithophore and bloom-forming species, Emiliania huxleyi, are still poorly known. In this study, we assessed the diversity of bacterial communities associated with an E. huxleyi bloom in the Celtic Sea (Eastern North Atlantic), exposed axenic E. huxleyi cultures to prokaryotic communities derived from bloom and non-bloom conditions, and followed the dynamics of their microbiome composition over one year. Bloom-associated prokaryotic communities were dominated by SAR11, Marine group II Euryarchaeota and Rhodobacterales and contained substantial proportions of known indicators of phytoplankton bloom demises such as Flavobacteriaceae and Pseudoalteromonadaceae. The taxonomic richness of bacteria derived from natural communities associated with axenic E. huxleyi rapidly shifted and then stabilized over time. The succession of microorganisms recruited from the environment was consistently dependent on the composition of the initial bacterioplankton community. Phycosphere-associated communities derived from the E. huxleyi bloom were highly similar to one another, suggesting deterministic processes, whereas cultures from non-bloom conditions show an effect of stochasticity. Overall, this work sheds new light on the importance of the initial inoculum composition in microbiome recruitment and elucidates the temporal dynamics of its composition and long-term stability., (© 2023 The Authors. Molecular Ecology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Along with their important diversity, coastal ecosystems receive various amounts of nutrients, principally arising from the continent and from the related human activities (mainly industrial and agricultural activities). During the 20th century, nutrients loads have increased following the increase of both the global population and need of services. Alongside, climate change including temperature increase or atmospheric circulation change has occurred. These processes, Ecosystem state changes are hard to monitor and predict. To study the long-term changes of nutrients concentrations in coastal ecosystems, eleven French coastal ecosystems were studied over 20 years as they encompass large climatic and land pressures, representative of temperate ecosystems, over a rather small geographical area. Both univariate (time series decomposition) and multivariate (relationships between ecosystems and drivers) statistical analyses were used to determine ecosystem trajectories as well as typologies of ecosystem trajectories. It appeared that most of the French coastal ecosystems exhibited trajectories towards a decrease in nutrients concentrations. Differences in trajectories mainly depended on continental and human influences, as well as on climatic regimes. One single ecosystem exhibited very different trajectories, the Arcachon Bay with an increase in nutrients concentrations. Ecosystem trajectories based on ordination techniques were proven to be useful tools to monitor ecosystem changes. This study highlighted the importance of local environments and the need to couple uni- and multi-ecosystem studies. Although the studied ecosystems were influenced by both local and large-scale climate, by anthropogenic activities loads, and that their trajectories were mostly similar based on their continental influence, non-negligible variations resulted from their internal functioning., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Major seasonal community reorganizations and associated biomass variations are landmarks of plankton ecology. However, the processes of plankton community turnover rates have not been fully elucidated so far. Here, we analyse patterns of planktonic protist community succession in temperate latitudes, based on quantitative taxonomic data from both microscopy counts (cells >10 μm) and ribosomal DNA metabarcoding (size fraction >3 μm, 18S rRNA gene) from plankton samples collected bimonthly over 8 years (2009-2016) at the SOMLIT-Astan station (Roscoff, Western English Channel). Based on morphology, diatoms were clearly the dominating group all year round and over the study period. Metabarcoding uncovered a wider diversity spectrum and revealed the prevalence of Dinophyceae and diatoms but also of Cryptophyta, Chlorophyta, Cercozoa, Syndiniales and Ciliophora in terms of read counts and or richness. The use of morphological and molecular analyses in combination allowed improving the taxonomic resolution and to identify the sequence of the dominant species and OTUs (18S V4 rDNA-derived taxa) that