Plastid phylogenomics of the cool-season grass subfamily: clarification of relationships among early-diverging tribes

PubMed Central

Saarela, Jeffery M.; Wysocki, William P.; Barrett, Craig F.; Soreng, Robert J.; Davis, Jerrold I.; Clark, Lynn G.; Kelchner, Scot A.; Pires, J. Chris; Edger, Patrick P.; Mayfield, Dustin R.; Duvall, Melvin R.

2015-01-01

Whole plastid genomes are being sequenced rapidly from across the green plant tree of life, and phylogenetic analyses of these are increasing resolution and support for relationships that have varied among or been unresolved in earlier single- and multi-gene studies. Pooideae, the cool-season grass lineage, is the largest of the 12 grass subfamilies and includes important temperate cereals, turf grasses and forage species. Although numerous studies of the phylogeny of the subfamily have been undertaken, relationships among some ‘early-diverging’ tribes conflict among studies, and some relationships among subtribes of Poeae have not yet been resolved. To address these issues, we newly sequenced 25 whole plastomes, which showed rearrangements typical of Poaceae. These plastomes represent 9 tribes and 11 subtribes of Pooideae, and were analysed with 20 existing plastomes for the subfamily. Maximum likelihood (ML), maximum parsimony (MP) and Bayesian inference (BI) robustly resolve most deep relationships in the subfamily. Complete plastome data provide increased nodal support compared with protein-coding data alone at nodes that are not maximally supported. Following the divergence of Brachyelytrum, Phaenospermateae, Brylkinieae–Meliceae and Ampelodesmeae–Stipeae are the successive sister groups of the rest of the subfamily. Ampelodesmeae are nested within Stipeae in the plastome trees, consistent with its hybrid origin between a phaenospermatoid and a stipoid grass (the maternal parent). The core Pooideae are strongly supported and include Brachypodieae, a Bromeae–Triticeae clade and Poeae. Within Poeae, a novel sister group relationship between Phalaridinae and Torreyochloinae is found, and the relative branching order of this clade and Aveninae, with respect to an Agrostidinae–Brizinae clade, are discordant between MP and ML/BI trees. Maximum likelihood and Bayesian analyses strongly support Airinae and Holcinae as the successive sister groups of a Dactylidinae–Loliinae clade. PMID:25940204

Does age modify the association between psychosocial factors at work and deterioration of self-rated health?

PubMed

Burr, Hermann; Hasselhorn, Hans Martin; Kersten, Norbert; Pohrt, Anne; Rugulies, Reiner

2017-09-01

Objectives Few epidemiological studies have examined whether associations of psychosocial working conditions with risk of poor health differ by age. Based on results from mostly cross-sectional studies, we test whether (i) psychosocial relational factors (social support) are more strongly associated with declining health of older than younger employees and (ii) psychosocial job factors (workpace, influence, possibilities for development) are more strongly associated with declining health of younger than older employees. Methods We extracted two cohorts from the Danish Work Environment Cohort Study (DWECS): the 2000-2005 and 2005-2010 cohorts. The participating 5281 employees with good self-rated health (SRH) at baseline were observed in 6585 5-year time windows. Using log-binomial regression analyses, we analysed whether psychosocial factors at work predicted 5-year deterioration of SRH. Effect modification by age was estimated by calculating relative excess risk due to interaction (RERI). Results High workpace among men, low influence at work as well as low social support from colleagues among women, and low possibilities for development and low social support from supervisors among both genders predicted 5-year decline in SRH. Of the 20 interaction analyses, only 1 was statistically significant and in the opposite direction of what was hypothesized (higher risk for declining SRH among middle-aged men with low possibilities for development compared to the young men with high possibilities for development). Conclusions Psychosocial working conditions predicted decline in SRH in this 5-year follow-up study. The model did not support our hypotheses about modifying effects by age.

Phylogeny of seed plants based on all three genomic compartments: extant gymnosperms are monophyletic and Gnetales' closest relatives are conifers.

PubMed

Bowe, L M; Coat, G; dePamphilis, C W

2000-04-11

Efforts to resolve Darwin's "abominable mystery"-the origin of angiosperms-have led to the conclusion that Gnetales and various fossil groups are sister to angiosperms, forming the "anthophytes." Morphological homologies, however, are difficult to interpret, and molecular data have not provided clear resolution of relationships among major groups of seed plants. We introduce two sequence data sets from slowly evolving mitochondrial genes, cox1 and atpA, which unambiguously reject the anthophyte hypothesis, favoring instead a close relationship between Gnetales and conifers. Parsimony- and likelihood-based analyses of plastid rbcL and nuclear 18S rDNA alone and with cox1 and atpA also strongly support a gnetophyte-conifer grouping. Surprisingly, three of four genes (all but nuclear rDNA) and combined three-genome analyses also suggest or strongly support Gnetales as derived conifers, sister to Pinaceae. Analyses with outgroups screened to avoid long branches consistently identify all gymnosperms as a monophyletic sister group to angiosperms. Combined three- and four-gene rooted analyses resolve the branching order for the remaining major groups-cycads separate from other gymnosperms first, followed by Ginkgo and then (Gnetales + Pinaceae) sister to a monophyletic group with all other conifer families. The molecular phylogeny strongly conflicts with current interpretations of seed plant morphology, and implies that many similarities between gnetophytes and angiosperms, such as "flower-like" reproductive structures and double fertilization, were independently derived, whereas other characters could emerge as synapomorphies for an expanded conifer group including Gnetales. An initial angiosperm-gymnosperm split implies a long stem lineage preceding the explosive Mesozoic radiation of flowering plants and suggests that angiosperm origins and homologies should be sought among extinct seed plant groups.

Dyadic confirmatory factor analysis of the inflammatory bowel disease family responsibility questionnaire.

PubMed

Greenley, Rachel Neff; Reed-Knight, Bonney; Blount, Ronald L; Wilson, Helen W

2013-09-01

Evaluate the factor structure of youth and maternal involvement ratings on the Inflammatory Bowel Disease Family Responsibility Questionnaire, a measure of family allocation of condition management responsibilities in pediatric inflammatory bowel disease. Participants included 251 youth aged 11-18 years with inflammatory bowel disease and their mothers. Item-level descriptive analyses, subscale internal consistency estimates, and confirmatory factor analyses of youth and maternal involvement were conducted using a dyadic data-analytic approach. Results supported the validity of 4 conceptually derived subscales including general health maintenance, social aspects, condition management tasks, and nutrition domains. Additionally, results indicated adequate support for the factor structure of a 21-item youth involvement measure and strong support for a 16-item maternal involvement measure. Additional empirical support for the validity of the Inflammatory Bowel Disease Family Responsibility Questionnaire was provided. Future research to replicate current findings and to examine the measure's clinical utility is warranted.

Conflict amongst chloroplast DNA sequences obscures the phylogeny of a group of Asplenium ferns.

PubMed

Shepherd, Lara D; Holland, Barbara R; Perrie, Leon R

2008-07-01

A previous study of the relationships amongst three subgroups of the Austral Asplenium ferns found conflicting signal between the two chloroplast loci investigated. Because organelle genomes like those of chloroplasts and mitochondria are thought to be non-recombining, with a single evolutionary history, we sequenced four additional chloroplast loci with the expectation that this would resolve these relationships. Instead, the conflict was only magnified. Although tree-building analyses favoured one of the three possible trees, one of the alternative trees actually had one more supporting site (six versus five) and received greater support in spectral and neighbor-net analyses. Simulations suggested that chance alone was unlikely to produce strong support for two of the possible trees and none for the third. Likelihood permutation tests indicated that the concatenated chloroplast sequence data appeared to have experienced recombination. However, recombination between the chloroplast genomes of different species would be highly atypical, and corollary supporting observations, like chloroplast heteroplasmy, are lacking. Wider taxon sampling clarified the composition of the Austral group, but the conflicting signal meant analyses (e.g., morphological evolution, biogeographic) conditional on a well-supported phylogeny could not be performed.

Recognition Memory: Adding a Response Deadline Eliminates Recollection but Spares Familiarity

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sauvage, Magdalena M.; Beer, Zachery; Eichenbaum, Howard

2010-01-01

A current controversy in memory research concerns whether recognition is supported by distinct processes of familiarity and recollection, or instead by a single process wherein familiarity and recollection reflect weak and strong memories, respectively. Recent studies using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analyses in an animal model have…

Framing the Future: Revisiting the Place of Educational Expectations in Status Attainment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bozick, Robert; Alexander, Karl; Entwisle, Doris; Dauber, Susan; Kerr, Kerri

2010-01-01

This study revisits the Wisconsin model of status attainment from a life course developmental perspective. Fixed-effects regression analyses lend strong support to the Wisconsin framework's core proposition that academic performance and significant others' influence shape educational expectations. However, investigating the process of expectation…

Sufficient Social Support as a Possible Preventive Factor against Fighting and Bullying in School Children.

PubMed

Šmigelskas, Kastytis; Vaičiūnas, Tomas; Lukoševičiūtė, Justė; Malinowska-Cieślik, Marta; Melkumova, Marina; Movsesyan, Eva; Zaborskis, Apolinaras

2018-04-26

Background: This study aims to explore how sufficient social support can act as a possible preventive factor against fighting and bullying in school-aged children in 9 European countries. Methods : Data for this study were collected during the 2013/2014 Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) survey. The sample consisted of 9 European countries, involving 43,667 school children in total, aged 11, 13 and 15 years. The analysed data focus on social context (relations with family, peers, and school) as well as risk behaviours such as smoking, drunkenness, fighting and bullying in adolescents. The relationships between social support and violent behaviour variables were estimated using multiple regression models and multivariate analyses. Results : Bullying, across 9 countries, was more prevalent than fighting, except for Armenia, Israel, and Poland. The prevalence among countries differed considerably, with fighting being most expressed in Armenia and bullying—in Latvia and Lithuania. The strongest risk factors for bullying and fighting were male gender (less expressed for bullying), smoking and alcohol consumption. In addition, for bullying the social support was similarly strong factor like above-mentioned factors, while for fighting—less significant, but still independent. All forms of social support were significantly relate with lower violent behaviour of school children, and family support was associated most strongly. Regardless the socioeconomic, historical, and cultural differences among selected countries, the enhancement and reinforcement of the social support from possible many different resources should be taken into consideration in prevention programs against school violence behaviours.

Molecular phylogenetics of Ruscaceae sensu lato and related families (Asparagales) based on plastid and nuclear DNA sequences

PubMed Central

Kim, Joo-Hwan; Kim, Dong-Kap; Forest, Felix; Fay, Michael F.; Chase, Mark W.

2010-01-01

Background Previous phylogenetics studies of Asparagales, although extensive and generally well supported, have left several sets of taxa unclearly placed and have not addressed all relationships within certain clades thoroughly (some clades were relatively sparsely sampled). One of the most important of these is sampling within and placement of Nolinoideae (Ruscaceae s.l.) of Asparagaceae sensu Angiosperm Phylogeny Group (APG) III, which subfamily includes taxa previously referred to Convallariaceae, Dracaenaaceae, Eriospermaceae, Nolinaceae and Ruscaceae. Methods A phylogenetic analysis of a combined data set for 126 taxa of Ruscaceae s.l. and related groups in Asparagales based on three nuclear and plastid DNA coding genes, 18S rDNA (1796 bp), rbcL (1338 bp) and matK (1668 bp), representing a total of approx. 4·8 kb is presented. Parsimony and Bayesian inference analyses were conducted to elucidate relationships of Ruscaceae s.l. and related groups, and parsimony bootstrap analysis was performed to assess support of clades. Key Results The combination of the three genes results in the most highly resolved and strongly supported topology yet obtained for Asparagales including Ruscaceae s.l. Asparagales relationships are nearly congruent with previous combined gene analyses, which were reflected in the APG III classification. Parsimony and Bayesian analyses yield identical relationships except for some slight variation among the core asparagoid families, which nevertheless form a strongly supported group in both types of analyses. In core asparagoids, five major clades are identified: (1) Alliaceae s.l. (sensu APG III, Amarylidaceae–Agapanthaceae–Alliaceae); (2) Asparagaceae–Laxmanniaceae–Ruscaceae s.l.; (3) Themidaceae; (4) Hyacinthaceae; (5) Anemarrhenaceae–Behniaceae–Herreriaceae–Agavaceae (clades 2–5 collectively Asparagaceae s.l. sensu APG III). The position of Aphyllanthes is labile, but it is sister to Themidaceae in the combined maximum-parsimony tree and sister to Anemarrhenaceae in the Bayesian analysis. The highly supported clade of Xanthorrhoeaceae s.l. (sensu APG III, including Asphodelaceae and Hemerocallidaceae) is sister to the core asparagoids. Ruscaceae s.l. are a well-supported group. Asparagaceae s.s. are sister to Ruscaceae s.l., even though the clade of the two families is weakly supported; Laxmanniaceae are strongly supported as sister to Ruscaceae s.l. and Asparagaceae. Ruscaceae s.l. include six principal clades that often reflect previously named groups: (1) tribe Polygonateae (excluding Disporopsis); (2) tribe Ophiopogoneae; (3) tribe Convallarieae (excluding Theropogon); (4) Ruscaceae s.s. + Dracaenaceae + Theropogon + Disporopsis + Comospermum; (5) Nolinaceae, (6) Eriospermum. Conclusions The analyses here were largely conducted with new data collected for the same loci as in previous studies, but in this case from different species/DNA accessions and greater sampling in many cases than in previously published analyses; nonetheless, the results largely mirror those of previously conducted studies. This demonstrates the robustness of these results and answers questions often raised about reproducibility of DNA results, given the often sparse sampling of taxa in some studies, particularly the earliest ones. The results also provide a clear set of patterns on which to base a new classification of the subfamilies of Asparagaceae s.l., particularly Ruscaceae s.l. (= Nolinoideae of Asparagaceae s.l.), and examine other putatively important characters of Asparagales. PMID:20929900

Female chacma baboons form strong, equitable, and enduring social bonds

PubMed Central

Beehner, Jacinta C.; Bergman, Thore J.; Crockford, Catherine; Engh, Anne L.; Moscovice, Liza R.; Wittig, Roman M.; Seyfarth, Robert M.; Cheney, Dorothy L.

2010-01-01

Analyses of the pattern of associations, social interactions, coalitions, and aggression among chacma baboons (Papio hamadryas ursinus) in the Okavango Delta of Botswana over a 16-year period indicate that adult females form close, equitable, supportive, and enduring social relationships. They show strong and stable preferences for close kin, particularly their own mothers and daughters. Females also form strong attachments to unrelated females who are close to their own age and who are likely to be paternal half-sisters. Although absolute rates of aggression among kin are as high as rates of aggression among nonkin, females are more tolerant of close relatives than they are of others with whom they have comparable amounts of contact. These findings complement previous work which indicates that the strength of social bonds enhances the fitness of females in this population and support findings about the structure and function of social bonds in other primate groups. PMID:20976293

Phylogenetic Relationships of Cucullanidae (Nematoda), with Observations on Seuratoidea and the Monophyly of Cucullanus, Dichelyne and Truttaedacnitis.

PubMed

Choudhury, Anindo; Nadler, Steven A

2016-02-01

The phylogenetic relationships of Cucullanidae were explored using near-complete sequences of the 18S rDNA (rRNA gene). Sequences (1,750-1,760 bp) were obtained from 7 species of Cucullanidae belonging to 3 genera, Cucullanus (2 spp.), Dichelyne (2 spp.), Truttaedacnitis (3 spp.), and 1 species of Quimperiidae ( Paraseuratum sp.). These sequences were aligned with those of 128 other nematode species available in GenBank, including 3 other cucullanids (Dichelyne mexicanus, Cucullanus robustus, and Cucullanus baylisi) and 2 non-cucullanid seuratoids (Paraquimperia africana, and Linstowinema sp.). Bayesian (BPP) and maximum likelihood (ML) analyses of 2 different datasets strongly supported a monophyletic Cucullanidae. Bayesian analysis placed this family as the sister group to a clade containing species of Diplogasterida, Strongylida, Rhabditida, and Tylenchida with very strong support. Neither BPP nor ML analyses recovered a close relationship of Cucullanidae to Ascaridida. None of the 3 non-cucullanid seuratoid species were sister to Cucullanidae, nor did they form a monophyletic group of their own, which questions the monophyly of Seuratoidea and the relationships among species within this superfamily. The 3 genera of cucullanids were also not monophyletic, although morphologically similar species such as the 2 species of Cucullanus from Neotropical catfishes and 2 species of Dichelyne from Nearctic ictalurid catfishes were sister taxa with strong support. The results were ambiguous with respect to the relationship of 2 Truttaedacnitis spp. in Nearctic freshwater fishes but do not support Truttaedacnitis heterodonti, a parasite of heterodontid sharks, as belonging to this genus. The study shows that all aspects of the conventional classification of Seuratoidea and its taxa should be scrutinized by even more extensive sampling across hosts and habitats.

The complete mitochondrial genome of Koerneria sudhausi (Diplogasteromorpha: Nematoda) supports monophyly of Diplogasteromorpha within Rhabditomorpha.

PubMed

Kim, Taeho; Kim, Jiyeon; Nadler, Steven A; Park, Joong-Ki

2016-05-01

Testing hypotheses of monophyly for different nematode groups in the context of broad representation of nematode diversity is central to understanding the patterns and processes of nematode evolution. Herein sequence information from mitochondrial genomes is used to test the monophyly of diplogasterids, which includes an important nematode model organism. The complete mitochondrial genome sequence of Koerneria sudhausi, a representative of Diplogasteromorpha, was determined and used for phylogenetic analyses along with 60 other nematode species. The mtDNA of K. sudhausi is comprised of 16,005 bp that includes 36 genes (12 protein-coding genes, 2 ribosomal RNA genes and 22 transfer RNA genes) encoded in the same direction. Phylogenetic trees inferred from amino acid and nucleotide sequence data for the 12 protein-coding genes strongly supported the sister relationship of K. sudhausi with Pristionchus pacificus, supporting Diplogasteromorpha. The gene order of K. sudhausi is identical to that most commonly found in members of the Rhabditomorpha + Ascaridomorpha + Diplogasteromorpha clade, with an exception of some tRNA translocations. Both the gene order pattern and sequence-based phylogenetic analyses support a close relationship between the diplogasterid species and Rhabditomorpha. The nesting of the two diplogasteromorph species within Rhabditomorpha is consistent with most molecular phylogenies for the group, but inconsistent with certain morphology-based hypotheses that asserted phylogenetic affinity between diplogasteromorphs and tylenchomorphs. Phylogenetic analysis of mitochondrial genome sequences strongly supports monophyly of the diplogasteromorpha.

Received and perceived social support in times of stress: a test of the social support deterioration deterrence model.

PubMed

Norris, F H; Kaniasty, K

1996-09-01

The authors evaluated the impact of receiving social support on subsequent levels of perceived social support and psychological distress in 2 independent samples of victims of severe natural disasters: Hurricane Hugo (n = 498) and Hurricane Andrew (n = 404). A social support deterioration deterrence model was proposed that stipulated that postdisaster mobilization of received support counteracts the deterioration in expectations of support often experienced by victims of major life events. LISREL analyses of data collected 12 and 24 months after Hugo and 6 and 28 months after Andrew provided strong evidence for the hypothesized model: Perceived support mediated the long-term effects on distress of both scope of disaster exposure and postdisaster received support. Theoretical and application issues of social support are discussed.

Two Classes and One Vision? Managers' and Workers' Attitudes toward Workplace Democracy.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Collom, Ed

2003-01-01

Analyses of national survey data on workplace democracy found both managers and workers support worker participation in manager selection and worker control of production processes. Experience of class-related practices strongly predicts attitudes; location in the class hierarchy does not. Once workers gain some control, they seek to broaden it to…

Theatre Online: The Design and Drama of E-Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Philip, Robyn; Nicholls, Jennifer

2007-01-01

Theatre and drama are areas of performance and inquiry which usually assume engagement and commitment to the ensemble or group process, supported by strong individual input. How can this "dynamic" be brought into a fully online distance course? In this article we analyse and reflect on the design and implementation of an online theatre…

Measuring Components of Intelligence: Mission Impossible?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gregoire, Jacques

2013-01-01

The two studies conducted by Weiss, Keith, Zhu, and Chen in 2013 on the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS-IV) and the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC-IV), respectively, provide strong evidence for the validity of a four-factor solution corresponding to the current hierarchical model of both scales. These analyses support the…

Predicting Improvement among University Counseling Center Clients.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lichtenberg, James W.; Hummel, Thomas J.

The fundamental question to which most clients want and deserve an answer is, "Am I going to get better (as a result of counseling)?" Although meta-analyses provide strong evidence supporting the efficacy of counseling in general, if one wants to make probabilistic statements about individual client outcomes--rather than about the more generalized…

Phylogenetic analyses of Andromedeae (Ericaceae subfam. Vaccinioideae).

PubMed

Kron, K A; Judd, W S; Crayn, D M

1999-09-01

Phylogenetic relationships within the Andromedeae and closely related taxa were investigated by means of cladistic analyses based on phenotypic (morphology, anatomy, chromosome number, and secondary chemistry) and molecular (rbcL and matK nucleotide sequences) characters. An analysis based on combined molecular and phenotypic characters indicates that the tribe is composed of two major clades-the Gaultheria group (incl. Andromeda, Chamaedaphne, Diplycosia, Gaultheria, Leucothoë, Pernettya, Tepuia, and Zenobia) and the Lyonia group (incl. Agarista, Craibiodendron, Lyonia, and Pieris). Andromedeae are shown to be paraphyletic in all analyses because the Vaccinieae link with some or all of the genera of the Gaultheria group. Oxydendrum is sister to the clade containing the Vaccinieae, Gaultheria group, and Lyonia group. The monophyly of Agarista, Lyonia, Pieris, and Gaultheria (incl. Pernettya) is supported, while that of Leucothoë is problematic. The close relationship of Andromeda and Zenobia is novel and was strongly supported in the molecular (but not morphological) analyses. Diplycosia, Tepuia, Gaultheria, and Pernettya form a well-supported clade, which can be diagnosed by the presence of fleshy calyx lobes and methyl salicylate. Recognition of Andromedeae is not reflective of our understanding of geneological relationships and should be abandoned; the Lyonia group is formally recognized at the tribal level.