drive annual plankton successions. We detected that some of these dominant OTUs were benthic as a result of the intense tidal mixing typical of the French coasts in the English Channel. Our analysis of the temporal structure of community changes point to a strong seasonality and resilience. The temporal structure of environmental variables (especially Photosynthetic Active Radiation, temperature and macronutrients) and temporal structures generated by species life cycles and or species interactions, are key drivers of the observed cyclic annual plankton turnover., (© 2022 The Authors. Molecular Ecology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Background: There is a paucity of data on cardiovascular sequelae of asymptomatic/mildly symptomatic SARS-Cov-2 infections (COVID)., Objectives: The aim of this prospective study was to characterize the cardiovascular sequelae of asymptomatic/mildly symptomatic COVID-19 among high/elite-level athletes., Methods: 950 athletes (779 professional French National Rugby League (F-NRL) players; 171 student athletes) were included. SARS-Cov-2 testing was performed at inclusion, and F-NRL athletes were intensely followed-up for incident COVID-19. Athletes underwent ECG and biomarker profiling (D-Dimer, troponin, C-reactive protein). COVID(+) athletes underwent additional exercise testing, echocardiography and cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMR)., Results: 285/950 athletes (30.0%) had mild/asymptomatic COVID-19 [79 (8.3%) at inclusion (COVID(+) prevalent ); 206 (28.3%) during follow-up (COVID(+) incident )]. 2.6% COVID(+) athletes had abnormal ECGs, while 0.4% had an abnormal echocardiogram. During stress testing (following 7-day rest), COVID(+) athletes had a functional capacity of 12.8 ± 2.7 METS with only stress-induced premature ventricular ectopy in 10 (4.3%). Prevalence of CMR scar was comparable between COVID(+) athletes and controls [COVID(+) vs. COVID(-); 1/102 (1.0%) vs 1/28 (3.6%)]. During 289 ± 56 days follow-up, one athlete had ventricular tachycardia, with no obvious link with a SARS-CoV-2 infection. The proportion with troponin I and CRP values above the upper-limit threshold was comparable between pre- and post-infection (5.9% vs 5.9%, and 5.6% vs 8.7%, respectively). The proportion with D-Dimer values above the upper-limit threshold increased when comparing pre- and post-infection (7.9% vs 17.3%, P = 0.01)., Conclusion: The absence of cardiac sequelae in pauci/asymptomatic COVID(+) athletes is reassuring and argues against the need for systematic cardiac assessment prior to resumption of training (clinicaltrials.gov; NCT04936503)., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Free-living red coralline algae play an important role in the carbon and carbonate cycles of coastal environments. In this study, we examined the physiology of free-living coralline algae-forming maerl beds in the Bay of Brest (Brittany, France), where Lithothamnion corallioides is the dominant maerl (i.e., rhodolith) species. Phymatolithon calcareum and Lithophyllum incrustans are also present (in lower abundances) at a specific site in the bay. We aimed to assess how maerl physiology is affected by seasonality and/or local environmental variations at the inter- and intraspecific levels. Physiological measurements (respiration, photosynthetic, and calcification rates) were performed using incubation chambers in winter and summer to compare (1) the dominant maerl species at three sites and (2) three coexisting maerl species at one site. Comparison of the three coexisting maerl species suggests that L. corallioides is the best adapted to the current environmental conditions in the Bay of Brest, because this species is the most robust to dissolution in the dark in winter and has the highest calcification efficiency in the light. Comparisons of L. corallioides metabolic rates between stations showed that morphological variations within this species are the main factor affecting its photosynthetic and calcification rates. Environmental factors such as freshwater inputs also affect its calcification rates in the dark. In addition to interspecies variation in maerl physiology, there were intraspecific variations associated with direct (water physico-chemistry) or indirect (morphology) local environmental conditions. This study demonstrates the plasticity of maerl physiology in response to environmental changes, which is fundamental for maerl persistence., (© 2021 Phycological Society of America.)