Psychological mechanisms underlying doping attitudes in sport: motivation and moral disengagement.

PubMed

Hodge, Ken; Hargreaves, Elaine A; Gerrard, David; Lonsdale, Chris

2013-08-01

We examined whether constructs outlined in self-determination theory (Deci & Ryan, 2002), namely, autonomy-supportive and controlling motivational climates and autonomous and controlled motivation, were related to attitudes toward performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs) in sport and drug-taking susceptibility. We also investigated moral disengagement as a potential mediator. We surveyed a sample of 224 competitive athletes (59% female; M age = 20.3 years; M = 10.2 years of experience participating in their sport), including 81 elite athletes. Using structural equation modeling analyses, our hypothesis proposing positive relationships with controlling climates, controlled motivation, and PEDs attitudes and susceptibility was largely supported, whereas our hypothesis proposing negative relationships among autonomous climate, autonomous motivation, and PEDs attitudes and susceptibility was not supported. Moral disengagement was a strong predictor of positive attitudes toward PEDs, which, in turn, was a strong predictor of PEDs susceptibility. These findings are discussed from both motivational and moral disengagement viewpoints.

Therapist self-disclosure and the therapeutic alliance in the treatment of eating problems.

PubMed

Simonds, Laura M; Spokes, Naomi

2017-01-01

Evidence is mixed regarding the potential utility of therapist self-disclosure. The current study modelled relationships between perceived helpfulness of therapist self-disclosures, therapeutic alliance, patient non-disclosure, and shame in participants (n = 120; 95% women) with a history of eating problems. Serial multiple mediator analyses provided support for a putative model connecting the perceived helpfulness of therapist self-disclosures with current eating disorder symptom severity through therapeutic alliance, patient self-disclosure, and shame. The analyses presented provide support for the contention that therapist self-disclosure, if perceived as helpful, might strengthen the therapeutic alliance. A strong therapeutic alliance, in turn, has the potential to promote patient disclosure and reduce shame and eating problems.

A Molecular Phylogeny for Yponomeutoidea (Insecta, Lepidoptera, Ditrysia) and Its Implications for Classification, Biogeography and the Evolution of Host Plant Use

PubMed Central

Sohn, Jae-Cheon; Regier, Jerome C.; Mitter, Charles; Davis, Donald; Landry, Jean-François; Zwick, Andreas; Cummings, Michael P.

2013-01-01

Background Yponomeutoidea, one of the early-diverging lineages of ditrysian Lepidoptera, comprise about 1,800 species worldwide, including notable pests and insect-plant interaction models. Yponomeutoids were one of the earliest lepidopteran clades to evolve external feeding and to extensively colonize herbaceous angiosperms. Despite the group’s economic importance, and its value for tracing early lepidopteran evolution, the biodiversity and phylogeny of Yponomeutoidea have been relatively little studied. Methodology/Principal Findings Eight nuclear genes (8 kb) were initially sequenced for 86 putative yponomeutoid species, spanning all previously recognized suprageneric groups, and 53 outgroups representing 22 families and 12 superfamilies. Eleven to 19 additional genes, yielding a total of 14.8 to 18.9 kb, were then sampled for a subset of taxa, including 28 yponomeutoids and 43 outgroups. Maximum likelihood analyses were conducted on data sets differing in numbers of genes, matrix completeness, inclusion/weighting of synonymous substitutions, and inclusion/exclusion of “rogue” taxa. Monophyly for Yponomeutoidea was supported very strongly when the 18 “rogue” taxa were excluded, and moderately otherwise. Results from different analyses are highly congruent and relationships within Yponomeutoidea are well supported overall. There is strong support overall for monophyly of families previously recognized on morphological grounds, including Yponomeutidae, Ypsolophidae, Plutellidae, Glyphipterigidae, Argyresthiidae, Attevidae, Praydidae, Heliodinidae, and Bedelliidae. We also assign family rank to Scythropiinae (Scythropiidae stat. rev.), which in our trees are strongly grouped with Bedelliidae, in contrast to all previous proposals. We present a working hypothesis of among-family relationships, and an informal higher classification. Host plant family associations of yponomeutoid subfamilies and families are non-random, but show no trends suggesting parallel phylogenesis. Our analyses suggest that previous characterizations of yponomeutoids as predominantly Holarctic were based on insufficient sampling. Conclusions/Significance We provide the first robust molecular phylogeny for Yponomeutoidea, together with a revised classification and new insights into their life history evolution and biogeography. PMID:23383061

Range overlap and individual movements during breeding season influence genetic relationships of caribou herds in south-central Alaska

USGS Publications Warehouse

Roffler, Gretchen H.; Adams, Layne G.; Talbot, Sandra L.; Sage, George K.; Dale, Bruce W.

2012-01-01

North American caribou (Rangifer tarandus) herds commonly exhibit little nuclear genetic differentiation among adjacent herds, although available evidence supports strong demographic separation, even for herds with seasonal range overlap. During 1997–2003, we studied the Mentasta and Nelchina caribou herds in south-central Alaska using radiotelemetry to determine individual movements and range overlap during the breeding season, and nuclear and mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) markers to assess levels of genetic differentiation. Although the herds were considered discrete because females calved in separate regions, individual movements and breeding-range overlap in some years provided opportunity for male-mediated gene flow, even without demographic interchange. Telemetry results revealed strong female philopatry, and little evidence of female emigration despite overlapping seasonal distributions. Analyses of 13 microsatellites indicated the Mentasta and Nelchina herds were not significantly differentiated using both traditional population-based analyses and individual-based Bayesian clustering analyses. However, we observed mtDNA differentiation between the 2 herds (FSTM = 0.041, P

Plastid phylogenomics of the cool-season grass subfamily: clarification of relationships among early-diverging tribes.

PubMed

Saarela, Jeffery M; Wysocki, William P; Barrett, Craig F; Soreng, Robert J; Davis, Jerrold I; Clark, Lynn G; Kelchner, Scot A; Pires, J Chris; Edger, Patrick P; Mayfield, Dustin R; Duvall, Melvin R

2015-05-04

Whole plastid genomes are being sequenced rapidly from across the green plant tree of life, and phylogenetic analyses of these are increasing resolution and support for relationships that have varied among or been unresolved in earlier single- and multi-gene studies. Pooideae, the cool-season grass lineage, is the largest of the 12 grass subfamilies and includes important temperate cereals, turf grasses and forage species. Although numerous studies of the phylogeny of the subfamily have been undertaken, relationships among some 'early-diverging' tribes conflict among studies, and some relationships among subtribes of Poeae have not yet been resolved. To address these issues, we newly sequenced 25 whole plastomes, which showed rearrangements typical of Poaceae. These plastomes represent 9 tribes and 11 subtribes of Pooideae, and were analysed with 20 existing plastomes for the subfamily. Maximum likelihood (ML), maximum parsimony (MP) and Bayesian inference (BI) robustly resolve most deep relationships in the subfamily. Complete plastome data provide increased nodal support compared with protein-coding data alone at nodes that are not maximally supported. Following the divergence of Brachyelytrum, Phaenospermateae, Brylkinieae-Meliceae and Ampelodesmeae-Stipeae are the successive sister groups of the rest of the subfamily. Ampelodesmeae are nested within Stipeae in the plastome trees, consistent with its hybrid origin between a phaenospermatoid and a stipoid grass (the maternal parent). The core Pooideae are strongly supported and include Brachypodieae, a Bromeae-Triticeae clade and Poeae. Within Poeae, a novel sister group relationship between Phalaridinae and Torreyochloinae is found, and the relative branching order of this clade and Aveninae, with respect to an Agrostidinae-Brizinae clade, are discordant between MP and ML/BI trees. Maximum likelihood and Bayesian analyses strongly support Airinae and Holcinae as the successive sister groups of a Dactylidinae-Loliinae clade. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Annals of Botany Company.

Couple Psychoeducation for New Parents: Observed and Potential Effects on Parenting

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Halford, W. Kim; Petch, Jemima

2010-01-01

The transition to parenthood is a substantial challenge for many couples, and the extent to which the partners can support each other and their relationship is strongly related to the sensitivity and responsiveness of their parenting of their infant. This paper critically analyses the links between the couple relationship and parenting of infants…

A Cross-Cultural Validation of the Sequential-Simultaneous Theory of Intelligence in Children.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Moon, Soo-Back; McLean, James E.; Kaufman, Alan S.

2003-01-01

The Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children - Korean (K-ABC-K) was developed to assess the intelligence and achievement of preschool and school-aged Korean children. This study examined the validity of the Sequential Processing, Simultaneous Processing and Achievement scales of the K-ABC-K. The factor analyses provided strong support for the…

The relationship between internalized stigma, negative symptoms and social functioning in schizophrenia: the mediating role of self-efficacy.

PubMed

Hill, Kimberley; Startup, Mike

2013-04-30

The broad aim of the present study was to gain a greater understanding of the processes that contribute to negative symptoms and social functioning in schizophrenia. More specifically, a theoretical model was proposed predicting that self-efficacy would mediate the relationship between internalized stigma and both negative symptoms and social functioning in schizophrenia. Initial analyses revealed that all variables were correlated. Specifically, internalized stigma was strongly correlated with negative symptoms, social functioning and self-efficacy. Furthermore, self-efficacy was strongly related to negative symptoms and moderately associated with social functioning. Further analyses however did not support the mediational role of self-efficacy. The theoretical and clinical implications of the findings, together with recommendations for future research, are outlined. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Nuclear and cpDNA sequences combined provide strong inference of higher phylogenetic relationships in the phlox family (Polemoniaceae).

PubMed

Johnson, Leigh A; Chan, Lauren M; Weese, Terri L; Busby, Lisa D; McMurry, Samuel

2008-09-01

Members of the phlox family (Polemoniaceae) serve as useful models for studying various evolutionary and biological processes. Despite its biological importance, no family-wide phylogenetic estimate based on multiple DNA regions with complete generic sampling is available. Here, we analyze one nuclear and five chloroplast DNA sequence regions (nuclear ITS, chloroplast matK, trnL intron plus trnL-trnF intergeneric spacer, and the trnS-trnG, trnD-trnT, and psbM-trnD intergenic spacers) using parsimony and Bayesian methods, as well as assessments of congruence and long branch attraction, to explore phylogenetic relationships among 84 ingroup species representing all currently recognized Polemoniaceae genera. Relationships inferred from the ITS and concatenated chloroplast regions are similar overall. A combined analysis provides strong support for the monophyly of Polemoniaceae and subfamilies Acanthogilioideae, Cobaeoideae, and Polemonioideae. Relationships among subfamilies, and thus for the precise root of Polemoniaceae, remain poorly supported. Within the largest subfamily, Polemonioideae, four clades corresponding to tribes Polemonieae, Phlocideae, Gilieae, and Loeselieae receive strong support. The monogeneric Polemonieae appears sister to Phlocideae. Relationships within Polemonieae, Phlocideae, and Gilieae are mostly consistent between analyses and data permutations. Many relationships within Loeselieae remain uncertain. Overall, inferred phylogenetic relationships support a higher-level classification for Polemoniaceae proposed in 2000.

Does climate directly influence NPP globally?

PubMed

Chu, Chengjin; Bartlett, Megan; Wang, Youshi; He, Fangliang; Weiner, Jacob; Chave, Jérôme; Sack, Lawren

2016-01-01

The need for rigorous analyses of climate impacts has never been more crucial. Current textbooks state that climate directly influences ecosystem annual net primary productivity (NPP), emphasizing the urgent need to monitor the impacts of climate change. A recent paper challenged this consensus, arguing, based on an analysis of NPP for 1247 woody plant communities across global climate gradients, that temperature and precipitation have negligible direct effects on NPP and only perhaps have indirect effects by constraining total stand biomass (Mtot ) and stand age (a). The authors of that study concluded that the length of the growing season (lgs ) might have a minor influence on NPP, an effect they considered not to be directly related to climate. In this article, we describe flaws that affected that study's conclusions and present novel analyses to disentangle the effects of stand variables and climate in determining NPP. We re-analyzed the same database to partition the direct and indirect effects of climate on NPP, using three approaches: maximum-likelihood model selection, independent-effects analysis, and structural equation modeling. These new analyses showed that about half of the global variation in NPP could be explained by Mtot combined with climate variables and supported strong and direct influences of climate independently of Mtot , both for NPP and for net biomass change averaged across the known lifetime of the stands (ABC = average biomass change). We show that lgs is an important climate variable, intrinsically correlated with, and contributing to mean annual temperature and precipitation (Tann and Pann ), all important climatic drivers of NPP. Our analyses provide guidance for statistical and mechanistic analyses of climate drivers of ecosystem processes for predictive modeling and provide novel evidence supporting the strong, direct role of climate in determining vegetation productivity at the global scale. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Utility of 17 chloroplast genes for inferring the phylogeny of the basal angiosperms.

PubMed

Graham, S W; Olmstead, R G

2000-11-01

Sequences from 14 slowly evolving chloroplast genes (including three highly conserved introns) were obtained for representative basal angiosperm and seed-plant taxa, using novel primers described here. These data were combined with published sequences from atpB, rbcL, and newly obtained sequences from ndhF. Combined data from these 17 genes permit sturdy, well-resolved inference of major aspects of basal angiosperm relationships, demonstrating that the new primers are valuable tools for sorting out the deepest events in flowering plant phylogeny. Sequences from the inverted repeat (IR) proved to be particularly reliable (low homoplasy, high retention index). Representatives of Cabomba and Illicium were the first two successive branches of the angiosperms in an initial sampling of 19 exemplar taxa. This result was strongly supported by bootstrap analysis and by two small insertion/deletion events in the slowly evolving introns. Several paleoherb groups (representatives of Piperales) formed a strongly supported clade with taxa representing core woody magnoliids (Laurales, Magnoliales, and Winteraceae). The monophyly of the sampled eudicots and monocots was also well supported. Analyses of three major partitions of the data showed many of the same clades and supported the rooting seen with all the data combined. While Amborella trichopoda was supported as the sister group of the remaining angiosperms when we added Amborella and Nymphaea odorata to the analysis, a strongly conflicting rooting was observed when Amborella alone was added.

Social relationships and their biological correlates: Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA) study.

PubMed

Seeman, Teresa E; Gruenewald, Tara L; Cohen, Sheldon; Williams, David R; Matthews, Karen A

2014-05-01

Analyses test the hypothesis that aspects of social relationships (quantity of ties, social support and social strain) are associated with differences in levels of biological risk across multiple major physiological regulatory systems and consequently overall multi-systems risk (i.e., allostatic load [AL]). Data are from the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA) study--a bi-ethnic, prospective, multi-center epidemiological study, initiated in 1985-1986 to track the development of cardiovascular risk in young adulthood (N=5115). At the year 15 follow-up when participants were between 32 and 45 years of age, additional social and biological data were collected; biological data used to assess AL were collected at the Oakland, CA and Chicago, IL sites (N=844). Social strains were most strongly and positively related to overall AL (Cohen's d=.79 for highest vs. lowest quartile), and to each of its component biological subsystems, independent of social ties and support as well as sociodemographics and health behaviors. Social ties and emotional support were also negatively related to AL (Cohen's d=.33 and d=.44 for lowest vs. highest quartiles of ties and support, respectively) though controls for social strains reduced these associations to non-significance. Social support and social strain were more strongly related to overall AL than to any of its component subscales while social ties were less strongly related to AL and to its component subscales. There was no evidence that effects differed by sex, age or ethnicity. Findings focus attention on the particularly strong relationship between social strains and profiles of biological risk and support the cumulative impact of social factors on biological risks, showing larger effects for cumulative AL than for any of the individual biological systems. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Phylogeny of triatomine vectors of Trypanosoma cruzi suggested by mitochondrial DNA sequences.

PubMed

Sainz, Andrés C; Mauro, Laura V; Moriyama, Etsuko N; García, Beatriz A

2004-07-01

The subfamily Triatominae (Hemiptera: Reduviidae) comprises hematophagous insects, most of which are actual or potential vectors of Trypanosoma cruzi, the protozoan agent of Chagas' disease (American trypanosomiasis). DNA sequence comparisons of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) genes were used to infer phylogenetic relationships among 32 species of the subfamily Triatominae, 26 belonging to the genus Triatoma and six species of different genera. We analyzed mtDNA fragments of the 12S and 16S ribosomal RNA genes (totaling 848-851 bp) from each of the 32 species, as well as of the cytochrome oxidase I (COI, 1447 bp) gene from nine. The phylogenetic analyses unambiguously supported several clusters within the genus Triatoma. In the morphological classification, T. costalimai was placed tentatively within the infestans complex while T. guazu was not included in any Triatoma complex. The placement of these species in the molecular phylogeny indicated that both belong to the infestans complex. We confirmed with a strong support the inclusion of T. circummaculata, a member of a different complex based on morphology, within the infestans complex. On the other hand, the present phylogenetics analysis did not support the monophyly of the infestans complex species as it was suggested in our previous studies. While no strong inference of polyphyly of the genus Triatoma was provided by the bootstrap analyses, the other species belonging to Triatomini analyzed could not be distinguished from the species of Triatoma.

Social support may protect against development of posttraumatic stress disorder: findings from the Heart and Soul Study.

PubMed

Dinenberg, Robert Eric; McCaslin, Shannon E; Bates, Michael N; Cohen, Beth E

2014-01-01

No prospective studies have examined the association of poor social support and development of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in patients with chronic illness. This study addresses this knowledge gap. This prospective study examines the relationship of social support to the subsequent development of PTSD during a 5-year period. San Francisco Veterans Affairs Medical Center. A total of 579 participants with cardiovascular disease did not have PTSD at baseline and returned for the 5-year follow-up examination. PTSD measured by Computerized Diagnostic Interview Schedule for DSM-IV. Social support measured by Interpersonal Support Evaluation List (ISEL). Unconditional ordered logistic regression analyses were performed to yield the odds ratio of developing PTSD for a one-standard-deviation change in ISEL score. Of 579 participants who did not have PTSD at baseline, approximately 6.4% (n = 37) developed PTSD. Higher baseline perceived social support was strongly protective against development of PTSD (OR = .60, p = .001). Results remained significant after adjustment for age, sex, race, income, and depression (OR = .69, p = .04). Of social support types examined, the "tangible" and "belonging" domains were most strongly associated with future PTSD status. Social support may impact development of PTSD. Interventions that optimize social support may be part of a PTSD prevention program designed to help individuals at risk of developing PTSD.

Structural cost optimization of photovoltaic central power station modules and support structure

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sutton, P. D.; Stolte, W. J.; Marsh, R. O.

1979-01-01

The results of a comprehensive study of photovoltaic module structural support concepts for photovoltaic central power stations and their associated costs are presented. The objective of the study has been the identification of structural cost drivers. Parametric structural design and cost analyses of complete array systems consisting of modules, primary support structures, and foundations were performed. Area related module cost was found to be constant with design, size, and loading. A curved glass module concept was evaluated and found to have the potential to significantly reduce panel structural costs. Conclusions of the study are: array costs do not vary greatly among the designs evaluated; panel and array costs are strongly dependent on design loading; and the best support configuration is load dependent

Orphan Status, HIV Risk Behavior, and Mental Health Among Adolescents in Rural Kenya

PubMed Central

Drabkin, Anya S.; Stashko, Allison L.; Broverman, Sherryl A.; Ogwang-Odhiambo, Rose A.; Sikkema, Kathleen J.

2012-01-01

Objective To examine orphan status, mental health, social support, and HIV risk among adolescents in rural Kenya. Methods Randomly selected adolescents aged 10–18 years completed surveys assessing sexual activity, sex-related beliefs and self-efficacy, mental health, social support, caregiver–child communication, time since parental death, and economic resources. Analysis of covariance and regression analyses compared orphans and nonorphans; orphan status was tested as a moderator between well-being and HIV risk. Results Orphans reported poorer mental health, less social support, and fewer material resources. They did not differ from nonorphans on HIV risk indicators. Longer time since parental death was associated with poorer outcomes. In moderator analyses, emotional problems and poorer caregiver–youth communication were more strongly associated with lower sex-related self-efficacy for orphans. Conclusions Orphans are at higher risk for psychosocial problems. These problems may affect orphans’ self-efficacy for safer sex practices more than nonorphans. Decreased HIV risk could be one benefit of psychosocial interventions for orphans. PMID:22728899

Orphan status, HIV risk behavior, and mental health among adolescents in rural Kenya.

PubMed

Puffer, Eve S; Drabkin, Anya S; Stashko, Allison L; Broverman, Sherryl A; Ogwang-Odhiambo, Rose A; Sikkema, Kathleen J

2012-09-01

To examine orphan status, mental health, social support, and HIV risk among adolescents in rural Kenya. Randomly selected adolescents aged 10-18 years completed surveys assessing sexual activity, sex-related beliefs and self-efficacy, mental health, social support, caregiver-child communication, time since parental death, and economic resources. Analysis of covariance and regression analyses compared orphans and nonorphans; orphan status was tested as a moderator between well-being and HIV risk. Orphans reported poorer mental health, less social support, and fewer material resources. They did not differ from nonorphans on HIV risk indicators. Longer time since parental death was associated with poorer outcomes. In moderator analyses, emotional problems and poorer caregiver-youth communication were more strongly associated with lower sex-related self-efficacy for orphans. Orphans are at higher risk for psychosocial problems. These problems may affect orphans' self-efficacy for safer sex practices more than nonorphans. Decreased HIV risk could be one benefit of psychosocial interventions for orphans.

Dollars and Sense: A Review of Economic Analyses of Pre-K. Pre-K Now Research Series

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wat, Albert

2007-01-01

The momentum behind high-quality, voluntary pre-kindergarten is growing dramatically across the country--in families, in communities, and in the halls of academia and government. Thanks to this strong wave of support, state spending on pre-k increased from $2.4 billion to $4.2 billion nationwide between 2002 and 2007. This investment is built upon…

The Effect of Multispectral Image Fusion Enhancement on Human Efficiency

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-03-20

performance of the ideal observer is indicative of the relative amount of informa- tion across various experimental manipulations. In our experimental design ...registration and fusion processes, and contributed strongly to the statistical analyses. LMB contributed to the experimental design and writing structure. All... designed to be innovative, low-cost, and (relatively) easy-to-implement, and to provide support across the spectrum of possible users including

Genetic diversity of Trypanosoma cruzi in bats, and multilocus phylogenetic and phylogeographical analyses supporting Tcbat as an independent DTU (discrete typing unit).

PubMed

Lima, Luciana; Espinosa-Álvarez, Oneida; Ortiz, Paola A; Trejo-Varón, Javier A; Carranza, Julio C; Pinto, C Miguel; Serrano, Myrna G; Buck, Gregory A; Camargo, Erney P; Teixeira, Marta M G

2015-11-01

Trypanosoma cruzi is a complex of phenotypically and genetically diverse isolates distributed in six discrete typing units (DTUs) designated as TcI-TcVI. Five years ago, T. cruzi isolates from Brazilian bats showing unique patterns of traditional ribosomal and spliced leader PCRs not clustering into any of the six DTUs were designated as the Tcbat genotype. In the present study, phylogenies inferred using SSU rRNA (small subunit of ribosomal rRNA), gGAPDH (glycosomal glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase) and Cytb (cytochrome b) genes strongly supported Tcbat as a monophyletic lineage prevalent in Brazil, Panama and Colombia. Providing strong support for Tcbat, sequences from 37 of 47 nuclear and 12 mitochondrial genes (retrieved from a draft genome of Tcbat) and reference strains of all DTUs available in databanks corroborated Tcbat as an independent DTU. Consistent with previous studies, multilocus analysis of most nuclear genes corroborated the evolution of T. cruzi from bat trypanosomes its divergence into two main phylogenetic lineages: the basal TcII; and the lineage clustering TcIV, the clade comprising TcIII and the sister groups TcI-Tcbat. Most likely, the common ancestor of Tcbat and TcI was a bat trypanosome. However, the results of the present analysis did not support Tcbat as the ancestor of all DTUs. Despite the insights provided by reports of TcIII, TcIV and TcII in bats, including Amazonian bats harbouring TcII, further studies are necessary to understand the roles played by bats in the diversification of all DTUs. We also demonstrated that in addition to value as molecular markers for DTU assignment, Cytb, ITS rDNA and the spliced leader (SL) polymorphic sequences suggest spatially structured populations of Tcbat. Phylogenetic and phylogeographical analyses, multiple molecular markers specific to Tcbat, and the degrees of sequence divergence between Tcbat and the accepted DTUs strongly support the definitive classification of Tcbat as a new DTU. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Correlates of social support in older American Indians: the Native Elder Care Study.

PubMed

Conte, Kathleen P; Schure, Marc B; Goins, R Turner

2015-01-01

This study examined social support and identified demographic and health correlates among American Indians aged 55 years and older. Data were derived from the Native Elder Care Study, a cross-sectional study of 505 community-dwelling American Indians aged ≥55 years. Social support was assessed using the Medical Outcomes Study Social Support Survey measure (MOS-SSS) of which psychometric properties were examined through factor analyses. Logistic regression analyses were used to identify associations between age, sex, educational attainment, marital status, depressive symptomatology, lower body physical functioning, and chronic pain and social support. Study participants reported higher levels of affectionate and positive interaction social support (88.2% and 81.8%, respectively) than overall (75.9%) and emotional (69.0%) domains. Increased age, being married/partnered, and female sex were associated with high social support in the final model. Decreased depressive symptomatology was associated with high overall, affectionate, and positive interaction support, and decreased chronic pain with affectionate support. The count of chronic conditions and functional disability were not associated with social support. Overall, we found high levels of social support for both men and women in this population, with the oldest adults in our study exhibiting the highest levels of social support. Strong cultural values of caring for older adults and a historical tradition of community cooperation may explain this finding. Future public health efforts may be able to leverage social support to reduce health disparities and improve mental and physical functioning.

Correlates of social support in older American Indians: the Native Elder Care Study

PubMed Central

Conte, Kathleen P.; Schure, Marc B.; Goins, R. Turner

2017-01-01

Objectives This study examined social support and identified demographic and health correlates among American Indians aged 55 years and older. Methods Data were derived from the Native Elder Care Study, a cross-sectional study of 505 community-dwelling American Indians aged ≥55 years. Social support was assessed using the Medical Outcomes Study Social Support Survey measure (MOS-SSS) of which psychometric properties were examined through factor analyses. Logistic regression analyses were used to identify associations between age, sex, educational attainment, marital status, depressive symptomatology, lower body physical functioning, and chronic pain and social support. Results Study participants reported higher levels of affectionate and positive interaction social support (88.2% and 81.8%, respectively) than overall (75.9%) and emotional (69.0%) domains. Increased age, being married/partnered, and female sex were associated with high social support in the final model. Decreased depressive symptomatology was associated with high overall, affectionate, and positive interaction support, and decreased chronic pain with affectionate support. The count of chronic conditions and functional disability were not associated with social support. Conclusions Overall, we found high levels of social support for both men and women in this population, with the oldest adults in our study exhibiting the highest levels of social support. Strong cultural values of caring for older adults and a historical tradition of community cooperation may explain this finding. Future public health efforts may be able to leverage social support to reduce health disparities and improve mental and physical functioning. PMID:25322933

Family support in cancer survivorship.

PubMed

Muhamad, Mazanah; Afshari, Mojgan; Kazilan, Fitrisehara

2011-01-01

This paper raises issues about the role of family members in providing support for breast cancer survivors. Data were collected from 400 breast cancer survivors in Peninsular Malaysia through a custom-designed questionnaire fielded at hospitals and support group meetings. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. The analyses show that all family members could be supportive, especially in decision making and help with emotional issues. The spouse was the main support provider among the family members (others were children, parents, siblings and more distant relatives). The results also indicated that a significant percentage practiced collaborative decision-making. Breast cancer survivors needed their family members' support for information on survivorship strategies such as managing emotions, health, life style and dietary practice. The family members' supportive role may be linked to the Malaysian strong family relationship culture. For family members to contribute more adequately to cancer survivorship, it is suggested that appropriate educational intervention also be provided to them.

N,N-Diethylamine appended binuclear Zn(ii) complexes: highly selective and sensitive fluorescent chemosensors for picric acid.

PubMed

Kumar, Amit; Kumar, Ashish; Pandey, Daya Shankar

2016-05-28

Novel binuclear Zn(ii) complexes (1-2) derived from bis-chelating salen type ligands (H2L(1) and H2L(2)) possessing N,N-diethylamine moieties on the periphery of the molecules have been synthesized and thoroughly characterized by satisfactory elemental analyses and spectral (FT-IR, (1)H, (13)C NMR, UV-vis, fluorescence and ESI-MS) studies. The structures of H2L(1) and 1 have been authenticated by single crystal X-ray diffraction analyses. Complexes 1 and 2 strongly fluoresce and act as highly selective and sensitive chemosensors for picric acid in different organic as well as aqueous media. Both 1 and 2 showed strong potential to detect traces of PA in vapour/solid phase through contact mode analysis. Spectral and theoretical (DFT) studies suggested that the observed fluorescence quenching may be associated with ground state (GS) charge transfer as well as electrostatic interactions between 1/2 and PA. The fluorescence lifetime for the representative complex 1 displayed a double exponential curve and unaltered lifetime (τav, 0.63 nm) in the absence and presence of PA and strongly suggested that quenching follows a static mechanism. Further, DFT calculations on 1 and 2 strongly supported the static mechanism through GS charge transfer between complexes and PA. In addition, (1)H NMR spectral studies on 1-2 in the presence of PA firmly advocated strong hydrogen bonding and π-π stacking between the phenolic rings of 1-2 and the aromatic ring of PA. These complexes are capable of detecting PA either individually or in a competitive environment of other nitro- explosives. Florescence spectral studies on the model complex M lacking N,N-diethylamine groups revealed moderate selectivity and sensitivity towards PA and supported the key role of N,N-diethylamine moieties in the selectivity and sensitivity of complexes.

Taxonomic position of Chinese voles of the tribe Arvicolini and the description of 2 new species from Xizang, China

PubMed Central

Jin, Wei; Liu, Yang; Murphy, Robert W.; Lv, Bin; Hao, Haibang; Liao, Rui; Sun, Zhiyu; Tang, Mingkun; Chen, Weicai; Fu, Jianrong

2017-01-01

Abstract China has 26 species in the tribe Arvicolini. The taxonomic status of these voles remains controversial despite much effort. Herein, we evaluate the taxonomic position of 22 species plus 2 unidentified taxa using mitochondrial DNA gene sequences (cytb + CO1). We also evaluate 18 species and 2 unidentified taxa using morphological data. Phylogenetic analyses of cytb resolve monophyly for the genera Alexandromys, Lasiopodomys, Microtus, Neodon, Proedromys, and Volemys with strong support. Stenocranius clusters with Chionomys but with very weak support. Analyses of concatenated cytb + CO1 resolve the same genera with strong support, but the topology of the tree differs from that of cytb in that Chionomys roots at the base of the tree independent of Stenocranius, which forms the sister-group of Lasiopodomys in a more terminal position. The matrilineal genealogy excludes the type species Arvicola amphibius from the rest of the Arvicolini. This species forms the sister-group of Ondatra with high support. Neodon includes N. irene, N. linzhiensis, N. fuscus, N. leucurus, N. sikimensis, Microtus clarkei, and 2 unidentified specimens. Alexandromys includes the former species Microtus oeconomus, M. kikuchii, M. limnophilus, M. fortis, and M. maximowiczii. Finally, Microtus has the subgenera Blanfordimys, Microtus, Mynomes, Pedomys, Pitymys, and Terricola, which includes the Chinese species M. agrestis, M. arvalis, and Blanfordimys juldaschi. General mixed Yule-coalescent species delimitation modeling demarcates 6 currently recognized species and 2 new species of Neodon. A principal component analysis of the morphological data among 7 matrilines shows that all variables have positive loadings of high magnitude on the 1st component. Canonical discriminant analysis for Neodon (including M. clarkei and 2 unidentified species) correctly classifies 93.0% of specimens. Overall, our analyses support the recognition of Alexandromys, Lasiopodomys, Microtus, Neodon, Proedromys, and Volemys as genera. Stenocranius includes Microtus gregalis, and the genealogical position of Stenocranius remains uncertain. The status of Arvicola requires further study. We assign M. clarkei to Neodon and describe 2 new species of Neodon. PMID:29674783

A systematic review including meta-analysis of work environment and burnout symptoms.

PubMed

Aronsson, Gunnar; Theorell, Töres; Grape, Tom; Hammarström, Anne; Hogstedt, Christer; Marteinsdottir, Ina; Skoog, Ingmar; Träskman-Bendz, Lil; Hall, Charlotte

2017-03-16

Practitioners and decision makers in the medical and insurance systems need knowledge on the relationship between work exposures and burnout. Many burnout studies - original as well as reviews - restricted their analyses to emotional exhaustion or did not report results on cynicism, personal accomplishment or global burnout. To meet this need we carried out this review and meta-analyses with the aim to provide systematically graded evidence for associations between working conditions and near-future development of burnout symptoms. A wide range of work exposure factors was screened. Inclusion criteria were: 1) Study performed in Europe, North America, Australia and New Zealand 1990-2013. 2) Prospective or comparable case control design. 3) Assessments of exposure (work) and outcome at baseline and at least once again during follow up 1-5 years later. Twenty-five articles met the predefined relevance and quality criteria. The GRADE-system with its 4-grade evidence scale was used. Most of the 25 studies focused emotional exhaustion, fewer cynicism and still fewer personal accomplishment. Moderately strong evidence (grade 3) was concluded for the association between job control and reduced emotional exhaustion and between low workplace support and increased emotional exhaustion. Limited evidence (grade 2) was found for the associations between workplace justice, demands, high work load, low reward, low supervisor support, low co-worker support, job insecurity and change in emotional exhaustion. Cynicism was associated with most of these work factors. Reduced personal accomplishment was only associated with low reward. There were few prospective studies with sufficient quality on adverse chemical, biological and physical factors and burnout. While high levels of job support and workplace justice were protective for emotional exhaustion, high demands, low job control, high work load, low reward and job insecurity increased the risk for developing exhaustion. Our approach with a wide range of work exposure factors analysed in relation to the separate dimensions of burnout expanded the knowledge of associations, evidence as well as research needs. The potential of organizational interventions is illustrated by the findings that burnout symptoms are strongly influenced by structural factors such as job demands, support and the possibility to exert control.

Meta-analyses and p-curves support robust cycle shifts in women's mate preferences: reply to Wood and Carden (2014) and Harris, Pashler, and Mickes (2014).

PubMed

Gildersleeve, Kelly; Haselton, Martie G; Fales, Melissa R

2014-09-01

Two meta-analyses evaluated shifts across the ovulatory cycle in women's mate preferences but reported very different findings. In this journal, we reported robust evidence for the pattern of cycle shifts predicted by the ovulatory shift hypothesis (Gildersleeve, Haselton, & Fales, 2014). However, Wood, Kressel, Joshi, and Louie (2014) claimed an absence of compelling support for this hypothesis and asserted that the few significant cycle shifts they observed were false positives resulting from publication bias, p-hacking, or other research artifacts. How could 2 meta-analyses of the same literature reach such different conclusions? We reanalyzed the data compiled by Wood et al. These analyses revealed problems in Wood et al.'s meta-analysis-some of which are reproduced in Wood and Carden's (2014) comment in the current issue of this journal-that led them to overlook clear evidence for the ovulatory shift hypothesis in their own set of effects. In addition, we present right-skewed p-curves that directly contradict speculations by Wood et al.; Wood and Carden; and Harris, Pashler, and Mickes (2014) that supportive findings in the cycle shift literature are false positives. Therefore, evidence from both of the meta-analyses and the p-curves strongly supports genuine, robust effects consistent with the ovulatory shift hypothesis and contradicts claims that these effects merely reflect publication bias, p-hacking, or other research artifacts. Unfounded speculations about p-hacking distort the research record and risk unfairly damaging researchers' reputations; they should therefore be made only on the basis of firm evidence. PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2014 APA, all rights reserved.

Association and haplotype analysis of the insulin-degrading enzyme (IDE) gene, a strong positional and biological candidate for type 2 diabetes susceptibility.

PubMed

Groves, Christopher J; Wiltshire, Steven; Smedley, Damian; Owen, Katherine R; Frayling, Timothy M; Walker, Mark; Hitman, Graham A; Levy, Jonathan C; O'Rahilly, Stephen; Menzel, Stephan; Hattersley, Andrew T; McCarthy, Mark I

2003-05-01

The gene for insulin-degrading enzyme (IDE) represents a strong positional and biological candidate for type 2 diabetes susceptibility. IDE maps to chromosome 10q23.3, a region linked to diabetes in several populations; the rat homolog has been directly implicated in diabetes susceptibility; and known functions of IDE support an important role in glucose homeostasis. We sought evidence for association between IDE variation and diabetes by mutation screening, defining local haplotype structure, and genotyping variants delineating common haplotypic diversity. An initial case-control analysis (628 diabetic probands from multiplex sibships and 604 control subjects) found no haplotypic associations, although one variant (IDE2, -179T-->C) showed modest association with diabetes (odds ratio [OR]1.25, P = 0.03). Linkage partitioning analyses failed to support this association, but provided borderline evidence for a different variant (IDE10, IVS20-405A-->G) (P = 0.06). Neither variant was associated with diabetes when replication was sought in 377 early onset diabetic subjects and 825 control subjects, though combined analysis of all typed cohorts indicated a nominally significant effect at IDE2 (OR 1.21 [1.04-1.40], P = 0.013). In the absence of convincing support for this association from linkage partitioning or analyses of continuous measures of glycemia, we conclude that analysis of over 2,400 samples provides no compelling evidence that variation in IDE contributes to diabetes susceptibility in humans.

Supporting structures for team situation awareness and decision making: insights from four delivery suites.

PubMed

Mackintosh, Nicola; Berridge, Emma-Jane; Freeth, Della

2009-02-01

'Human factors' (non-technical skills such as communication and teamwork) have been strongly implicated in adverse events during labour and delivery. The importance of shared 'situation awareness' between team members is highlighted as a key factor in patient safety. Arising from an ethnographic study of safety culture in the delivery suites of four UK hospitals, the aim of this study is to describe the main mechanisms supporting team situation awareness (TSA) and examine contrasting configurations of supports. Stage I: 177 hours of lightly structured non-participant observation (sensitizing concepts: safety culture, non-technical skills, teamwork and decision making) analysed to identify a core organizing concept, main supporting categories and preliminary conceptual models. Stage II: (approximately 11 months after first observations) 104 hours of observation to test and elaborate stage I analyses. Handover, whiteboard use and a coordinator role emerged as the key processes facilitating work and team coordination. The interplay between these supporting processes and the contextual features of each site promoted or inhibited TSA. Three configurations of supports for TSA were evident. These are described. Context configurations of supporting mechanisms and artefacts influence TSA, with implications for the maintenance of patient safety on delivery suites. A balanced model of supports for TSA is commended. Examining contrasting configurations helps reveal how local mechanisms or organizational, environmental and temporal factors might be manipulated to improve TSA.

Molecular systematics of the Middle American genus Hypopachus (Anura: Microhylidae)

PubMed Central

Greenbaum, Eli; Smith, Eric N.; de Sá, Rafael O.

2011-01-01

We present the first phylogenetic study on the widespread Middle American microhylid frog genus Hypopachus. Partial sequences of mitochondrial (12S and 16S ribosomal RNA) and nuclear (rhodopsin) genes (1275 bp total) were analyzed from 43 samples of Hypopachus, three currently recognized species of Gastrophryne, and seven arthroleptid, brevicipitid and microhylid outgroup taxa. Maximum parsimony (PAUP), maximum likelihood (RAxML) and Bayesian inference (MrBayes) optimality criteria were used for phylogenetic analyses, and BEAST was used to estimate divergence dates of major clades. Population-level analyses were conducted with the programs NETWORK and Arlequin. Results confirm the placement of Hypopachus and Gastrophryne as sister taxa, but the latter genus was strongly supported as paraphyletic. The African phrynomerine genus Phrynomantis was recovered as the sister taxon to a monophyletic Chiasmocleis, rendering our well-supported clade of gastrophrynines paraphyletic. Hypopachus barberi was supported as a disjunctly distributed highland species, and we recovered a basal split in lowland populations of Hypopachus variolosus from the Pacific versant of Mexico and elsewhere in the Mesoamerican lowlands. Dating analyses from BEAST estimate speciation within the genus Hypopachus occurred in the late Miocene/early Pliocene for most clades. Previous studies have not found bioacoustic or morphological differences among these lowland clades, and our molecular data support the continued recognition of two species in the genus Hypopachus. PMID:21798357

Phylogenetic relationships in Epidendroideae (Orchidaceae), one of the great flowering plant radiations: progressive specialization and diversification.

PubMed

Freudenstein, John V; Chase, Mark W

2015-03-01

The largest subfamily of orchids, Epidendroideae, represents one of the most significant diversifications among flowering plants in terms of pollination strategy, vegetative adaptation and number of species. Although many groups in the subfamily have been resolved, significant relationships in the tree remain unclear, limiting conclusions about diversification and creating uncertainty in the classification. This study brings together DNA sequences from nuclear, plastid and mitochrondrial genomes in order to clarify relationships, to test associations of key characters with diversification and to improve the classification. Sequences from seven loci were concatenated in a supermatrix analysis for 312 genera representing most of epidendroid diversity. Maximum-likelihood and parsimony analyses were performed on this matrix and on subsets of the data to generate trees and to investigate the effect of missing values. Statistical character-associated diversification analyses were performed. Likelihood and parsimony analyses yielded highly resolved trees that are in strong agreement and show significant support for many key clades. Many previously proposed relationships among tribes and subtribes are supported, and some new relationships are revealed. Analyses of subsets of the data suggest that the relatively high number of missing data for the full analysis is not problematic. Diversification analyses show that epiphytism is most strongly associated with diversification among epidendroids, followed by expansion into the New World and anther characters that are involved with pollinator specificity, namely early anther inflexion, cellular pollinium stalks and the superposed pollinium arrangement. All tested characters show significant association with speciation in Epidendroideae, suggesting that no single character accounts for the success of this group. Rather, it appears that a succession of key features appeared that have contributed to diversification, sometimes in parallel. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Annals of Botany Company. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Testing the Job Demand-Control-Support model with anxiety and depression as outcomes: the Hordaland Health Study.