Background: Screening for coronary artery disease (CAD) remains broadly performed in patients with type 2 diabetes (T2DM), although the lack of evidence. We conduct a real-world evidence (RWE) study to assess the risk of major clinical outcomes and economic impact of routine CAD screening in T2DM individuals at a very high cardiovascular risk., Methods: SCADIAB is a comparative nationwide cohort study using data from the French National Health Data System. The main inclusion criteria are: age ≥ 40 years, DT2 diagnosed for ≥ 7 years, with ≥ 2 additional cardiovascular risk factors plus a history of microvascular or macrovascular disease, except CAD. We estimated ≥ 90,000 eligible participants for our study. Data will be extracted from 01/01/2008 to 31/12/2019. Eligible participants will be identified during a first 7-year selection period (2008-2015). Each participant will be assigned either in experimental (CAD screening procedure during the selection period) or control group (no CAD screening) on 01/01/2015, and followed for 5 years. The primary endpoint is the incremental cost per life year saved over 5 years in CAD screening group versus no CAD screening. The main secondary endpoints are: total 5-year direct costs of each strategy; incidence of major cardiovascular (acute coronary syndrome, hospitalization for heart failure, coronary revascularization or all-cause death), cerebrovascular (hospitalization for transient ischemic attack, stroke, or carotid revascularization) and lower-limb events (peripheral artery disease, ischemic diabetic foot, lower-limb revascularization or amputation); and the budget impact for the French Insurance system to promote the cost-effective strategy. Analyses will be adjusted for a high-dimension propensity score taking into account known and unknown confounders. SCADIAB has been funded by the French Ministry of Health and the protocol has been approved by the French ethic authorities. Data management and analyses will start in the second half of 2021., Discussion: SCADIAB is a large and contemporary RWE study that will assess the economic and clinical impacts of routine CAD screening in T2DM people at a very high cardiovascular risk. It will also evaluate the clinical practice regarding CAD screening and help to make future recommendations and optimize the use of health care resources. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT04534530 ( https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04534530 ).

Background: Depressive disorders in University students have risen dramatically in the past few decades to the extent that students' mental health has become a current global public health priority. Obtaining information from University students about their mental health is challenging because of potential embarrassment of disclosing one's concerns and fear of stigmatization. Self-rated health might be a good solution to evaluate mental health state by a simple and neutral indicator. The aim of the study is to investigate the association between depressive symptoms and self-rated health by sex among University students in France and Japan., Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted by using two large cohorts of students aged ≥18 years (n = 5655 in Bordeaux, France and n = 17,148 in Kyoto, Japan). Depressive symptoms (PHQ-2 scale), Likert scale of self-rated health, socio-demographic characteristics and health habits were collected through self-administered questionnaires. Multivariate logistic regression models were performed to describe the association between depressive symptoms and other variables including self-rated health, stratified by sex., Results: A high score of PHQ-2 (high depressive symptoms) was associated with poor self-rated health in both cohorts independently of all other variables (OR 2.82, 95%CI 1.99-4.01 in France, OR 7.10, 95%CI 5.76-8.74 in Japan). Although the prevalence of depressive symptoms between sexes was different in French students (males 15.4%, females 25.0%, p < 0.001), it was similar in Japanese students (males 3.5%, females 3.3%, p = 0.466), who reported less depressive symptoms than French students. The association between depressive symptoms and poor self-rated health was greater in Japanese females (OR 12.40, 95%CI 7.74-20.00) than in males (OR 6.30, 95%CI 4.99-7.95), whereas the strength of the association was almost similar in French students (OR 2.17, 95%CI 0.86-5.47 in males, OR 2.98, 95%CI 2.03-4.38 in females)., Conclusions: Depressive symptoms were associated with self-rated health among University students in both countries with slightly differences in sex. Self-rated health would be a simple, reliable and universal indicator for healthcare professionals and University staff to identify students at risk of depression.

Estuaries are crucial ecosystems where human activities deeply affect numerous ecological functions. Here we present a survey dataset based on the monitoring of fish nursery grounds of the Seine estuary and eastern bay of Seine collected once a year using a beam trawl during three distinct periods (1995-2002, 2008-2010 and 2017-2019). The surveys happen at the start of autumn in order to maximize the catchability of juvenile fish. The beam trawl mainly targets benthic and demersal species on a study area that extends over 600 square kilometers. The dataset includes abundance and densities of 161 species for 634 hauls performed around 40 stations each year. These data can be used by fishery scientists and ecologists motivated by early life stages of commercial species or by the impact of human disturbances, such as harbor developments, on estuarine communities.