PubMed

Sanne, Bjarte; Mykletun, Arnstein; Dahl, Alv A; Moen, Bente E; Tell, Grethe S

2005-09-01

To test the strain/iso-strain, interaction and buffer hypotheses of the Job Demand-Control-Support model in relation to anxiety and depression. Five thousand five hundred and sixty-two workers with valid Demand-Control-Support Questionnaire (DCSQ) scores were examined with the sub-scales of the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale as outcomes. Multiple statistical methods were applied. The strain and iso-strain hypotheses were confirmed. Generally, additive and non-interaction effects were found between psychological demands, control and social support. The buffer hypotheses were refuted. Results from analyses testing different interaction operationalizations were complementary. High demands, low control and low support individually, but particularly combined, are risk factors for anxiety and depression. Support is the DCSQ index most strongly associated with anxiety and depression in women. Assessment of psychosocial work environment may identify workers at risk, and serve as a basis for job-redesign.

The role of the human hippocampus in familiarity-based and recollection-based recognition memory

PubMed Central

Wixted, John T.; Squire, Larry R.

2010-01-01

The ability to recognize a previously encountered stimulus is dependent on the structures of the medial temporal lobe and is thought to be supported by two processes, recollection and familiarity. A focus of research in recent years concerns the extent to which these two processes depend on the hippocampus and on the other structures of the medial temporal lobe. One view holds that the hippocampus is important for both processes, whereas a different view holds that the hippocampus supports only the recollection process and the perirhinal cortex supports the familiarity process. One approach has been to study patients with hippocampal lesions and to contrast old/new recognition (which can be supported by familiarity) to free recall (which is supported by recollection). Despite some early case studies suggesting otherwise, several group studies have now shown that hippocampal patients exhibit comparable impairments on old/new recognition and free recall. These findings suggest that the hippocampus is important for both recollection and familiarity. Neuroimaging studies and Receiver Operating Characteristic analyses also initially suggested that the hippocampus was specialized for recollection, but these studies involved a strength confound (strong memories have been compared to weak memories). When steps are taken to compare strong recollection-based memories with strong familiarity-based memories, or otherwise control for memory strength, evidence for a familiarity signal (as well as a recollection signal) is evident in the hippocampus. These findings suggest that the functional organization of the medial temporal lobe is probably best understood in terms unrelated to the distinction between recollection and familiarity. PMID:20412819

Shaking the Tree: Multi-locus Sequence Typing Usurps Current Onchocercid (Filarial Nematode) Phylogeny

PubMed Central

Lefoulon, Emilie; Bourret, Jérôme; Junker, Kerstin; Guerrero, Ricardo; Cañizales, Israel; Kuzmin, Yuriy; Satoto, Tri Baskoro T.; Cardenas-Callirgos, Jorge Manuel; de Souza Lima, Sueli; Raccurt, Christian; Mutafchiev, Yasen; Gavotte, Laurent; Martin, Coralie

2015-01-01

During the past twenty years, a number of molecular analyses have been performed to determine the evolutionary relationships of Onchocercidae, a family of filarial nematodes encompassing several species of medical or veterinary importance. However, opportunities for broad taxonomic sampling have been scarce, and analyses were based mainly on 12S rDNA and coxI gene sequences. While being suitable for species differentiation, these mitochondrial genes cannot be used to infer phylogenetic hypotheses at higher taxonomic levels. In the present study, 48 species, representing seven of eight subfamilies within the Onchocercidae, were sampled and sequences of seven gene loci (nuclear and mitochondrial) analysed, resulting in the hitherto largest molecular phylogenetic investigation into this family. Although our data support the current hypothesis that the Oswaldofilariinae, Waltonellinae and Icosiellinae subfamilies separated early from the remaining onchocercids, Setariinae was recovered as a well separated clade. Dirofilaria, Loxodontofilaria and Onchocerca constituted a strongly supported clade despite belonging to different subfamilies (Onchocercinae and Dirofilariinae). Finally, the separation between Splendidofilariinae, Dirofilariinae and Onchocercinae will have to be reconsidered. PMID:26588229

Complete chloroplast genome sequences of Drimys, Liriodendron, andPiper: Implications for the phylogeny of magnoliids and the evolution ofGC content

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Zhengqiu, C.; Penaflor, C.; Kuehl, J.V.

2006-06-01

The magnoliids represent the largest basal angiosperm clade with four orders, 19 families and 8,500 species. Although several recent angiosperm molecular phylogenies have supported the monophyly of magnoliids and suggested relationships among the orders, the limited number of genes examined resulted in only weak support, and these issues remain controversial. Furthermore, considerable incongruence has resulted in phylogenies supporting three different sets of relationships among magnoliids and the two large angiosperm clades, monocots and eudicots. This is one of the most important remaining issues concerning relationships among basal angiosperms. We sequenced the chloroplast genomes of three magnoliids, Drimys (Canellales), Liriodendron (Magnoliales),more » and Piper (Piperales), and used these data in combination with 32 other completed angiosperm chloroplast genomes to assess phylogenetic relationships among magnoliids. The Drimys and Piper chloroplast genomes are nearly identical in size at 160,606 and 160,624 bp, respectively. The genomes include a pair of inverted repeats of 26,649 bp (Drimys) and 27,039 (Piper), separated by a small single copy region of 18,621 (Drimys) and 18,878 (Piper) and a large single copy region of 88,685 bp (Drimys) and 87,666 bp (Piper). The gene order of both taxa is nearly identical to many other unrearranged angiosperm chloroplast genomes, including Calycanthus, the other published magnoliid genome. Comparisons of angiosperm chloroplast genomes indicate that GC content is not uniformly distributed across the genome. Overall GC content ranges from 34-39%, and coding regions have a substantially higher GC content than non-coding regions (both intergenic spacers and introns). Among protein-coding genes, GC content varies by codon position with 1st codon > 2nd codon > 3rd codon, and it varies by functional group with photosynthetic genes having the highest percentage and NADH genes the lowest. Across the genome, GC content is highest in the inverted repeat due to the presence of rRNA genes and lowest in the small single copy region where most NADH genes are located. Phylogenetic analyses using maximum parsimony and maximum likelihood methods were performed on DNA sequences of 61 protein-coding genes. Trees from both analyses provided strong support for the monophyly of magnoliids and two strongly supported groups were identified, the Canellales/Piperales and the Laurales/Magnoliales. The phylogenies also provided moderate to strong support for the basal position of Amborella, and a sister relationship of magnoliids to a clade that includes monocots and eudicots. The complete sequences of three magnoliid chloroplast genomes provide new data from the largest basal angiosperm clade. Evolutionary comparisons of these new genome sequences, combined with other published angiosperm genome, confirm that GC content is unevenly distributed across the genome by location, codon position, and functional group. Furthermore, phylogenetic analyses provide the strongest support so far for the hypothesis that the magnoliids are sister to a large clade that includes both monocots and eudicots.« less

The Word Outside and the Pictures in Our Heads: Contingent Framing Effects of Labels on Health Policy Preferences by Political Ideology.

PubMed

Roh, Sungjong; Niederdeppe, Jeff

2016-09-01

This study uses data from systematic Web image search results and two randomized survey experiments to analyze how frames commonly used in public debates about health issues, operationalized here as alternative word choices, influence public support for health policy reforms. In Study 1, analyses of Bing (N = 1,719), Google (N = 1,872), and Yahoo Images (N = 1,657) search results suggest that the images returned from the search query "sugar-sweetened beverage" are more likely to evoke health-related concepts than images returned from a search query about "soda." In contrast, "soda" search queries were more likely to incorporate brand-related concepts than "sugar-sweetened beverage" search queries. In Study 2, participants (N = 206) in a controlled Web experiment rated their support for policies to reduce consumption of these drinks. As expected, strong liberals had more support for policies designed to reduce the consumption of these drinks when the policies referenced "soda" compared to "sugar-sweetened beverage." To the contrary, items describing these drinks as "soda" produced lower policy support than items describing them as "sugar-sweetened beverage" among strong conservatives. In Study 3, participants (N = 1,000) in a national telephone survey experiment rated their support for a similar set of policies. Results conceptually replicated the previous Web-based experiment, such that strong liberals reported greater support for a penny-per-ounce taxation when labeled "soda" versus "sugar-sweetened beverages." In both Studies 2 and 3, more respondents referred to brand-related concepts in response to questions about "sugar-sweetened beverages" compared to "soda." We conclude with a discussion of theoretical and methodological implications for studying framing effects of labels.

Contentious relationships in phylogenomic studies can be driven by a handful of genes

PubMed Central

Shen, Xing-Xing; Hittinger, Chris Todd; Rokas, Antonis

2017-01-01

Phylogenomic studies have resolved countless branches of the tree of life (ToL), but remain strongly contradictory on certain, contentious relationships. Here, we employ a maximum likelihood framework to quantify the distribution of phylogenetic signal among genes and sites for 17 contentious branches and 6 well-established control branches in plant, animal, and fungal phylogenomic data matrices. We find that resolution in some of these 17 branches rests on a single gene or a few sites, and that removal of a single gene in concatenation analyses or a single site from every gene in coalescence-based analyses diminishes support and can alter the inferred topology. These results suggest that tiny subsets of very large data matrices drive the resolution of specific internodes, providing a dissection of the distribution of support and observed incongruence in phylogenomic analyses. We submit that quantifying the distribution of phylogenetic signal in phylogenomic data is essential for evaluating whether branches, especially contentious ones, are truly resolved. Finally, we offer one detailed example of such an evaluation for the controversy regarding the earliest-branching metazoan phylum, where examination of the distributions of gene-wise and site-wise phylogenetic signal across 8 data matrices consistently supports ctenophores as sister group to all other metazoans. PMID:28812701

Large-scale phylogenomic analyses indicate a deep origin of primary plastids within cyanobacteria.

PubMed

Criscuolo, Alexis; Gribaldo, Simonetta

2011-11-01

The emergence of photosynthetic eukaryotes has played a crucial role in evolution and has strongly modified earth's ecology. Several phylogenetic analyses have established that primary plastids arose from a cyanobacterium through endosymbiosis. However, the question of which present-day cyanobacterial lineage is most closely related to primary plastids has been unclear. Here, we have performed an extensive phylogenomic investigation on the origin of primary plastids based on the analysis of up to 191 protein markers and over 30,000 aligned amino acid sites from 22 primary photosynthetic eukaryotes and 61 cyanobacteria representing a wide taxonomic sampling of this phylum. By using a number of solutions to circumvent a large range of systematic errors, we have reconstructed a robust global phylogeny of cyanobacteria and studied the placement of primary plastids within it. Our results strongly support an early emergence of primary plastids within cyanobacteria, prior to the diversification of most present-day cyanobacterial lineages for which genomic data are available.

Refined genetic mapping of X-linked Charcot-Marie-Tooth neuropathy

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Fain, P.R.; Barker, D.F.; Chance, P.F.

1994-02-01

Genetic linkage studies were conducted in four multigenerational families with X-linked Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease (CMTX), using 12 highly polymorphic short-tandem-repeat markers for the pericentromeric region of the X Chromosome. Pairwise linkage analysis with individual markers confirmed tight linkage of CMTX to the pericentromeric region in each family. Multipoint analyses strongly support the order DXS337-CMTX-DXS441-(DXS56, PGK1). 38 refs., 2 figs., 1 tab.

Public support for bicycling and transport policies in inner Sydney, Australia: a cross-sectional survey.

PubMed

Rissel, Chris; Crane, Melanie; Standen, Chris; Wen, Li Ming; Ellison, Richard; Greaves, Stephen

2018-06-01

To describe the degree of community support - and factors associated with this support - for a number of potential transport policy options among an inner-city sample of residents in Sydney, Australia. This study analysed data collected from a cross-sectional online survey: Wave 3 of the Sydney Transport and Health Study, conducted in September-October 2015 (n=418). There was a high level of overall support for policies to make public transport cheaper (85%), have more bicycle paths separated from motor vehicles (82%) and have a public bike-share program (72%), with similar levels of support across usual commute mode, age and sex. Despite a natural tendency for respondents to support transport policies that were of most relevance to themselves, it appeared that, in this sample, public support for public transport and bicycling policies remained strong across all respondents. Implications for public health: Policies that support public transport and active travel and achieve positive health outcomes would be well received by inner-Sydney residents. © 2018 The Authors.

Nucleic and Amino Acid Sequences Support Structure-Based Viral Classification.

PubMed

Sinclair, Robert M; Ravantti, Janne J; Bamford, Dennis H

2017-04-15

Viral capsids ensure viral genome integrity by protecting the enclosed nucleic acids. Interactions between the genome and capsid and between individual capsid proteins (i.e., capsid architecture) are intimate and are expected to be characterized by strong evolutionary conservation. For this reason, a capsid structure-based viral classification has been proposed as a way to bring order to the viral universe. The seeming lack of sufficient sequence similarity to reproduce this classification has made it difficult to reject structural convergence as the basis for the classification. We reinvestigate whether the structure-based classification for viral coat proteins making icosahedral virus capsids is in fact supported by previously undetected sequence similarity. Since codon choices can influence nascent protein folding cotranslationally, we searched for both amino acid and nucleotide sequence similarity. To demonstrate the sensitivity of the approach, we identify a candidate gene for the pandoravirus capsid protein. We show that the structure-based classification is strongly supported by amino acid and also nucleotide sequence similarities, suggesting that the similarities are due to common descent. The correspondence between structure-based and sequence-based analyses of the same proteins shown here allow them to be used in future analyses of the relationship between linear sequence information and macromolecular function, as well as between linear sequence and protein folds. IMPORTANCE Viral capsids protect nucleic acid genomes, which in turn encode capsid proteins. This tight coupling of protein shell and nucleic acids, together with strong functional constraints on capsid protein folding and architecture, leads to the hypothesis that capsid protein-coding nucleotide sequences may retain signatures of ancient viral evolution. We have been able to show that this is indeed the case, using the major capsid proteins of viruses forming icosahedral capsids. Importantly, we detected similarity at the nucleotide level between capsid protein-coding regions from viruses infecting cells belonging to all three domains of life, reproducing a previously established structure-based classification of icosahedral viral capsids. Copyright © 2017 Sinclair et al.

Nucleic and Amino Acid Sequences Support Structure-Based Viral Classification

PubMed Central

Sinclair, Robert M.; Ravantti, Janne J.

2017-01-01

ABSTRACT Viral capsids ensure viral genome integrity by protecting the enclosed nucleic acids. Interactions between the genome and capsid and between individual capsid proteins (i.e., capsid architecture) are intimate and are expected to be characterized by strong evolutionary conservation. For this reason, a capsid structure-based viral classification has been proposed as a way to bring order to the viral universe. The seeming lack of sufficient sequence similarity to reproduce this classification has made it difficult to reject structural convergence as the basis for the classification. We reinvestigate whether the structure-based classification for viral coat proteins making icosahedral virus capsids is in fact supported by previously undetected sequence similarity. Since codon choices can influence nascent protein folding cotranslationally, we searched for both amino acid and nucleotide sequence similarity. To demonstrate the sensitivity of the approach, we identify a candidate gene for the pandoravirus capsid protein. We show that the structure-based classification is strongly supported by amino acid and also nucleotide sequence similarities, suggesting that the similarities are due to common descent. The correspondence between structure-based and sequence-based analyses of the same proteins shown here allow them to be used in future analyses of the relationship between linear sequence information and macromolecular function, as well as between linear sequence and protein folds. IMPORTANCE Viral capsids protect nucleic acid genomes, which in turn encode capsid proteins. This tight coupling of protein shell and nucleic acids, together with strong functional constraints on capsid protein folding and architecture, leads to the hypothesis that capsid protein-coding nucleotide sequences may retain signatures of ancient viral evolution. We have been able to show that this is indeed the case, using the major capsid proteins of viruses forming icosahedral capsids. Importantly, we detected similarity at the nucleotide level between capsid protein-coding regions from viruses infecting cells belonging to all three domains of life, reproducing a previously established structure-based classification of icosahedral viral capsids. PMID:28122979

Testing the monophyly of Aesculus L. and Billia Peyr., woody genera of tribe Hippocastaneae of the Sapindaceae.

PubMed

Harris, A J; Fu, Chengxin; Xiang, Qiu-Yun Jenny; Holland, LaRinda; Wen, Jun

2016-09-01

Hippocastaneae is a well-supported clade in Sapindaceae that comprises 15+ species; 12+ in Aesculus, two in Billia, and one in Handeliodendron Rehder. The monophyly of Aesculus and Billia were widely assumed, but a recent molecular phylogenetic study of Sapindanceae used seven species of Aesculus and one each of Billia and Handeliodendron and showed that Billia and Handeliodendron were nested within Aesculus. Here, we tested the hypothesis that Aesculus and Billia are mutually monophyletic using phylogenetic analyses of seven molecular markers and 31 accessions of Hippocastaneae representing 14 species. We performed phylogenetic analyses using a dataset of concatenated genes as well as with coalescent method for constructing a species tree from individual gene trees. The analysis of seven concatenated markers and the species tree strongly supported the mutual monophyly of Aesculus and Billia. We also recovered support for the traditional arrangement of genera within Hippocastaneae: Aesculus and Billia comprising a clade that is sister to Handeliodendron. However, the relationships among the genera remain incompletely resolved. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Psychometric Evaluation and Norms for the Multidimensional Assessment of Interoceptive Awareness (MAIA) in a Clinical Eating Disorders Sample.

PubMed

Brown, Tiffany A; Berner, Laura A; Jones, Michelle D; Reilly, Erin E; Cusack, Anne; Anderson, Leslie K; Kaye, Walter H; Wierenga, Christina E

2017-09-01

Altered interoceptive awareness (IA) has been implicated in the pathophysiology of eating disorders; however, few comprehensive self-report measures of IA exist in eating disorders. The present study sought to validate the Multidimensional Assessment of Interoceptive Awareness (MAIA), originally developed to assess IA in individuals practicing mind-body therapies, in an eating disorder sample. Adult and adolescent patients (n = 376) completed assessments upon admission to a partial hospital programme. Analyses examined the factor structure of the MAIA, scale means, scale-scale correlations, internal consistency and construct validity. Analyses also examined associations between MAIA subscales and eating disorder symptoms. Results supported the original eight-factor structure of the MAIA. Internal consistency was acceptable, and the scales converged with associated measures. Importantly, Not Distracting, Self-regulation, Body Listening and Trusting were most strongly associated with eating disorder symptoms. Results support use of the MAIA among eating disorders and provide further support for the relevance of IA in eating disorders. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and Eating Disorders Association. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and Eating Disorders Association.

Recent status scores for version 6 of the Addiction Severity Index (ASI-6).

PubMed

Cacciola, John S; Alterman, Arthur I; Habing, Brian; McLellan, A Thomas

2011-09-01

To describe the derivation of recent status scores (RSSs) for version 6 of the Addiction Severity Index (ASI-6). 118 ASI-6 recent status items were subjected to nonparametric item response theory (NIRT) analyses followed by confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). Generalizability and concurrent validity of the derived scores were determined. A total of 607 recent admissions to variety of substance abuse treatment programs constituted the derivation sample; a subset (n = 252) comprised the validity sample. The ASI-6 interview and a validity battery of primarily self-report questionnaires that included at least one measure corresponding to each of the seven ASI domains were administered. Nine summary scales describing recent status that achieved or approached both high scalability and reliability were derived; one scale for each of six areas (medical, employment/finances, alcohol, drug, legal, psychiatric) and three scales for the family/social area. Intercorrelations among the RSSs also supported the multi-dimensionality of the ASI-6. Concurrent validity analyses yielded strong evidence supporting the validity of six of the RSSs (medical, alcohol, drug, employment, family/social problems, psychiatric). Evidence was weaker for the legal, family/social support and child problems RSSs. Generalizability analyses of the scales to males versus females and whites versus blacks supported the comparability of the findings, with slight exceptions. The psychometric analyses to derive Addiction Severity Index version 6 recent status scores support the multi-dimensionality of the Addiction Severity Index version 6 (i.e. the relative independence of different life functioning areas), consistent with research on earlier editions of the instrument. In general, the Addiction Severity Index version 6 scales demonstrate acceptable scalability, reliability and concurrent validity. While questions remain about the generalizability of some scales to population subgroups, the overall findings coupled with updated and more extensive content in the Addiction Severity Index version 6 support its use in clinical practice and research. © 2011 The Authors, Addiction © 2011 Society for the Study of Addiction.

Recent Status Scores for Version 6 of the Addiction Severity Index (ASI-6)

PubMed Central

Cacciola, John S.; Alterman, Arthur I; Habing, Brian; McLellan, A. Thomas

2012-01-01

Aims To describe the derivation of Recent Status Scores (RSSs) for Version 6 of the Addiction Severity Index (ASI-6). Design 118 ASI-6 recent status items were subjected to nonparametric item response theory (NIRT) analyses followed by confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). Generalizability and concurrent validity of the derived scores were determined. Setting and Participants 607 recent admissions to variety of substance abuse treatment programs constituted the derivation sample; a subset (N = 254) comprised the validity sample. Measurements The ASI-6 interview and a validity battery of primarily self-report questionnaires that included at least one measure corresponding to each of the seven ASI domains were administered. Findings Nine summary scales describing recent status that achieved or approached both high scalability and reliability were derived; one scale for each of six areas (medical, employment/finances, alcohol, drug, legal, psychiatric), and three scales for the family/social area. Intercorrelations among the RSSs also supported the multidimensionality of the ASI-6. Concurrent validity analyses yielded strong evidence supporting the validity of the six of the RSSs (Medical, Alcohol, Drug, Employment, Family/Social Problems, Psychiatric). Evidence was weaker for the Legal, Family/Social Support and Child Problems RSSs. Generalizability analyses of the scales to males versus females and whites versus blacks supported the comparability of the findings with slight exceptions. Conclusions The psychometric analyses to derive Addiction Severity Index-6 Recent Status Scores (RSSs) support the multidimensionality of the ASI-6 (i.e., the relative independence of different life functioning areas), consistent with research on earlier editions of the instrument. In general, the ASI-6 scales demonstrate acceptable scalability, reliability and concurrent validity. While questions remain about the generalizability of some scales to population subgroups, the overall findings coupled with updated and more extensive content in the ASI-6 support its use in clinical practice and research. PMID:21545666

Human Health Effects of Trichloroethylene: Key Findings and Scientific Issues

PubMed Central

Jinot, Jennifer; Scott, Cheryl Siegel; Makris, Susan L.; Cooper, Glinda S.; Dzubow, Rebecca C.; Bale, Ambuja S.; Evans, Marina V.; Guyton, Kathryn Z.; Keshava, Nagalakshmi; Lipscomb, John C.; Barone, Stanley; Fox, John F.; Gwinn, Maureen R.; Schaum, John; Caldwell, Jane C.

2012-01-01

Background: In support of the Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS), the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) completed a toxicological review of trichloroethylene (TCE) in September 2011, which was the result of an effort spanning > 20 years. Objectives: We summarized the key findings and scientific issues regarding the human health effects of TCE in the U.S. EPA’s toxicological review. Methods: In this assessment we synthesized and characterized thousands of epidemiologic, experimental animal, and mechanistic studies, and addressed several key scientific issues through modeling of TCE toxicokinetics, meta-analyses of epidemiologic studies, and analyses of mechanistic data. Discussion: Toxicokinetic modeling aided in characterizing the toxicological role of the complex metabolism and multiple metabolites of TCE. Meta-analyses of the epidemiologic data strongly supported the conclusions that TCE causes kidney cancer in humans and that TCE may also cause liver cancer and non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Mechanistic analyses support a key role for mutagenicity in TCE-induced kidney carcinogenicity. Recent evidence from studies in both humans and experimental animals point to the involvement of TCE exposure in autoimmune disease and hypersensitivity. Recent avian and in vitro mechanistic studies provided biological plausibility that TCE plays a role in developmental cardiac toxicity, the subject of substantial debate due to mixed results from epidemiologic and rodent studies. Conclusions: TCE is carcinogenic to humans by all routes of exposure and poses a potential human health hazard for noncancer toxicity to the central nervous system, kidney, liver, immune system, male reproductive system, and the developing embryo/fetus. PMID:23249866

Social support at work and affective commitment to the organization: the moderating effect of job resource adequacy and ambient conditions.

PubMed

Rousseau, Vincent; Aubé, Caroline

2010-01-01

This study investigated whether both supervisor and coworker support may be positively related to affective commitment to the organization on one hand; and on the other hand, it examined the moderating effect of job resource adequacy and ambient conditions on these relationships. The sample included 215 participants working within a health care organization. Results of regression analysis showed that supervisor and coworker support have an additive effect on affective commitment. Hierarchical regression analyses indicated that supervisor and coworker support are more strongly related to affective commitment when job resource adequacy is high. Furthermore, ambient conditions moderate the relationship between supervisor support and affective commitment in such a way that favorable ambient conditions strengthen this relationship. Overall, these findings reinforce the importance of taking into account contingent factors in the study of antecedents of affective commitment to the organization.

Testing the 8-syndrome structure of the child behavior checklist in 30 societies.

PubMed

Ivanova, Masha Y; Dobrean, Anca; Dopfner, Manfred; Erol, Nese; Fombonne, Eric; Fonseca, Antonio Castro; Frigerio, Alessandra; Grietens, Hans; Hannesdottir, Helga; Kanbayashi, Yasuko; Lambert, Michael; Achenbach, Thomas M; Larsson, Bo; Leung, Patrick; Liu, Xianchen; Minaei, Asghar; Mulatu, Mesfin S; Novik, Torunn S; Oh, Kyung Ja; Roussos, Alexandra; Sawyer, Michael; Simsek, Zeynep; Dumenci, Levent; Steinhausen, Hans-Christoph; Metzke, Christa Winkler; Wolanczyk, Tomasz; Yang, Hao-Jan; Zilber, Nelly; Zukauskiene, Rita; Verhulst, Frank C; Rescorla, Leslie A; Almqvist, Fredrik; Weintraub, Sheila; Bilenberg, Niels; Bird, Hector; Chen, Wei J

2007-01-01

There is a growing need for multicultural collaboration in child mental health services, training, and research. To facilitate such collaboration, this study tested the 8-syndrome structure of the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) in 30 societies. Parents' CBCL ratings of 58,051 6- to 18-year-olds were subjected to confirmatory factor analyses, which were conducted separately for each society. Societies represented Asia; Africa; Australia; the Caribbean; Eastern, Western, Southern, and Northern Europe; the Middle East; and North America. Fit indices strongly supported the correlated 8-syndrome structure in each of 30 societies. The results support use of the syndromes in diverse societies.

Gene trees, species trees, and morphology converge on a similar phylogeny of living gars (Actinopterygii: Holostei: Lepisosteidae), an ancient clade of ray-finned fishes.

PubMed

Wright, Jeremy J; David, Solomon R; Near, Thomas J

2012-06-01

Extant gars represent the remaining members of a formerly diverse assemblage of ancient ray-finned fishes and have been the subject of multiple phylogenetic analyses using morphological data. Here, we present the first hypothesis of phylogenetic relationships among living gar species based on molecular data, through the examination of gene tree heterogeneity and coalescent species tree analyses of a portion of one mitochondrial (COI) and seven nuclear (ENC1, myh6, plagl2, S7 ribosomal protein intron 1, sreb2, tbr1, and zic1) genes. Individual gene trees displayed varying degrees of resolution with regards to species-level relationships, and the gene trees inferred from COI and the S7 intron were the only two that were completely resolved. Coalescent species tree analyses of nuclear genes resulted in a well-resolved and strongly supported phylogenetic tree of living gar species, for which Bayesian posterior node support was further improved by the inclusion of the mitochondrial gene. Species-level relationships among gars inferred from our molecular data set were highly congruent with previously published morphological phylogenies, with the exception of the placement of two species, Lepisosteus osseus and L. platostomus. Re-examination of the character coding used by previous authors provided partial resolution of this topological discordance, resulting in broad concordance in the phylogenies inferred from individual genes, the coalescent species tree analysis, and morphology. The completely resolved phylogeny inferred from the molecular data set with strong Bayesian posterior support at all nodes provided insights into the potential for introgressive hybridization and patterns of allopatric speciation in the evolutionary history of living gars, as well as a solid foundation for future examinations of functional diversification and evolutionary stasis in a "living fossil" lineage. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Phylogenetics of Anthyllis (Leguminosae: Papilionoideae: Loteae): Partial incongruence between nuclear and plastid markers, a long branch problem and implications for morphological evolution.

PubMed

Degtjareva, Galina V; Valiejo-Roman, Carmen M; Samigullin, Tahir H; Guara-Requena, Miguel; Sokoloff, Dmitry D

2012-02-01

Phylogenetic relationships in the genus Anthyllis (Leguminosae: Papilionoideae: Loteae) were investigated using data from the nuclear ribosomal internal transcribed spacer regions (ITS) and three plastid regions (psbA-trnH intergenic spacer, petB-petD region and rps16 intron). Bayesian and maximum parsimony (MP) analysis of a concatenated plastid dataset recovered well-resolved trees that are topologically similar, with many clades supported by unique indels. MP and Bayesian analyses of the ITS sequence data recovered trees that have several well-supported topological differences, both among analyses, and to trees inferred from the plastid data. The most substantial of these concerns A. vulneraria and A. lemanniana, whose placement in the parsimony analysis of the ITS data appears to be due to a strong long-branch effect. Analysis of the secondary structure of the ITS1 spacer showed a strong bias towards transitions in A. vulneraria and A. lemanniana, many of which were also characteristic of certain outgroup taxa. This may contribute to the conflicting placement of this clade in the MP tree for the ITS data. Additional conflicts between the plastid and ITS trees were more taxonomically focused. These differences may reflect the occurrence of reticulate evolution between closely related species, including a possible hybrid origin for A. hystrix. The patterns of incongruence between the plastid and the ITS data seem to correlate with taxon ranks. All of our phylogenetic analyses supported the monophyly of Anthyllis (incl. Hymenocarpos). Although they are often taxonomically associated with Anthyllis, the genera Dorycnopsis and Tripodion are shown here to be more closely related to other genera of Loteae. We infer up to six major clades in Anthyllis that are morphologically well-characterized, and which could be recognized as sections. Four of these agree with various morphology-based classifications, while the other two are novel. We reconstruct the evolution of several morphological characteristics found only in Anthyllis or tribe Loteae. Some of these characters support major clades, while others show evidence of homoplasy within Anthyllis. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Measurement equivalence of patient safety climate in Chinese hospitals: can we compare across physicians and nurses?

PubMed

Zhu, Junya

2018-06-11

Self-report instruments have been widely used to better understand variations in patient safety climate between physicians and nurses. Research is needed to determine whether differences in patient safety climate reflect true differences in the underlying concepts. This is known as measurement equivalence, which is a prerequisite for meaningful group comparisons. This study aims to examine the degree of measurement equivalence of the responses to a patient safety climate survey of Chinese hospitals and to demonstrate how the measurement equivalence method can be applied to self-report climate surveys for patient safety research. Using data from the Chinese Hospital Survey of Patient Safety Climate from six Chinese hospitals in 2011, we constructed two groups: physicians and nurses (346 per group). We used multiple-group confirmatory factor analyses to examine progressively more stringent restrictions for measurement equivalence. We identified weak factorial equivalence across the two groups. Strong factorial equivalence was found for Organizational Learning, Unit Management Support for Safety, Adequacy of Safety Arrangements, Institutional Commitment to Safety, Error Reporting and Teamwork. Strong factorial equivalence, however, was not found for Safety System, Communication and Peer Support and Staffing. Nevertheless, further analyses suggested that nonequivalence did not meaningfully affect the conclusions regarding physician-nurse differences in patient safety climate. Our results provide evidence of at least partial equivalence of the survey responses between nurses and physicians, supporting mean comparisons of its constructs between the two groups. The measurement equivalence approach is essential to ensure that conclusions about group differences are valid.

The juxtaposition of ageing and nursing: the challenges and enablers of continuing to work in the latter stages of a nursing career.

PubMed

Clendon, Jill; Walker, Léonie

2016-05-01

To identify why some nurses cope well with continuing to work as they age and others struggle. There is a need to understand better the challenges older nurses face and how they manage them. Secondary analysis of existing data. Data collected in two separate studies were analysed. The first study (2012) was an online, anonymous survey that collected free text (qualitative) and categorical data (n = 3273, 57·6% response rate). The second (2014) was an explorative, descriptive study that collected data through focus groups and interviews (n = 46). Qualitative data from both studies were analysed using David Thomas' () general inductive approach. Research Ethics Committee approval was gained for the 2012 and 2014 studies. Data were categorised in two themes: the challenges of ageing and nursing; and factors that enable nurses to continue to practice. Physical challenges, fatigue, guilt, ageism and demands to complete continuing education were considered challenges. Maintaining personal fitness, self care, flexible working and a strong belief in their ability to contribute to the profession were present in older nurses who continued to practice. While older nurses face growing physical and cognitive challenges as they age, they demonstrate strong resilience in the face of these challenges. It is recommended nurses seek support from their workplaces early to address challenges. Organisations must address ageism in the workplace and provide practical interventions such as supporting changes to work hours, shifting nurses to less physical roles and providing career planning to support resilience in older workers. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Impact of national context and culture on curriculum change: a case study.

PubMed

Jippes, Mariëlle; Driessen, Erik W; Majoor, Gerard D; Gijselaers, Wim H; Muijtjens, Arno M M; van der Vleuten, Cees P M

2013-08-01

Earlier studies suggested national culture to be a potential barrier to curriculum reform in medical schools. In particular, Hofstede's cultural dimension 'uncertainty avoidance' had a significant negative relationship with the implementation rate of integrated curricula. However, some schools succeeded to adopt curriculum changes despite their country's strong uncertainty avoidance. This raised the question: 'How did those schools overcome the barrier of uncertainty avoidance?' Austria offered the combination of a high uncertainty avoidance score and integrated curricula in all its medical schools. Twenty-seven key change agents in four medical universities were interviewed and transcripts analysed using thematic cross-case analysis. Initially, strict national laws and limited autonomy of schools inhibited innovation and fostered an 'excuse culture': 'It's not our fault. It is the ministry's'. A new law increasing university autonomy stimulated reforms. However, just this law would have been insufficient as many faculty still sought to avoid change. A strong need for change, supportive and continuous leadership, and visionary change agents were also deemed essential. In societies with strong uncertainty avoidance strict legislation may enforce resistance to curriculum change. In those countries opposition by faculty can be overcome if national legislation encourages change, provided additional internal factors support the change process.

Chloroplast variation is incongruent with classification of the Australian bloodwood eucalypts (genus Corymbia, family Myrtaceae)

PubMed Central

Schuster, Tanja M.; Setaro, Sabrina D.; Tibbits, Josquin F. G.; Batty, Erin L.; Fowler, Rachael M.; McLay, Todd G. B.; Wilcox, Stephen; Ades, Peter K.

2018-01-01

Previous molecular phylogenetic analyses have resolved the Australian bloodwood eucalypt genus Corymbia (~100 species) as either monophyletic or paraphyletic with respect to Angophora (9–10 species). Here we assess relationships of Corymbia and Angophora using a large dataset of chloroplast DNA sequences (121,016 base pairs; from 90 accessions representing 55 Corymbia and 8 Angophora species, plus 33 accessions of related genera), skimmed from high throughput sequencing of genomic DNA, and compare results with new analyses of nuclear ITS sequences (119 accessions) from previous studies. Maximum likelihood and maximum parsimony analyses of cpDNA resolve well supported trees with most nodes having >95% bootstrap support. These trees strongly reject monophyly of Corymbia, its two subgenera (Corymbia and Blakella), most taxonomic sections (Abbreviatae, Maculatae, Naviculares, Septentrionales), and several species. ITS trees weakly indicate paraphyly of Corymbia (bootstrap support <50% for maximum likelihood, and 71% for parsimony), but are highly incongruent with the cpDNA analyses, in that they support monophyly of both subgenera and some taxonomic sections of Corymbia. The striking incongruence between cpDNA trees and both morphological taxonomy and ITS trees is attributed largely to chloroplast introgression between taxa, because of geographic sharing of chloroplast clades across taxonomic groups. Such introgression has been widely inferred in studies of the related genus Eucalyptus. This is the first report of its likely prevalence in Corymbia and Angophora, but this is consistent with previous morphological inferences of hybridisation between species. Our findings (based on continent-wide sampling) highlight a need for more focussed studies to assess the extent of hybridisation and introgression in the evolutionary history of these genera, and that critical testing of the classification of Corymbia and Angophora requires additional sequence data from nuclear genomes. PMID:29668710

Topology, divergence dates, and macroevolutionary inferences vary between different tip-dating approaches applied to fossil theropods (Dinosauria).

PubMed

Bapst, D W; Wright, A M; Matzke, N J; Lloyd, G T

2016-07-01

Dated phylogenies of fossil taxa allow palaeobiologists to estimate the timing of major divergences and placement of extinct lineages, and to test macroevolutionary hypotheses. Recently developed Bayesian 'tip-dating' methods simultaneously infer and date the branching relationships among fossil taxa, and infer putative ancestral relationships. Using a previously published dataset for extinct theropod dinosaurs, we contrast the dated relationships inferred by several tip-dating approaches and evaluate potential downstream effects on phylogenetic comparative methods. We also compare tip-dating analyses to maximum-parsimony trees time-scaled via alternative a posteriori approaches including via the probabilistic cal3 method. Among tip-dating analyses, we find opposing but strongly supported relationships, despite similarity in inferred ancestors. Overall, tip-dating methods infer divergence dates often millions (or tens of millions) of years older than the earliest stratigraphic appearance of that clade. Model-comparison analyses of the pattern of body-size evolution found that the support for evolutionary mode can vary across and between tree samples from cal3 and tip-dating approaches. These differences suggest that model and software choice in dating analyses can have a substantial impact on the dated phylogenies obtained and broader evolutionary inferences. © 2016 The Author(s).

Burnout and connectedness in the job demands-resources model: studying palliative care volunteers and their families.

PubMed

Huynh, Jasmine-Yan; Winefield, Anthony H; Xanthopoulou, Despoina; Metzer, Jacques C

2012-09-01

This study examined the role of burnout and connectedness in the job demands-resources (JD-R) model among palliative care volunteers. It was hypothesized that (a) exhaustion mediates the relationship between demands and depression, and between demands and retention; (b) cynicism mediates the relationship between resources and retention; and (c) connectedness mediates the relationship between resources and retention. Hypotheses were tested in 2 separate analyses: structural equation modeling (SEM) and path analyses. The first was based on volunteer self-reports (N = 204), while the second analysis concerned matched data from volunteers and their family members (N = 99). While strong support was found for cynicism and connectedness as mediators in both types of analyses, this was not altogether the case for exhaustion. Implications of these findings for the JD-R model and volunteer organizations are discussed.

Transcriptome-Mining for Single-Copy Nuclear Markers in Ferns

PubMed Central

Rothfels, Carl J.; Larsson, Anders; Li, Fay-Wei; Sigel, Erin M.; Huiet, Layne; Burge, Dylan O.; Ruhsam, Markus; Graham, Sean W.; Stevenson, Dennis W.; Wong, Gane Ka-Shu; Korall, Petra; Pryer, Kathleen M.

2013-01-01

Background Molecular phylogenetic investigations have revolutionized our understanding of the evolutionary history of ferns—the second-most species-rich major group of vascular plants, and the sister clade to seed plants. The general absence of genomic resources available for this important group of plants, however, has resulted in the strong dependence of these studies on plastid data; nuclear or mitochondrial data have been rarely used. In this study, we utilize transcriptome data to design primers for nuclear markers for use in studies of fern evolutionary biology, and demonstrate the utility of these markers across the largest order of ferns, the Polypodiales. Principal Findings We present 20 novel single-copy nuclear regions, across 10 distinct protein-coding genes: ApPEFP_C, cryptochrome 2, cryptochrome 4, DET1, gapCpSh, IBR3, pgiC, SQD1, TPLATE, and transducin. These loci, individually and in combination, show strong resolving power across the Polypodiales phylogeny, and are readily amplified and sequenced from our genomic DNA test set (from 15 diploid Polypodiales species). For each region, we also present transcriptome alignments of the focal locus and related paralogs—curated broadly across ferns—that will allow researchers to develop their own primer sets for fern taxa outside of the Polypodiales. Analyses of sequence data generated from our genomic DNA test set reveal strong effects of partitioning schemes on support levels and, to a much lesser extent, on topology. A model partitioned by codon position is strongly favored, and analyses of the combined data yield a Polypodiales phylogeny that is well-supported and consistent with earlier studies of this group. Conclusions The 20 single-copy regions presented here more than triple the single-copy nuclear regions available for use in ferns. They provide a much-needed opportunity to assess plastid-derived hypotheses of relationships within the ferns, and increase our capacity to explore aspects of fern evolution previously unavailable to scientific investigation. PMID:24116189

A quantitative framework to evaluate modeling of cortical development by neural stem cells

PubMed Central

Stein, Jason L.; de la Torre-Ubieta, Luis; Tian, Yuan; Parikshak, Neelroop N.; Hernandez, Israel A.; Marchetto, Maria C.; Baker, Dylan K.; Lu, Daning; Hinman, Cassidy R.; Lowe, Jennifer K.; Wexler, Eric M.; Muotri, Alysson R.; Gage, Fred H.; Kosik, Kenneth S.; Geschwind, Daniel H.

2014-01-01

Summary Neural stem cells have been adopted to model a wide range of neuropsychiatric conditions in vitro. However, how well such models correspond to in vivo brain has not been evaluated in an unbiased, comprehensive manner. We used transcriptomic analyses to compare in vitro systems to developing human fetal brain and observed strong conservation of in vivo gene expression and network architecture in differentiating primary human neural progenitor cells (phNPCs). Conserved modules are enriched in genes associated with ASD, supporting the utility of phNPCs for studying neuropsychiatric disease. We also developed and validated a machine learning approach called CoNTExT that identifies the developmental maturity and regional identity of in vitro models. We observed strong differences between in vitro models, including hiPSC-derived neural progenitors from multiple laboratories. This work provides a systems biology framework for evaluating in vitro systems and supports their value in studying the molecular mechanisms of human neurodevelopmental disease. PMID:24991955

Phylogenetics of Pinus (Pinaceae) based on nuclear ribosomal DNA internal transcribed spacer region sequences.

PubMed

Liston, A; Robinson, W A; Piñero, D; Alvarez-Buylla, E R

1999-02-01

A 650-bp portion of the nuclear ribosomal DNA internal transcribed spacer region was sequenced in 47 species of Pinus, representing all recognized subsections of the genus, and 2 species of Picea and Cathaya as outgroups. Parsimony analyses of these length variable sequences were conducted using a manual alignment, 13 different automated alignments, elision of the automated alignments, and exclusion of all alignment ambiguous sites. High and moderately supported clades were consistently resolved across the different analyses, while poorly supported clades were inconsistently recovered. Comparison of the topologies highlights taxa of particularly problematic placement including Pinus nelsonii and P. aristata. Within subgenus Pinus, there is moderate support for the monophyly of a narrowly circumscribed subsect. Pinus (=subsect. Sylvestres) and strong support for a clade of North and Central American hard pines. The Himalayan P. roxburghii may be sister species to these "New World hard pines," which have two well-supported subgroups, subsect. Ponderosae and a clade of the remaining five subsections. The position of subsect. Contortae conflicts with its placement in a chloroplast DNA restriction site study. Within subgenus Strobus there is consistent support for the monophyly of a broadly circumscribed subsect. Strobi (including P. krempfii and a polyphyletic subsect. Cembrae) derived from a paraphyletic grade of the remaining soft pines. Relationships among subsects. Gerardianae, Cembroides, and Balfourianae are poorly resolved. Support for the monophyly of subgenus Pinus and subgenus Strobus is not consistently obtained. Copyright 1999 Academic Press.