In 1995 a strain of Ectocarpus was isolated from Hopkins River Falls, Victoria, Australia, constituting one of few available freshwater or nearly freshwater brown algae, and the only one belonging to the genus Ectocarpus. It has since been used as a model to study acclimation and adaptation to low salinities and the role of its microbiota in these processes. To provide more background information on this model, we assessed if Ectocarpus was still present in the Hopkins river 22 years after the original finding, estimated its present distribution, described its abiotic environment, and determined its in situ microbial composition. We sampled for Ectocarpus at 15 sites along the Hopkins River as well as 10 neighboring sites and found individuals with ITS and cox1 sequences identical to the original isolate at three sites upstream of Hopkins River Falls. The salinity of the water at these sites ranged from 3.1 to 6.9, and it was rich in sulfate (1-5 mM). The diversity of bacteria associated with the algae in situ (1312 operational taxonomic units) was one order of magnitude higher than in previous studies of the original laboratory culture, and 95 alga-associated bacterial strains were isolated from algal filaments on site. In particular, species of Planctomycetes were abundant in situ but rare in laboratory cultures. Our results confirmed that Ectocarpus was still present in the Hopkins River, and the newly isolated algal and bacterial strains offer new possibilities to study the adaptation of Ectocarpus to low salinity and its interactions with its microbiome., (© 2020 Phycological Society of America.)

Made up of calcareous coralline algae, maerl beds play a major role as ecosystem engineers in coastal areas throughout the world. They undergo strong anthropogenic pressures, which may threaten their survival. The aim of this study was to gain insight into the future of maerl beds in the context of global and local changes. We examined the effects of rising temperatures (+3°C) and ocean acidification (-0.3 pH units) according to temperature and pH projections (i.e., the RCP 8.5 scenario), and nutrient (N and P) availability on three temperate maerl species ( Lithothamnion corallioides , Phymatolithon calcareum , and Lithophyllum incrustans ) in the laboratory in winter and summer conditions. Physiological rates of primary production, respiration, and calcification were measured on all three species in each treatment and season. The physiological response of maerl to global climate change was species-specific and influenced by seawater nutrient concentrations. Future temperature-pH scenario enhanced maximal gross primary production rates in P. calcareum in winter and in L. corallioides in both seasons. Nevertheless, both species suffered an impairment of light harvesting and photoprotective mechanisms in winter. Calcification rates at ambient light intensity were negatively affected by the future temperature-pH scenario in winter, with net dissolution observed in the dark in L. corallioides and P. calcareum under low nutrient concentrations. Nutrient enrichment avoided dissolution under future scenarios in winter and had a positive effect on L. incrustans calcification rate in the dark in summer. In winter conditions, maximal calcification rates were enhanced by the future temperature-pH scenario on the three species, but P. calcareum suffered inhibition at high irradiances. In summer conditions, the maximal calcification rate dropped in L. corallioides under the future global climate change scenario, with a potential negative impact on CaCO 3 budget for maerl beds in the Bay of Brest where this species is dominant. Our results highlight how local changes in nutrient availability or irradiance levels impact the response of maerl species to global climate change and thus point out how it is important to consider other abiotic parameters in order to develop management policies capable to increase the resilience of maerl beds under the future global climate change scenario., Competing Interests: None declared., (© 2019 The Authors. Ecology and Evolution published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Background: During university, students face some potentially serious health risks, and their lifestyle can have a direct effect on health and health behaviors later in life. Concurrently, university students are digital natives having easy access to the internet and new technologies. Digital health interventions offer promising new opportunities for health promotion, disease prevention, and care in this specific population. The description of the current use of and opinions on digital health among university students can inform future digital health strategies and interventions within university settings., Objective: The aim of this exploratory study was to report on university students' use and opinions regarding information and communication technologies for health and well-being, taking into account sociodemographic and self-rated general and mental health correlates., Methods: This field survey was conducted from March to April 2017. An informed consent form and a paper questionnaire were given to students aged 18 to 24 years in 4 university campuses in Bordeaux, France. The survey was formulated in 3 sections: (1) sociodemographic characteristics and self-rated general and mental health, (2) information about the use of digital health, and (3) opinions about digital health. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and tests of independence., Results: A total of 59.8% (303/507 females) students completed the questionnaire. Concerning digital health use, 34.9% (174/498) had at least 1 health app mostly for physical activity (49.4%, 86/174) and general health monitoring (41.4%, 72/174,), but only 3.9% (20/507) of students had a wearable device. Almost all (94.8%, 450/476) had searched for Web-based health-related information at least once in the last 12 months. The most sought health-related topics were nutrition (68.1%, 324/476); pain and illnesses (64.5%, 307/476); and stress, anxiety, or depression (51.1%, 243/476). Although Wikipedia (79.7%, 357/448) and general health websites (349/448, 77.9%) were the most consulted sources, students considered institutional or official websites as the most credible sources (309/335, 92.2%). There were significant differences in digital health use by gender, field, and year of study. No statistically significant association was found between digital health use and self-rated general and mental health status. Concerning opinions on digital health, although 94.1% (475/505) of students estimated that today's digital health cannot replace traditional health services and medical consultations, 44.6% (207/464) of students declared that this could be possible in the future, provided that digital health interventions are promoted by institutional or official entities., Conclusions: University students are largely using the internet for health information seeking, but using less mobile health apps and very few wearable devices. Our data suggest that digital health has the potential for improving health and well-being at the university, especially if digital health interventions take into account students' profiles, interests, and needs., (©Ilaria Montagni, Tanguy Cariou, Tiphaine Feuillet, Emmanuel Langlois, Christophe Tzourio. Originally published in JMIR Mhealth and Uhealth (http://mhealth.jmir.org), 15.03.2018.)

Ocean Sampling Day was initiated by the EU-funded Micro B3 (Marine Microbial Biodiversity, Bioinformatics, Biotechnology) project to obtain a snapshot of the marine microbial biodiversity and function of the world's oceans. It is a simultaneous global mega-sequencing campaign aiming to generate the largest standardized microbial data set in a single day. This will be achievable only through the coordinated efforts of an Ocean Sampling Day Consortium, supportive partnerships and networks between sites. This commentary outlines the establishment, function and aims of the Consortium and describes our vision for a sustainable study of marine microbial communities and their embedded functional traits.

Very few studies have analysed the niches of pelagic protist in details. This is because for most protists, both an accurate species definition and methods for routine detection and quantification of cells are lacking. The morphospecies Micromonas pusilla, a marine unicellular green alga, is the most ubiquitous and cosmopolitan picoeukaryote described to date. This species comprises several independent genetic lineages or clades, which are not currently distinguishable based on comparison of their morphology or biogeographical distribution. Molecular probes were used to detect and quantify the genetic clades of M. pusilla in samples from temperate, polar and tropical environments in order to assess potential ecological niche partitioning. The three clades were detected in all biogeographical regions studied and were commonly found in sympatry. Cell abundances recorded for clades A and B were high, especially at coastal stations. Clade C, when detected, was always at low abundances and is suggested to be a low-light clade. Shifts in the contribution of clades to total M. pusilla abundance were observed along environmental gradients, both at local and basin-wide scales. This suggests that the phylogenetic clades occupy specific niches and confirms the existence of cryptic species within the morphospecies M. pusilla. Parameters which can precisely explain the distribution of these cryptic species remain to be elucidated.

The class Prasinophyceae (Chlorophyta) contains several photosynthetic picoeukaryotic species described from cultured isolates. The ecology of these organisms and their contributions to the picoeukaryotic community in aquatic ecosystems have received little consideration. We have designed and tested eight new 18S ribosomal DNA oligonucleotide probes specific for different Prasinophyceae clades, genera, and species. Using fluorescent in situ hybridization associated with tyramide signal amplification, these probes, along with more general probes, have been applied to samples from a marine coastal site off Roscoff (France) collected every 2 weeks between July 2000 and September 2001. The abundance of eukaryotic picoplankton remained high (>10(3) cells ml(-1)) during the sampling period, with maxima in summer (up to 2 x 10(4) cells ml(-1)), and a single green algal species, Micromonas pusilla (Prasinophyceae), dominated the community all year round. Members of the order Prasinococcales and the species Bathycoccus prasinos (Mamiellales) displayed sporadic occurrences, while the abundances of all other Prasinophyceae groups targeted remained negligible.