Testing the lexical hypothesis: are socially important traits more densely reflected in the English lexicon?

PubMed

Wood, Dustin

2015-02-01

Using a set of 498 English words identified by Saucier (1997) as common person-descriptor adjectives or trait terms, I tested 3 instantiations of the lexical hypothesis, which posit that more socially important person descriptors show greater density in the lexicon. Specifically, I explored whether trait terms that have greater relational impact (i.e., more greatly influence how others respond to a person) have more synonyms, are more frequently used, and are more strongly correlated with other trait terms. I found little evidence to suggest that trait terms rated as having greater relational impact were more frequently used or had more synonyms. However, these terms correlated more strongly with other trait terms in the set. Conversely, a trait term's loadings on structural factors (e.g., the Big Five, HEXACO) were extremely good predictors of the term's relational impact. The findings suggest that the lexical hypothesis may not be strongly supported in some ways it is commonly understood but is supported in the manner most important to investigations of trait structure. Specifically, trait terms with greater relational impact tend to more strongly correlate with other terms in lexical sets and thus have a greater role in driving the location of factors in analyses of trait structure. Implications for understanding the meaning of lexical factors such as the Big Five are discussed. PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2015 APA, all rights reserved.

Archaeal “Dark Matter” and the Origin of Eukaryotes

PubMed Central

Williams, Tom A.; Embley, T. Martin

2014-01-01

Current hypotheses about the history of cellular life are mainly based on analyses of cultivated organisms, but these represent only a small fraction of extant biodiversity. The sequencing of new environmental lineages therefore provides an opportunity to test, revise, or reject existing ideas about the tree of life and the origin of eukaryotes. According to the textbook three domains hypothesis, the eukaryotes emerge as the sister group to a monophyletic Archaea. However, recent analyses incorporating better phylogenetic models and an improved sampling of the archaeal domain have generally supported the competing eocyte hypothesis, in which core genes of eukaryotic cells originated from within the Archaea, with important implications for eukaryogenesis. Given this trend, it was surprising that a recent analysis incorporating new genomes from uncultivated Archaea recovered a strongly supported three domains tree. Here, we show that this result was due in part to the use of a poorly fitting phylogenetic model and also to the inclusion by an automated pipeline of genes of putative bacterial origin rather than nucleocytosolic versions for some of the eukaryotes analyzed. When these issues were resolved, analyses including the new archaeal lineages placed core eukaryotic genes within the Archaea. These results are consistent with a number of recent studies in which improved archaeal sampling and better phylogenetic models agree in supporting the eocyte tree over the three domains hypothesis. PMID:24532674

Archaeal "dark matter" and the origin of eukaryotes.

PubMed

Williams, Tom A; Embley, T Martin

2014-03-01

Current hypotheses about the history of cellular life are mainly based on analyses of cultivated organisms, but these represent only a small fraction of extant biodiversity. The sequencing of new environmental lineages therefore provides an opportunity to test, revise, or reject existing ideas about the tree of life and the origin of eukaryotes. According to the textbook three domains hypothesis, the eukaryotes emerge as the sister group to a monophyletic Archaea. However, recent analyses incorporating better phylogenetic models and an improved sampling of the archaeal domain have generally supported the competing eocyte hypothesis, in which core genes of eukaryotic cells originated from within the Archaea, with important implications for eukaryogenesis. Given this trend, it was surprising that a recent analysis incorporating new genomes from uncultivated Archaea recovered a strongly supported three domains tree. Here, we show that this result was due in part to the use of a poorly fitting phylogenetic model and also to the inclusion by an automated pipeline of genes of putative bacterial origin rather than nucleocytosolic versions for some of the eukaryotes analyzed. When these issues were resolved, analyses including the new archaeal lineages placed core eukaryotic genes within the Archaea. These results are consistent with a number of recent studies in which improved archaeal sampling and better phylogenetic models agree in supporting the eocyte tree over the three domains hypothesis.

Emergence of tick-borne encephalitis in new endemic areas in Austria: 42 years of surveillance.

PubMed

Heinz, F X; Stiasny, K; Holzmann, H; Kundi, M; Sixl, W; Wenk, M; Kainz, W; Essl, A; Kunz, C

2015-04-02

Human infections with tick-borne encephalitis (TBE)virus are a public health concern in certain regions of Europe, central and eastern Asia. Expansions of endemic areas and increased incidences have been associated with different factors including ecological changes supporting tick reproduction, socioeconomic changes increasing human outdoor activities and climatic changes favouring virus circulation in natural foci. Austria is among the most strongly affected countries in Central Europe, but the annual number of cases has strongly declined due to vaccination. Here,we have analysed changes of the incidence of TBE in the unvaccinated population of all federal states of Austria over a period of 42 years. The overall incidence in Austria has remained constant, but new strongly affected endemic regions have emerged in alpine valleys in the west of Austria. In parallel, the incidence in low-land regions in the north-east of the country is decreasing. There is no evidence for a shift to higher altitudes of infection sites in the traditional TBE zones,but the average altitudes of some newly established endemic areas in the west are significantly higher. Our analyses underscore the focal nature of TBE endemic areas and the potential of TBE virus to emerge in previously unaffected regions.

Psychological Adjustment among Young Puerto Rican Mothers: Perceived Partner Support and the Moderating Role of Latino Cultural Orientation

PubMed Central

Grau, Josefina M.; Castellanos, Patricia; Smith, Erin N.; Duran, Petra A.; Silberman, Stephanie; Wood, Lauren

2016-01-01

Adolescent mothers face multiple stressors and are at risk for experiencing high levels of depressive symptoms and parenting stress. This study examined the interplay of Latino cultural orientation and perceived support from romantic partners in protecting the adjustment of young, low-income, Puerto Rican mothers (N = 103; M age = 18.0 yrs; SD = 1.2) during the second year postpartum. In multivariate analyses, perceived partner support was uniquely and negatively associated with both maternal depressive symptoms and parenting stress. However, in the case of parenting stress, this association was moderated by mothers’ Latino cultural orientation. Perceived partner support was related to less parenting stress when mothers endorsed a relatively strong Latino cultural orientation; perceived partner support was no longer protective at low levels of Latino orientation. The implications for intervention and for the understanding of the role of culture in social support processes within close relationships are discussed. PMID:28210534

Work stress and depression among direct support professionals: the role of work support and locus of control.

PubMed

Gray-Stanley, J A; Muramatsu, N; Heller, T; Hughes, S; Johnson, T P; Ramirez-Valles, J

2010-08-01

Although work stress can impede the capacity of direct support professionals and contribute to mental health challenges, external (i.e. work social support) and internal resources (i.e. an internal locus of control) have been shown to help DSPs cope more actively. We examined how work stress was associated with depression, with a particular focus on the role of resources. Direct support professionals (n = 323) who serve adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities from five community-based organisations completed a cross-sectional, self-administered survey which measured work stress, work support, locus of control, and depression. Multiple regression analyses demonstrated that work stress was positively associated with depression, while resources were negatively associated with depression. In particular, work support moderated the effects of client disability stress, supervisory support lessened the effects of role conflict, and locus of control moderated the effects of workload. Such findings suggest the importance of external and internal resources for staff mental health. This research underscores the need for strong work social support systems and interventions to help staff manage work stressors.

Work stress and depression among direct support professionals: the role of work support and locus of control

PubMed Central

Gray-Stanley, J. A.; Muramatsu, N.; Heller, T.; Hughes, S.; Johnson, T. P.; Ramirez-Valles, J.

2013-01-01

Background Although work stress can impede the capacity of direct support professionals and contribute to mental health challenges, external (i.e. work social support) and internal resources (i.e. an internal locus of control) have been shown to help DSPs cope more actively. We examined how work stress was associated with depression, with a particular focus on the role of resources. Method Direct support professionals (n = 323) who serve adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities from five community-based organisations completed a cross-sectional, self-administered survey which measured work stress, work support, locus of control, and depression. Results Multiple regression analyses demonstrated that work stress was positively associated with depression, while resources were negatively associated with depression. In particular, work support moderated the effects of client disability stress, supervisory support lessened the effects of role conflict, and locus of control moderated the effects of workload. Conclusions Such findings suggest the importance of external and internal resources for staff mental health. This research underscores the need for strong work social support systems and interventions to help staff manage work stressors. PMID:20633203

Transcontinental Phylogeography of the Daphnia pulex Species Complex

PubMed Central

Costanzo, Katie S.; Taylor, Derek J.

2012-01-01

Daphnia pulex is quickly becoming an attractive model species in the field of ecological genomics due to the recent release of its complete genome sequence, a wide variety of new genomic resources, and a rich history of ecological data. Sequences of the mitochondrial NADH dehydrogenase subunit 5 and cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 genes were used to assess the global phylogeography of this species, and to further elucidate its phylogenetic relationship to other members of the Daphnia pulex species complex. Using both newly acquired and previously published data, we analyzed 398 individuals from collections spanning five continents. Eleven strongly supported lineages were found within the D. pulex complex, and one lineage in particular, panarctic D. pulex, has very little phylogeographical structure and a near worldwide distribution. Mismatch distribution, haplotype network, and population genetic analyses are compatible with a North American origin for this lineage and subsequent spatial expansion in the Late Pleistocene. In addition, our analyses suggest that dispersal between North and South America of this and other species in the D. pulex complex has occurred multiple times, and is predominantly from north to south. Our results provide additional support for the evolutionary relationships of the eleven main mitochondrial lineages of the D. pulex complex. We found that the well-studied panarctic D. pulex is present on every continent except Australia and Antarctica. Despite being geographically very widespread, there is a lack of strong regionalism in the mitochondrial genomes of panarctic D. pulex – a pattern that differs from that of most studied cladocerans. Moreover, our analyses suggest recent expansion of the panarctic D. pulex lineage, with some continents sharing haplotypes. The hypothesis that hybrid asexuality has contributed to the recent and unusual geographic success of the panarctic D. pulex lineage warrants further study. PMID:23056371

Transcontinental phylogeography of the Daphnia pulex species complex.

PubMed

Crease, Teresa J; Omilian, Angela R; Costanzo, Katie S; Taylor, Derek J

2012-01-01

Daphnia pulex is quickly becoming an attractive model species in the field of ecological genomics due to the recent release of its complete genome sequence, a wide variety of new genomic resources, and a rich history of ecological data. Sequences of the mitochondrial NADH dehydrogenase subunit 5 and cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 genes were used to assess the global phylogeography of this species, and to further elucidate its phylogenetic relationship to other members of the Daphnia pulex species complex. Using both newly acquired and previously published data, we analyzed 398 individuals from collections spanning five continents. Eleven strongly supported lineages were found within the D. pulex complex, and one lineage in particular, panarctic D. pulex, has very little phylogeographical structure and a near worldwide distribution. Mismatch distribution, haplotype network, and population genetic analyses are compatible with a North American origin for this lineage and subsequent spatial expansion in the Late Pleistocene. In addition, our analyses suggest that dispersal between North and South America of this and other species in the D. pulex complex has occurred multiple times, and is predominantly from north to south. Our results provide additional support for the evolutionary relationships of the eleven main mitochondrial lineages of the D. pulex complex. We found that the well-studied panarctic D. pulex is present on every continent except Australia and Antarctica. Despite being geographically very widespread, there is a lack of strong regionalism in the mitochondrial genomes of panarctic D. pulex--a pattern that differs from that of most studied cladocerans. Moreover, our analyses suggest recent expansion of the panarctic D. pulex lineage, with some continents sharing haplotypes. The hypothesis that hybrid asexuality has contributed to the recent and unusual geographic success of the panarctic D. pulex lineage warrants further study.

Three in One—Multiple Faunal Elements within an Endangered European Butterfly Species

PubMed Central

Junker, Marius; Zimmermann, Marie; Ramos, Ana A.; Gros, Patrick; Konvička, Martin; Nève, Gabriel; Rákosy, László; Tammaru, Toomas

2015-01-01

Ice ages within Europe forced many species to retreat to refugia, of which three major biogeographic basic types can be distinguished: "Mediterranean", "Continental" and "Alpine / Arctic" species. However, this classification often fails to explain the complex phylogeography of European species with a wide range of latitudinal and altitudinal distribution. Hence, we tested for the possibility that all three mentioned faunal elements are represented within one species. Our data was obtained by scoring 1,307 Euphydryas aurinia individuals (46 European locations) for 17 allozyme loci, and sequencing a subset of 492 individuals (21 sites) for a 626 base pairs COI fragment. Genetic diversity indices, F statistics, hierarchical analyses of molecular variance, individual-based clustering, and networks were used to explore the phylogeographic patterns. The COI fragment represented 18 haplotypes showing a strong geographic structure. All but one allozyme loci analysed were polymorphic with a mean F ST of 0.20, supporting a pronounced among population structure. Interpretation of both genetic marker systems, using several analytical tools, calls for the recognition of twelve genetic groups. These analyses consistently distinguished different groups in Iberia (2), Italy, Provence, Alps (3), Slovenia, Carpathian Basin, the lowlands of West and Central Europe as well as Estonia, often with considerable additional substructures. The genetic data strongly support the hypothesis that E. aurinia survived the last glaciation in Mediterranean, extra-Mediterranean and perialpine refugia. It is thus a rare example of a model organism that combines attributes of faunal elements from all three of these sources. The observed differences between allozymes and mtDNA most likely result from recent introgression of mtDNA into nuclear allozyme groups. Our results indicate discrepancies with the morphologically-based subspecies models, underlining the need to revise the current taxonomy. PMID:26566029

A community practitioner abroad: listening to women in Dailekh, Nepal.

PubMed

Nixon, Catherine

2015-07-01

Nepal is one of the poorest countries in the world, and has a strongly patriarchal culture. This study reports on methods used to explore women's opportunities in decision-making roles in Dailekh, Nepal. Action-based research was used to support women to identify barriers and to enable them to find solutions which could increase meaningful, practical and genuine representation. Participants were women in nominal positions of leadership in the community and subsequently also men in leadership roles. Focus groups and interviews enabled data to be collected and analysed using participatory and 'rich picture' tools. A five-stage framework approach was used to analyse data. A major theme of 'power' emerged comprised of supporting themes; 'place in society 'formal power,' informal power and 'voice'. These outcomes formed the basis for identifying viable action plans generated by the participants of both genders to promote meaningful involvement of women in community decision making. Women were clear that involving men and women in the actions was key to increasing success.

New phylogenomic and comparative analyses provide corroborating evidence that Myxozoa is Cnidaria.

PubMed

Feng, Jin-Mei; Xiong, Jie; Zhang, Jin-Yong; Yang, Ya-Lin; Yao, Bin; Zhou, Zhi-Gang; Miao, Wei

2014-12-01

Myxozoa, a diverse group of morphologically simplified endoparasites, are well known fish parasites causing substantial economic losses in aquaculture. Despite active research, the phylogenetic position of Myxozoa remains ambiguous. After obtaining the genome and transcriptome data of the myxozoan Thelohanellus kitauei, we examined the phylogenetic position of Myxozoa from three different perspectives. First, phylogenomic analyses with the newly sequenced genomic data strongly supported the monophyly of Myxozoa and that Myxozoa is sister to Medusozoa within Cnidaria. Second, we detected two homologs to cnidarian-specific minicollagens in the T. kitauei genome with molecular characteristics similar to cnidarian-specific minicollagens, suggesting that the minicollagen homologs in T. kitauei may have functions similar to those in Cnidaria and that Myxozoa is Cnidaria. Additionally, phylogenetic analyses revealed that the minicollagens in myxozoans and medusozoans have a common ancestor. Third, we detected 11 of the 19 proto-mesodermalgenes in the T. kitauei genome, which were also present in the cnidarian Hydra magnipapillata, indicating Myxozoa is within Cnidaria. Thus, our results robustly support Myxozoa as a derived cnidarian taxon with an affinity to Medusozoa, helping to understand the diversity of the morphology, development and life cycle of Cnidaria and its evolution. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A revised phylogeny of Antilopini (Bovidae, Artiodactyla) using combined mitochondrial and nuclear genes.

PubMed

Bärmann, Eva Verena; Rössner, Gertrud Elisabeth; Wörheide, Gert

2013-05-01

Antilopini (gazelles and their allies) are one of the most diverse but phylogenetically controversial groups of bovids. Here we provide a molecular phylogeny of this poorly understood taxon using combined analyses of mitochondrial (CYTB, COIII, 12S, 16S) and nuclear (KCAS, SPTBN1, PRKCI, MC1R, THYR) genes. We explore the influence of data partitioning and different analytical methods, including Bayesian inference, maximum likelihood and maximum parsimony, on the inferred relationships within Antilopini. We achieve increased resolution and support compared to previous analyses especially in the two most problematic parts of their tree. First, taxa commonly referred to as "gazelles" are recovered as paraphyletic, as the genus Gazella appears more closely related to the Indian blackbuck (Antilope cervicapra) than to the other two gazelle genera (Nanger and Eudorcas). Second, we recovered a strongly supported sister relationship between one of the dwarf antelopes (Ourebia) and the Antilopini subgroup Antilopina (Saiga, Gerenuk, Springbok, Blackbuck and gazelles). The assessment of the influence of taxon sampling, outgroup rooting, and data partitioning in Bayesian analyses helps explain the contradictory results of previous studies. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The relationships within the Chaitophorinae and Drepanosiphinae (Hemiptera, Aphididae) inferred from molecular-based phylogeny and comprehensive morphological data

PubMed Central

Wieczorek, Karina; Lachowska-Cierlik, Dorota; Kajtoch, Łukasz; Kanturski, Mariusz

2017-01-01

The Chaitophorinae is a bionomically diverse Holarctic subfamily of Aphididae. The current classification includes two tribes: the Chaitophorini associated with deciduous trees and shrubs, and Siphini that feed on monocotyledonous plants. We present the first phylogenetic hypothesis for the subfamily, based on molecular and morphological datasets. Molecular analyses were based on the mitochondrial gene cytochrome oxidase subunit I (COI) and the nuclear gene elongation factor-1α (EF-1α). Phylogenetic inferences were obtained individually on each of genes and joined alignments using Bayesian inference (BI) and Maximum likelihood (ML). In phylogenetic trees reconstructed on the basis of nuclear and mitochondrial genes as well as a morphological dataset, the monophyly of Siphini and the genus Chaitophorus was supported. Periphyllus forms independent lineages from Chaitophorus and Siphini. Within this genus two clades comprising European and Asiatic species, respectively, were indicated. Concerning relationships within the subfamily, EF-1α and joined COI and EF-1α genes analysis strongly supports the hypothesis that Chaitophorini do not form a monophyletic clade. Periphyllus is a sister group to a clade containing Chaitophorus and Siphini. The Asiatic unit of Periphyllus also includes Trichaitophorus koyaensis. The analysis of morphological dataset under equally weighted parsimony also supports the view that Chaitophorini is an artificial taxon, as Lambersaphis pruinosae and Pseudopterocomma hughi, both traditionally included in the Chaitophorini, formed independent lineages. COI analyses support consistent groups within the subfamily, but relationships between groups are poorly resolved. These analyses were extended to include the species of closely related and phylogenetically unstudied subfamily Drepanosiphinae, which produced congruent results. Genera Drepanosiphum and Depanaphis are monophyletic and sister. The position of Yamatocallis tokyoensis differs in the molecular and morphological analyses, i.e. it is either an independent lineage (EF-1α, COI, joined COI and EF-1α genes) or is nested inside this unit (morphology). Our data also support separation of Chaitophorinae from Drepanosiphinae. PMID:28288166

The aftermath of an industrial disaster.

PubMed

Elklit, A

1997-01-01

An explosion in a Danish supertanker under construction in 1994 caused the death of six workers and injured 15. Six months later 270 workers took part in this study, which analyses the relationships between objective stressors, the workers' own feelings and the reactions of their families after the explosion together with training, attitude to the workplace, general out-look, and received crisis help. Traumatisation, coping style and crisis support was assessed via the Impact of Event Scale (IES), the Coping Styles Questionnaire (CSQ) and the Crisis Support Scale (CSS). Emotionally, workers and their families were strongly affected by the explosion. The IES-score was 17.6 and the invasion score 9.1. The degree of traumatisation was higher in the group who had an 'audience position' than in the group who was directly hit by the explosion. Training in rescue work did not protect against adverse effects. Rescue work had a strong impact on the involved. Social support was a significant factor, that seems to buffer negative effects. High level of social integration, effective leadership in the situation, and professional crisis intervention characterised the disaster situation. All the same, 41 per cent of the workers reached the caseness criteria by Horowitz (IES > or = 19).

Analyses of potential factors affecting survival of juvenile salmonids volitionally passing through turbines at McNary and John Day Dams, Columbia River

USGS Publications Warehouse

Beeman, John; Hansel, Hal; Perry, Russell; Hockersmith, Eric; Sandford, Ben

2011-01-01

This report describes analyses of data from radio- or acoustic-tagged juvenile salmonids passing through hydro-dam turbines to determine factors affecting fish survival. The data were collected during a series of studies designed to estimate passage and survival probabilities at McNary (2002-09) and John Day (2002-03) Dams on the Columbia River during controlled experiments of structures or operations at spillways. Relatively few tagged fish passed turbines in any single study, but sample sizes generally were adequate for our analyses when data were combined from studies using common methods over a series of years. We used information-theoretic methods to evaluate biological, operational, and group covariates by creating models fitting linear (all covariates) or curvilinear (operational covariates only) functions to the data. Biological covariates included tag burden, weight, and water temperature; operational covariates included spill percentage, total discharge, hydraulic head, and turbine unit discharge; and group covariates included year, treatment, and photoperiod. Several interactions between the variables also were considered. Support of covariates by the data was assessed by comparing the Akaike Information Criterion of competing models. The analyses were conducted because there was a lack of information about factors affecting survival of fish passing turbines volitionally and the data were available from past studies. The depth of acclimation, tag size relative to fish size (tag burden), turbine unit discharge, and area of entry into the turbine intake have been shown to affect turbine passage survival of juvenile salmonids in other studies. This study indicates that turbine passage survival of the study fish was primarily affected by biological covariates rather than operational covariates. A negative effect of tag burden was strongly supported in data from yearling Chinook salmon at John Day and McNary dams, but not for subyearling Chinook salmon or juvenile steelhead. The negative effect of tag burden in data we examined from yearling Chinook salmon supports the recent findings from laboratory studies of barotrauma effects. A curvilinear (quadratic) effect of turbine unit discharge was weakly supported in data from subyearling Chinook salmon at John Day Dam. The maximum survival from those data was estimated to occur at a discharge of 15.9 thousand cubic feet per second, but the estimate was imprecise (95 percent confidence interval of -1.7-33.7 thousand cubic feet per second). This estimate is within the range of 1 percent of peak turbine operating efficiency (12.0-21.6 thousand cubic feet per second), but is lower than the 17.2 thousand cubic feet per second discharge at peak operating efficiency (at a head of 102 feet near the median in the data we examined). Effects of water temperature were supported in four of the five examined data sets and were strongly supported in all but one. Spill percentage, head, and total discharge received weak or moderate support in some cases. The results are consistent with those of several controlled field experiments of turbine discharge. Studies based on the Hi-Z Turb'N tag (balloon tag) often show small, generally statistically insignificant, differences in survival at different turbine discharge levels. Some studies also show that a quadratic equation can be well fit to the relation of survival and turbine unit discharge. The lack of support for the operational covariates in most of the data sets we examined may be due to the small effect turbine discharge has even in controlled studies, the observational nature of the data we used, and the evaluation method. We assessed support of the data for models of linear and quadratic effects, whereas controlled experiments often statistically compare the point estimates of survival from each operational treatment studied. The results of our analyses suggest tag burden should be minimized or controlled for in analyses of future stu

Leading virtual teams: hierarchical leadership, structural supports, and shared team leadership.

PubMed

Hoch, Julia E; Kozlowski, Steve W J

2014-05-01

Using a field sample of 101 virtual teams, this research empirically evaluates the impact of traditional hierarchical leadership, structural supports, and shared team leadership on team performance. Building on Bell and Kozlowski's (2002) work, we expected structural supports and shared team leadership to be more, and hierarchical leadership to be less, strongly related to team performance when teams were more virtual in nature. As predicted, results from moderation analyses indicated that the extent to which teams were more virtual attenuated relations between hierarchical leadership and team performance but strengthened relations for structural supports and team performance. However, shared team leadership was significantly related to team performance regardless of the degree of virtuality. Results are discussed in terms of needed research extensions for understanding leadership processes in virtual teams and practical implications for leading virtual teams. (c) 2014 APA, all rights reserved.

Assessing the validity of measures of an instrument designed to measure employees' perceptions of workplace breastfeeding support.

PubMed

Greene, Sally W; Wolfe, Edward W; Olson, Beth H

2008-09-01

Breastfeeding rates among working mothers are lower than among mothers who are not employed. An ecological framework suggests that health behaviors, such as breastfeeding, are influenced by intrapersonal and environmental factors. There is no existing instrument to measure women's perception of the workplace environment in providing breastfeeding support. The objective of this study was to pilot an instrument measuring perceptions of the work climate for breastfeeding support among working women. Data were collected from self-administered mailed questionnaires filled out by 104 pregnant women or women who had recently given birth and were employed and breastfeeding. Dimensionally analyses supported the two-dimensional model suggested by the literature. Internal consistency reliability coefficients were high (near 0.90), and the correlation between the subscales was moderately strong (0.68). Only a single item exhibited misfit to the scaling model, and that item was revised after review.

Clear Self, Better Relationships: Adolescents' Self-Concept Clarity and Relationship Quality With Parents and Peers Across 5 Years.

PubMed

Becht, Andrik I; Nelemans, Stefanie A; van Dijk, Marloes P A; Branje, Susan J T; Van Lier, Pol A C; Denissen, Jaap J A; Meeus, Wim H J

2017-11-01

This study examined reciprocal associations between adolescents' self-concept clarity (SCC) and their relationship quality with parents and best friends in a five-wave longitudinal study from age 13 to 18 years. In all, 497 adolescents (57% boys) reported on their SCC and all informants (i.e., adolescents, both parents, and adolescents' best friends) reported on support and negative interaction. Within-person cross-lagged analyses provided systematic evidence for both parent effects and child effects, with the direction of effects being strongly dependent on the relational context. For example, higher maternal support predicted higher adolescent SCC, supporting a parent effects perspective, whereas higher SCC predicted lower paternal negative interaction, supporting a child effects perspective. Peer effects on adolescent SCC were not consistently found across adolescent and best friend reports. © 2017 The Authors. Child Development © 2017 Society for Research in Child Development, Inc.

Disentangling weak and strong interactions in B→ K^{*}(→ Kπ )π Dalitz-plot analyses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Charles, Jérôme; Descotes-Genon, Sébastien; Ocariz, José; Pérez Pérez, Alejandro

2017-08-01

Dalitz-plot analyses of B→ Kπ π decays provide direct access to decay amplitudes, and thereby weak and strong phases can be disentangled by resolving the interference patterns in phase space between intermediate resonant states. A phenomenological isospin analysis of B→ K^*(→ Kπ )π decay amplitudes is presented exploiting available amplitude analyses performed at the BaBar, Belle and LHCb experiments. A first application consists in constraining the CKM parameters thanks to an external hadronic input. A method, proposed some time ago by two different groups and relying on a bound on the electroweak penguin contribution, is shown to lack the desired robustness and accuracy, and we propose a more alluring alternative using a bound on the annihilation contribution. A second application consists in extracting information on hadronic amplitudes assuming the values of the CKM parameters from a global fit to quark flavour data. The current data yields several solutions, which do not fully support the hierarchy of hadronic amplitudes usually expected from theoretical arguments (colour suppression, suppression of electroweak penguins), as illustrated from computations within QCD factorisation. Some prospects concerning the impact of future measurements at LHCb and Belle II are also presented. Results are obtained with the CKMfitter analysis package, featuring the frequentist statistical approach and using the Rfit scheme to handle theoretical uncertainties.

Molecular phylogeny of porcelain crabs (Porcellanidae: Petrolisthes and allies) from the south eastern Pacific: the genera Allopetrolisthes and Liopetrolisthes are not natural entities

PubMed Central

2016-01-01

Porcelain crabs from the closely related genera Petrolisthes, Liopetrolisthes, and Allopetrolisthes are known for their diversity of lifestyles, habitats, and coloration. The evolutionary relationships among the species belonging to these three genera is not fully resolved. A molecular phylogeny of the group may help to resolve the long-standing taxonomic question about the validity of the genera Allopetrolisthes and Liopetrolisthes. Using both ‘total evidence’ and single-marker analyses based on a 362-bp alignment of the 16S rRNA mitochondrial DNA and a 328-bp alignment of the Histone 3 nuclear DNA, the phylogenetic relationships among 11 species from Petrolisthes (6 species), Liopetrolisthes (2 species), and Allopetrolisthes (3 species), all native to the south eastern Pacific, were examined. The analyses supported three pairs of sister species: L. mitra + L. patagonicus, P. tuberculatus + P. tuberculosus, and A. angulosus + A. punctatus. No complete segregation of species, according to genera, was evident from tree topologies. Bayesian-factor analyses revealed strong support for the unconstrained tree instead of an alternative tree in which monophyly of the three genera was forced. Thus, the present molecular phylogeny does not support the separation of the species within this complex into the genera Petrolisthes, Liopetrolisthes, and Allopetrolisthes. Taking into account the above and other recent molecular phylogenetic analyses focused on other representatives from the family Porcellanidae, it is tentatively proposed to eliminate the genera Liopetrolisthes and Allopetrolisthes, and to transfer their members to the genus Petrolisthes. PMID:26989636

A qualitative analyses of male couples’ coping with HIV: Disentangling the “we”

PubMed Central

Gamarel, Kristi E.; Comfort, Megan; Wood, Troy; Neilands, Torsten B.; Johnson, Mallory O.

2016-01-01

Research suggests that optimal couple functioning depends on adopting a “we” orientation to health. Using qualitative data from 20 male couples in which at least one partner was HIV-positive, we examined how couples viewed their health involvement, and its relation to social support. One group described their health as highly interconnected; in a second group, at least one partner viewed health as a personal responsibility. Results revealed that there was not a uniform “we” approach towards health; rather, sero-concordance, sero-discordance, and coping with other chronic illnesses strongly contributed to orientations towards health. Orientations toward health were not found to determine social support. PMID:25721454

Clinical teaching and support for learners in the practice environment.

PubMed

McBrien, Barry

The purpose of planned clinical experience for students of nursing is primarily to provide students with the opportunity to develop their clinical skills, integrate theory and practice, and assist with their socialization into nursing. Nursing, in the main, is a practice-based profession. To this extent, it is essential that nurse education continues to have a strong practical element despite its full integration into higher education institutions (Department of Health, 1999). However, providing adequate support and supervision for learners is challenging. Undoubtedly, exacerbated by increasing numbers of learners, staff shortages and mentors training deficits. This article aims to critically analyse several strategies, which can be used to promote clinical learning.

BEASTling: A software tool for linguistic phylogenetics using BEAST 2

PubMed Central

Forkel, Robert; Kaiping, Gereon A.; Atkinson, Quentin D.

2017-01-01

We present a new open source software tool called BEASTling, designed to simplify the preparation of Bayesian phylogenetic analyses of linguistic data using the BEAST 2 platform. BEASTling transforms comparatively short and human-readable configuration files into the XML files used by BEAST to specify analyses. By taking advantage of Creative Commons-licensed data from the Glottolog language catalog, BEASTling allows the user to conveniently filter datasets using names for recognised language families, to impose monophyly constraints so that inferred language trees are backward compatible with Glottolog classifications, or to assign geographic location data to languages for phylogeographic analyses. Support for the emerging cross-linguistic linked data format (CLDF) permits easy incorporation of data published in cross-linguistic linked databases into analyses. BEASTling is intended to make the power of Bayesian analysis more accessible to historical linguists without strong programming backgrounds, in the hopes of encouraging communication and collaboration between those developing computational models of language evolution (who are typically not linguists) and relevant domain experts. PMID:28796784

BEASTling: A software tool for linguistic phylogenetics using BEAST 2.

PubMed

Maurits, Luke; Forkel, Robert; Kaiping, Gereon A; Atkinson, Quentin D

2017-01-01

We present a new open source software tool called BEASTling, designed to simplify the preparation of Bayesian phylogenetic analyses of linguistic data using the BEAST 2 platform. BEASTling transforms comparatively short and human-readable configuration files into the XML files used by BEAST to specify analyses. By taking advantage of Creative Commons-licensed data from the Glottolog language catalog, BEASTling allows the user to conveniently filter datasets using names for recognised language families, to impose monophyly constraints so that inferred language trees are backward compatible with Glottolog classifications, or to assign geographic location data to languages for phylogeographic analyses. Support for the emerging cross-linguistic linked data format (CLDF) permits easy incorporation of data published in cross-linguistic linked databases into analyses. BEASTling is intended to make the power of Bayesian analysis more accessible to historical linguists without strong programming backgrounds, in the hopes of encouraging communication and collaboration between those developing computational models of language evolution (who are typically not linguists) and relevant domain experts.

A Bayesian Network Meta-Analysis to Synthesize the Influence of Contexts of Scaffolding Use on Cognitive Outcomes in STEM Education.

PubMed

Belland, Brian R; Walker, Andrew E; Kim, Nam Ju

2017-12-01

Computer-based scaffolding provides temporary support that enables students to participate in and become more proficient at complex skills like problem solving, argumentation, and evaluation. While meta-analyses have addressed between-subject differences on cognitive outcomes resulting from scaffolding, none has addressed within-subject gains. This leaves much quantitative scaffolding literature not covered by existing meta-analyses. To address this gap, this study used Bayesian network meta-analysis to synthesize within-subjects (pre-post) differences resulting from scaffolding in 56 studies. We generated the posterior distribution using 20,000 Markov Chain Monte Carlo samples. Scaffolding has a consistently strong effect across student populations, STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) disciplines, and assessment levels, and a strong effect when used with most problem-centered instructional models (exception: inquiry-based learning and modeling visualization) and educational levels (exception: secondary education). Results also indicate some promising areas for future scaffolding research, including scaffolding among students with learning disabilities, for whom the effect size was particularly large (ḡ = 3.13).

A Bayesian Network Meta-Analysis to Synthesize the Influence of Contexts of Scaffolding Use on Cognitive Outcomes in STEM Education

PubMed Central

Belland, Brian R.; Walker, Andrew E.; Kim, Nam Ju

2017-01-01

Computer-based scaffolding provides temporary support that enables students to participate in and become more proficient at complex skills like problem solving, argumentation, and evaluation. While meta-analyses have addressed between-subject differences on cognitive outcomes resulting from scaffolding, none has addressed within-subject gains. This leaves much quantitative scaffolding literature not covered by existing meta-analyses. To address this gap, this study used Bayesian network meta-analysis to synthesize within-subjects (pre–post) differences resulting from scaffolding in 56 studies. We generated the posterior distribution using 20,000 Markov Chain Monte Carlo samples. Scaffolding has a consistently strong effect across student populations, STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) disciplines, and assessment levels, and a strong effect when used with most problem-centered instructional models (exception: inquiry-based learning and modeling visualization) and educational levels (exception: secondary education). Results also indicate some promising areas for future scaffolding research, including scaffolding among students with learning disabilities, for whom the effect size was particularly large (ḡ = 3.13). PMID:29200508

Development and psychometric properties of the Student Worry Questionnaire-30.

PubMed

Osman, A; Gutierrez, P M; Downs, W R; Kopper, B A; Barrios, F X; Haraburda, C M

2001-02-01

Described are the development and initial psychometric properties (Ns = 50 and 188) of a self-report measure, the Student Worry Questionnaire-30, for use with college undergraduates. Exploratory principal components analyses (Ns = 388, 350, and 396) with oblimin rotation indicated six domains of worrisome thinking, financial-related concerns, significant others' well-being, social adequacy concerns, academic concerns, and general anxiety symptoms. The total score and scale scores showed internal consistency of .80 to .94. Also, test-retest reliability analyses (.75 to .80) support consistency of responses over 4 wk. Strong evidence for convergent validity) was indicated. Confirmatory factor analysis confirmed the fit of the 6-factor oblique model. Limitations of the present studies, and directions for research are discussed.

Phylogeography of speciation: allopatric divergence and secondary contact between outcrossing and selfing Clarkia.

PubMed

Pettengill, James B; Moeller, David A

2012-09-01

The origins of hybrid zones between parapatric taxa have been of particular interest for understanding the evolution of reproductive isolation and the geographic context of species divergence. One challenge has been to distinguish between allopatric divergence (followed by secondary contact) versus primary intergradation (parapatric speciation) as alternative divergence histories. Here, we use complementary phylogeographic and population genetic analyses to investigate the recent divergence of two subspecies of Clarkia xantiana and the formation of a hybrid zone within the narrow region of sympatry. We tested alternative phylogeographic models of divergence using approximate Bayesian computation (ABC) and found strong support for a secondary contact model and little support for a model allowing for gene flow throughout the divergence process (i.e. primary intergradation). Two independent methods for inferring the ancestral geography of each subspecies, one based on probabilistic character state reconstructions and the other on palaeo-distribution modelling, also support a model of divergence in allopatry and range expansion leading to secondary contact. The membership of individuals to genetic clusters suggests geographic substructure within each taxon where allopatric and sympatric samples are primarily found in separate clusters. We also observed coincidence and concordance of genetic clines across three types of molecular markers, which suggests that there is a strong barrier to gene flow. Taken together, our results provide evidence for allopatric divergence followed by range expansion leading to secondary contact. The location of refugial populations and the directionality of range expansion are consistent with expectations based on climate change since the last glacial maximum. Our approach also illustrates the utility of combining phylogeographic hypothesis testing with species distribution modelling and fine-scale population genetic analyses for inferring the geography of the divergence process. © 2012 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Medical students' attitudes towards science and gross anatomy, and the relationship to personality

PubMed Central

Plaisant, Odile; Stephens, Shiby; Apaydin, Nihal; Courtois, Robert; Lignier, Baptiste; Loukas, Marios; Moxham, Bernard

2014-01-01

Assessment of the personalities of medical students can enable medical educators to formulate strategies for the best development of academic and clinical competencies. Previous research has shown that medical students do not share a common personality profile, there being gender differences. We have also shown that, for French medical students, students with personality traits associated with strong competitiveness are selected for admission to medical school. In this study, we further show that the medical students have different personality profiles compared with other student groups (psychology and business studies). The main purpose of the present investigation was to assess attitudes to science and gross anatomy, and to relate these to the students' personalities. Questionnaires (including Thurstone and Chave analyses) were employed to measure attitudes, and personality was assessed using the Big Five Inventory (BFI). Data for attitudes were obtained for students at medical schools in Cardiff (UK), Paris, Descartes/Sorbonne (France), St George's University (Grenada) and Ankara (Turkey). Data obtained from personality tests were available for analysis from the Parisian cohort of students. Although the medical students were found to have strongly supportive views concerning the importance of science in medicine, their knowledge of the scientific method/philosophy of science was poor. Following analyses of the BFI in the French students, ‘openness’ and ‘conscientiousness’ were linked statistically with a positive attitude towards science. For anatomy, again strongly supportive views concerning the subject's importance in medicine were discerned. Analyses of the BFI in the French students did not show links statistically between personality profiles and attitudes towards gross anatomy, except male students with ‘negative affectivity’ showed less appreciation of the importance of anatomy. This contrasts with our earlier studies that showed that there is a relationship between the BF dimensions of personality traits and anxiety towards the dissection room experience (at the start of the course, ‘negative emotionality’ was related to an increased level of anxiety). We conclude that medical students agree on the importance to their studies of both science in general and gross anatomy in particular, and that some personality traits relate to their attitudes that could affect clinical competence. PMID:23594196

Medical students' attitudes towards science and gross anatomy, and the relationship to personality.

PubMed

Plaisant, Odile; Stephens, Shiby; Apaydin, Nihal; Courtois, Robert; Lignier, Baptiste; Loukas, Marios; Moxham, Bernard

2014-03-01

Assessment of the personalities of medical students can enable medical educators to formulate strategies for the best development of academic and clinical competencies. Previous research has shown that medical students do not share a common personality profile, there being gender differences. We have also shown that, for French medical students, students with personality traits associated with strong competitiveness are selected for admission to medical school. In this study, we further show that the medical students have different personality profiles compared with other student groups (psychology and business studies). The main purpose of the present investigation was to assess attitudes to science and gross anatomy, and to relate these to the students' personalities. Questionnaires (including Thurstone and Chave analyses) were employed to measure attitudes, and personality was assessed using the Big Five Inventory (BFI). Data for attitudes were obtained for students at medical schools in Cardiff (UK), Paris, Descartes/Sorbonne (France), St George's University (Grenada) and Ankara (Turkey). Data obtained from personality tests were available for analysis from the Parisian cohort of students. Although the medical students were found to have strongly supportive views concerning the importance of science in medicine, their knowledge of the scientific method/philosophy of science was poor. Following analyses of the BFI in the French students, 'openness' and 'conscientiousness' were linked statistically with a positive attitude towards science. For anatomy, again strongly supportive views concerning the subject's importance in medicine were discerned. Analyses of the BFI in the French students did not show links statistically between personality profiles and attitudes towards gross anatomy, except male students with 'negative affectivity' showed less appreciation of the importance of anatomy. This contrasts with our earlier studies that showed that there is a relationship between the BF dimensions of personality traits and anxiety towards the dissection room experience (at the start of the course, 'negative emotionality' was related to an increased level of anxiety). We conclude that medical students agree on the importance to their studies of both science in general and gross anatomy in particular, and that some personality traits relate to their attitudes that could affect clinical competence. © 2013 Anatomical Society.

A work-centered cognitively based architecture for decision support: the work-centered infomediary layer (WIL) model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zachary, Wayne; Eggleston, Robert; Donmoyer, Jason; Schremmer, Serge

2003-09-01

Decision-making is strongly shaped and influenced by the work context in which decisions are embedded. This suggests that decision support needs to be anchored by a model (implicit or explicit) of the work process, in contrast to traditional approaches that anchor decision support to either context free decision models (e.g., utility theory) or to detailed models of the external (e.g., battlespace) environment. An architecture for cognitively-based, work centered decision support called the Work-centered Informediary Layer (WIL) is presented. WIL separates decision support into three overall processes that build and dynamically maintain an explicit context model, use the context model to identify opportunities for decision support and tailor generic decision-support strategies to the current context and offer them to the system-user/decision-maker. The generic decision support strategies include such things as activity/attention aiding, decision process structuring, work performance support (selective, contextual automation), explanation/ elaboration, infosphere data retrieval, and what if/action-projection and visualization. A WIL-based application is a work-centered decision support layer that provides active support without intent inferencing, and that is cognitively based without requiring classical cognitive task analyses. Example WIL applications are detailed and discussed.

A systematic review of workplace ergonomic interventions with economic analyses.

PubMed

Tompa, Emile; Dolinschi, Roman; de Oliveira, Claire; Amick, Benjamin C; Irvin, Emma

2010-06-01

This article reports on a systematic review of workplace ergonomic interventions with economic evaluations. The review sought to answer the question: "what is the credible evidence that incremental investment in ergonomic interventions is worth undertaking?" Past efforts to synthesize evidence from this literature have focused on effectiveness, whereas this study synthesizes evidence on the cost-effectiveness/financial merits of such interventions. Through a structured journal database search, 35 intervention studies were identified in nine industrial sectors. A qualitative synthesis approach, known as best evidence synthesis, was used rather than a quantitative approach because of the diversity of study designs and statistical analyses found across studies. Evidence on the financial merits of interventions was synthesized by industrial sector. In the manufacturing and warehousing sector strong evidence was found in support of the financial merits of ergonomic interventions from a firm perspective. In the administrative support and health care sectors moderate evidence was found, in the transportation sector limited evidence, and in remaining sectors insufficient evidence. Most intervention studies focus on effectiveness. Few consider their financial merits. Amongst the few that do, several had exemplary economic analyses, although more than half of the studies had low quality economic analyses. This may be due to the low priority given to economic analysis in this literature. Often only a small part of the overall evaluation of many studies focused on evaluating their cost-effectiveness.

Phylogenetic relationships of Cranichidinae and Prescottiinae (Orchidaceae, Cranichideae) inferred from plastid and nuclear DNA sequences

PubMed Central

Salazar, Gerardo A.; Cabrera, Lidia I.; Madriñán, Santiago; Chase, Mark W.

2009-01-01

Background and Aims Phylogenetic relationships of subtribes Cranichidinae and Prescottiinae, two diverse groups of neotropical terrestrial orchids, are not satisfactorily understood. A previous molecular phylogenetic study supported monophyly for Cranichidinae, but Prescottiinae consisted of two clades not sister to one another. However, that analysis included only 11 species and eight genera of these subtribes. Here, plastid and nuclear DNA sequences are analysed for an enlarged sample of genera and species of Cranichidinae and Prescottiinae with the aim of clarifying their relationships, evaluating the phylogenetic position of the monospecific genera Exalaria, Ocampoa and Pseudocranichis and examining the value of various structural traits as taxonomic markers. Methods Approx. 6000 bp of nucleotide sequences from nuclear ribosomal (ITS) and plastid DNA (rbcL, matK-trnK and trnL-trnF) were analysed with cladistic parsimony and Bayesian inference for 45 species/14 genera of Cranichidinae and Prescottiinae (plus suitable outgroups). The utility of flower orientation, thickenings of velamen cell walls, hamular viscidium and pseudolabellum to mark clades recovered by the molecular analysis was assessed by tracing these characters on the molecular trees. Key Results Spiranthinae, Cranichidinae, paraphyletic Prescottia (with Pseudocranichis embedded), and a group of mainly Andean ‘prescottioid’ genera (the ‘Stenoptera clade’) were strongly supported. Relationships among these clades were unresolved by parsimony but the Bayesian tree provided moderately strong support for the resolution (Spiranthinae–(Stenoptera clade-(Prescottia/Pseudocranichis–Cranichidinae))). Three of the four structural characters mark clades on the molecular trees, but the possession of a pseudolabellum is variable in the polyphyletic Ponthieva. Conclusions No evidence was found for monophyly of Prescottiinae and the reinstatement of Cranichidinae s.l. (including the genera of ‘Prescottiinae’) is favoured. Cranichidinae s.l. are diagnosed by non-resupinate flowers. Lack of support from parsimony for relationships among the major clades of core spiranthids is suggestive of a rapid morphological radiation or a slow rate of molecular evolution. PMID:19136493

A Linguistic Analysis of Suicide-Related Twitter Posts.

PubMed

O'Dea, Bridianne; Larsen, Mark E; Batterham, Philip J; Calear, Alison L; Christensen, Helen

2017-09-01

Suicide is a leading cause of death worldwide. Identifying those at risk and delivering timely interventions is challenging. Social media site Twitter is used to express suicidality. Automated linguistic analysis of suicide-related posts may help to differentiate those who require support or intervention from those who do not. This study aims to characterize the linguistic profiles of suicide-related Twitter posts. Using a dataset of suicide-related Twitter posts previously coded for suicide risk by experts, Linguistic Inquiry and Word Count (LIWC) and regression analyses were conducted to determine differences in linguistic profiles. When compared with matched non-suicide-related Twitter posts, strongly concerning suicide-related posts were characterized by a higher word count, increased use of first-person pronouns, and more references to death. When compared with safe-to-ignore suicide-related posts, strongly concerning suicide-related posts were characterized by increased use of first-person pronouns, greater anger, and increased focus on the present. Other differences were found. The predictive validity of the identified features needs further testing before these results can be used for interventional purposes. This study demonstrates that strongly concerning suicide-related Twitter posts have unique linguistic profiles. The examination of Twitter data for the presence of such features may help to validate online risk assessments and determine those in need of further support or intervention.

First instalment in resolution of the Banksia spinulosa complex (Proteaceae): B. neoanglica, a new species supported by phenetic analysis, ecology and geography

PubMed Central

Stimpson, Margaret L.; Weston, Peter H.; Telford, Ian R.H.; Bruhl, Jeremy J.

2012-01-01

Abstract Taxa in the Banksia spinulosa Sm. complex (Proteaceae) have populations with sympatric, parapatric and allopatric distributions and unclear or disputed boundaries. Our hypothesis is that under biological, phenetic and diagnosable species concepts that each of the currently named taxa within the Banksia spinulosa complex is a separate species. Based on specimens collected as part of this study, and data recorded from specimens in six Australian herbaria, complemented by phenetic analysis (semi–strong multidimensional scaling and UPGMA clustering) and a detailed morphological study, we investigated both morphological variation and geographic distribution in the Banksia spinulosa complex. All specimens used for this study are held at the N.C.W. Beadle Herbarium or the National Herbarium of New South Wales. In total 23 morphological characters (11 quantitative, five binary, and seven multistate characters) were analysed phenetically for 89 specimens. Ordination and cluster analysis resulted in individuals grouping strongly allowing recognition of distinct groups consistent with their recognition as separate species. Additional morphological analysis was completed on all specimens using leaf, floral, fruit and stem morphology, providing clear cut diagnosable groups and strong support for the recognition of Banksia spinulosa var. cunninghamii and Banksia spinulosa var. neoanglica as species. PMID:23170073

Molecular phylogenetics and diversification of trap-jaw ants in the genera Anochetus and Odontomachus (Hymenoptera: Formicidae).

PubMed

Larabee, Fredrick J; Fisher, Brian L; Schmidt, Chris A; Matos-Maraví, Pável; Janda, Milan; Suarez, Andrew V

2016-10-01

Ants in the genera Anochetus and Odontomachus belong to one of the largest clades in the subfamily Ponerinae, and are one of four lineages of ants possessing spring-loaded "trap-jaws." Here we present results from the first global species-level molecular phylogenetic analysis of these trap-jaw ants, reconstructed from one mitochondrial, one ribosomal RNA, and three nuclear protein-coding genes. Bayesian and likelihood analyses strongly support reciprocal monophyly for the genera Anochetus and Odontomachus. Additionally, we found strong support for seven trap-jaw ant clades (four in Anochetus and three in Odontomachus) mostly concordant with geographic distribution. Ambiguity remains concerning the closest living non-trap-jaw ant relative of the Anochetus+Odontomachus clade, but Bayes factor hypothesis testing strongly suggests that trap-jaw ants evolved from a short mandible ancestor. Ponerine trap-jaw ants originated in the early Eocene (52.5Mya) in either South America or Southeast Asia, where they have radiated rapidly in the last 30million years, and subsequently dispersed multiple times to Africa and Australia. These results will guide future taxonomic work on the group and act as a phylogenetic framework to study the macroevolution of extreme ant mouthpart specialization. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Evidence of new species for malaria vector Anopheles nuneztovari sensu lato in the Brazilian Amazon region.

PubMed

Scarpassa, Vera Margarete; Cunha-Machado, Antonio Saulo; Saraiva, José Ferreira

2016-04-12

Anopheles nuneztovari sensu lato comprises cryptic species in northern South America, and the Brazilian populations encompass distinct genetic lineages within the Brazilian Amazon region. This study investigated, based on two molecular markers, whether these lineages might actually deserve species status. Specimens were collected in five localities of the Brazilian Amazon, including Manaus, Careiro Castanho and Autazes, in the State of Amazonas; Tucuruí, in the State of Pará; and Abacate da Pedreira, in the State of Amapá, and analysed for the COI gene (Barcode region) and 12 microsatellite loci. Phylogenetic analyses were performed using the maximum likelihood (ML) approach. Intra and inter samples genetic diversity were estimated using population genetics analyses, and the genetic groups were identified by means of the ML, Bayesian and factorial correspondence analyses and the Bayesian analysis of population structure. The Barcode region dataset (N = 103) generated 27 haplotypes. The haplotype network suggested three lineages. The ML tree retrieved five monophyletic groups. Group I clustered all specimens from Manaus and Careiro Castanho, the majority of Autazes and a few from Abacate da Pedreira. Group II clustered most of the specimens from Abacate da Pedreira and a few from Autazes and Tucuruí. Group III clustered only specimens from Tucuruí (lineage III), strongly supported (97 %). Groups IV and V clustered specimens of A. nuneztovari s.s. and A. dunhami, strongly (98 %) and weakly (70 %) supported, respectively. In the second phylogenetic analysis, the sequences from GenBank, identified as A. goeldii, clustered to groups I and II, but not to group III. Genetic distances (Kimura-2 parameters) among the groups ranged from 1.60 % (between I and II) to 2.32 % (between I and III). Microsatellite data revealed very high intra-population genetic variability. Genetic distances showed the highest and significant values (P = 0.005) between Tucuruí and all the other samples, and between Abacate da Pedreira and all the other samples. Genetic distances, Bayesian (Structure and BAPS) analyses and FCA suggested three distinct biological groups, supporting the barcode region results. The two markers revealed three genetic lineages for A. nuneztovari s.l. in the Brazilian Amazon region. Lineages I and II may represent genetically distinct groups or species within A. goeldii. Lineage III may represent a new species, distinct from the A. goeldii group, and may be the most ancestral in the Brazilian Amazon. They may have differences in Plasmodium susceptibility and should therefore be investigated further.

Phylogenomics and Comparative Genomic Studies Robustly Support Division of the Genus Mycobacterium into an Emended Genus Mycobacterium and Four Novel Genera

PubMed Central

Gupta, Radhey S.; Lo, Brian; Son, Jeen

2018-01-01

The genus Mycobacterium contains 188 species including several major human pathogens as well as numerous other environmental species. We report here comprehensive phylogenomics and comparative genomic analyses on 150 genomes of Mycobacterium species to understand their interrelationships. Phylogenetic trees were constructed for the 150 species based on 1941 core proteins for the genus Mycobacterium, 136 core proteins for the phylum Actinobacteria and 8 other conserved proteins. Additionally, the overall genome similarity amongst the Mycobacterium species was determined based on average amino acid identity of the conserved protein families. The results from these analyses consistently support the existence of five distinct monophyletic groups within the genus Mycobacterium at the highest level, which are designated as the “Tuberculosis-Simiae,” “Terrae,” “Triviale,” “Fortuitum-Vaccae,” and “Abscessus-Chelonae” clades. Some of these clades have also been observed in earlier phylogenetic studies. Of these clades, the “Abscessus-Chelonae” clade forms the deepest branching lineage and does not form a monophyletic grouping with the “Fortuitum-Vaccae” clade of fast-growing species. In parallel, our comparative analyses of proteins from mycobacterial genomes have identified 172 molecular signatures in the form of conserved signature indels and conserved signature proteins, which are uniquely shared by either all Mycobacterium species or by members of the five identified clades. The identified molecular signatures (or synapomorphies) provide strong independent evidence for the monophyly of the genus Mycobacterium and the five described clades and they provide reliable means for the demarcation of these clades and for their diagnostics. Based on the results of our comprehensive phylogenomic analyses and numerous identified molecular signatures, which consistently and strongly support the division of known mycobacterial species into the five described clades, we propose here division of the genus Mycobacterium into an emended genus Mycobacterium encompassing the “Tuberculosis-Simiae” clade, which includes all of the major human pathogens, and four novel genera viz. Mycolicibacterium gen. nov., Mycolicibacter gen. nov., Mycolicibacillus gen. nov. and Mycobacteroides gen. nov. corresponding to the “Fortuitum-Vaccae,” “Terrae,” “Triviale,” and “Abscessus-Chelonae” clades, respectively. With the division of mycobacterial species into these five distinct groups, attention can now be focused on unique genetic and molecular characteristics that differentiate members of these groups. PMID:29497402

Public opinion on alcohol policies in the United States: results from a national survey.

PubMed

Wagenaar, A C; Harwood, E M; Toomey, T L; Denk, C E; Zander, K M

2000-01-01

We surveyed the U.S. non-institutionalized population age 18+ on opinions regarding 23 alcohol control policies (N = 7,021). The cooperation rate among contacted households was 70% and the overall response rate was 54%. Results showed high levels of public support for most alcohol control policies. Over 80% support restrictions on alcohol use in public places, such as parks, beaches, concert venues, and on college campuses. Eighty-two percent support increased alcohol taxes, provided the funds are used for treatment or prevention programs. Over 60% support alcohol advertising and promotion restrictions, such as banning billboard advertising, banning promotion at sporting events, or banning liquor and beer advertising on television. Multivariate regression analyses indicated significant relationships between alcohol policy opinions and a variety of sociodemographic, political orientation, and behavioral measures. However, the absolute differences in alcohol policy support across groups is small. There is a strong base of support for alcohol control policies in the U.S., and such support is found among whites and ethnics of color, young and old, rich and poor, and conservatives, moderates, and liberals.

Quality of life, coping strategies, social support and self-efficacy in women after acute myocardial infarction: a mixed methods approach.

PubMed

Fuochi, G; Foà, C

2018-03-01

Quality of life, coping strategies, social support and self-efficacy are important psychosocial variables strongly affecting the experience of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) in women. To gain a more in-depth understanding of how coping strategies, self-efficacy, quality of life and social support shape women's adjustment to AMI. Mixed methods study. Quantitative data were collected through a standardised questionnaire on coping strategies, self-efficacy, quality of life and social support. Qualitative data stemmed from 57 semistructured interviews conducted with post-AMI female patients on related topics. Quantitative data were analysed with unpaired two-sample t-tests on the means, comparing women who experienced AMI (N = 77) with a control group of women who did not have AMI (N = 173), and pairwise correlations on the AMI sample. Qualitative data were grouped into coding families and analysed through thematic content analysis. Qualitative and quantitative results were then integrated, for different age groups. Quantitative results indicated statistically significant differences between women who experienced AMI and the control group: the former showed lower self-perceived health, perceived social support and social support coping, but greater self-efficacy, use of acceptance, avoidance and religious coping. Pairwise correlations showed that avoidance coping strategy was negatively correlated with quality of life, while the opposite was true for problem-oriented coping, perceived social support and self-efficacy. Qualitative results extended and confirmed quantitative results, except for coping strategies: avoidance coping seemed more present than reported in the standardised measures. Mixed methods provide understanding of the importance of social support, self-efficacy and less avoidant coping strategies to women's adjustment to AMI. Women need support from health professionals with knowledge of these topics, to facilitate their adaptation to AMI. © 2017 Nordic College of Caring Science.

Sorting through the chaff, nDNA gene trees for phylogenetic inference and hybrid identification of annual sunflowers (Helianthus sect. Helianthus).

PubMed

Moody, Michael L; Rieseberg, Loren H

2012-07-01

The annual sunflowers (Helianthus sect. Helianthus) present a formidable challenge for phylogenetic inference because of ancient hybrid speciation, recent introgression, and suspected issues with deep coalescence. Here we analyze sequence data from 11 nuclear DNA (nDNA) genes for multiple genotypes of species within the section to (1) reconstruct the phylogeny of this group, (2) explore the utility of nDNA gene trees for detecting hybrid speciation and introgression; and (3) test an empirical method of hybrid identification based on the phylogenetic congruence of nDNA gene trees from tightly linked genes. We uncovered considerable topological heterogeneity among gene trees with or without three previously identified hybrid species included in the analyses, as well as a general lack of reciprocal monophyly of species. Nonetheless, partitioned Bayesian analyses provided strong support for the reciprocal monophyly of all species except H. annuus (0.89 PP), the most widespread and abundant annual sunflower. Previous hypotheses of relationships among taxa were generally strongly supported (1.0 PP), except among taxa typically associated with H. annuus, apparently due to the paraphyly of the latter in all gene trees. While the individual nDNA gene trees provided a useful means for detecting recent hybridization, identification of ancient hybridization was problematic for all ancient hybrid species, even when linkage was considered. We discuss biological factors that affect the efficacy of phylogenetic methods for hybrid identification.

Neural correlates and network connectivity underlying narrative production and comprehension: a combined fMRI and PET study.

PubMed

AbdulSabur, Nuria Y; Xu, Yisheng; Liu, Siyuan; Chow, Ho Ming; Baxter, Miranda; Carson, Jessica; Braun, Allen R

2014-08-01

The neural correlates of narrative production and comprehension remain poorly understood. Here, using positron emission tomography (PET), functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), contrast and functional network connectivity analyses we comprehensively characterize the neural mechanisms underlying these complex behaviors. Eighteen healthy subjects told and listened to fictional stories during scanning. In addition to traditional language areas (e.g., left inferior frontal and posterior middle temporal gyri), both narrative production and comprehension engaged regions associated with mentalizing and situation model construction (e.g., dorsomedial prefrontal cortex, precuneus and inferior parietal lobules) as well as neocortical premotor areas, such as the pre-supplementary motor area and left dorsal premotor cortex. Narrative comprehension alone showed marked bilaterality, activating right hemisphere homologs of perisylvian language areas. Narrative production remained predominantly left lateralized, uniquely activating executive and motor-related regions essential to language formulation and articulation. Connectivity analyses revealed strong associations between language areas and the superior and middle temporal gyri during both tasks. However, only during storytelling were these same language-related regions connected to cortical and subcortical motor regions. In contrast, during story comprehension alone, they were strongly linked to regions supporting mentalizing. Thus, when employed in a more complex, ecologically-valid context, language production and comprehension show both overlapping and idiosyncratic patterns of activation and functional connectivity. Importantly, in each case the language system is integrated with regions that support other cognitive and sensorimotor domains. Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Hydrological networks and associated topographic variation as templates for the spatial organization of tropical forest vegetation.

PubMed

Detto, Matteo; Muller-Landau, Helene C; Mascaro, Joseph; Asner, Gregory P

2013-01-01

An understanding of the spatial variability in tropical forest structure and biomass, and the mechanisms that underpin this variability, is critical for designing, interpreting, and upscaling field studies for regional carbon inventories. We investigated the spatial structure of tropical forest vegetation and its relationship to the hydrological network and associated topographic structure across spatial scales of 10-1000 m using high-resolution maps of LiDAR-derived mean canopy profile height (MCH) and elevation for 4930 ha of tropical forest in central Panama. MCH was strongly associated with the hydrological network: canopy height was highest in areas of positive convexity (valleys, depressions) close to channels draining 1 ha or more. Average MCH declined strongly with decreasing convexity (transition to ridges, hilltops) and increasing distance from the nearest channel. Spectral analysis, performed with wavelet decomposition, showed that the variance in MCH had fractal similarity at scales of ∼30-600 m, and was strongly associated with variation in elevation, with peak correlations at scales of ∼250 m. Whereas previous studies of topographic correlates of tropical forest structure conducted analyses at just one or a few spatial grains, our study found that correlations were strongly scale-dependent. Multi-scale analyses of correlations of MCH with slope, aspect, curvature, and Laplacian convexity found that MCH was most strongly related to convexity measured at scales of 20-300 m, a topographic variable that is a good proxy for position with respect to the hydrological network. Overall, our results support the idea that, even in these mesic forests, hydrological networks and associated topographical variation serve as templates upon which vegetation is organized over specific ranges of scales. These findings constitute an important step towards a mechanistic understanding of these patterns, and can guide upscaling and downscaling.

Anchored phylogenomics illuminates the skipper butterfly tree of life.

PubMed

Toussaint, Emmanuel F A; Breinholt, Jesse W; Earl, Chandra; Warren, Andrew D; Brower, Andrew V Z; Yago, Masaya; Dexter, Kelly M; Espeland, Marianne; Pierce, Naomi E; Lohman, David J; Kawahara, Akito Y

2018-06-19

Butterflies (Papilionoidea) are perhaps the most charismatic insect lineage, yet phylogenetic relationships among them remain incompletely studied and controversial. This is especially true for skippers (Hesperiidae), one of the most species-rich and poorly studied butterfly families. To infer a robust phylogenomic hypothesis for Hesperiidae, we sequenced nearly 400 loci using Anchored Hybrid Enrichment and sampled all tribes and more than 120 genera of skippers. Molecular datasets were analyzed using maximum-likelihood, parsimony and coalescent multi-species phylogenetic methods. All analyses converged on a novel, robust phylogenetic hypothesis for skippers. Different optimality criteria and methodologies recovered almost identical phylogenetic trees with strong nodal support at nearly all nodes and all taxonomic levels. Our results support Coeliadinae as the sister group to the remaining skippers, the monotypic Euschemoninae as the sister group to all other subfamilies but Coeliadinae, and the monophyly of Eudaminae plus Pyrginae. Within Pyrginae, Celaenorrhinini and Tagiadini are sister groups, the Neotropical firetips, Pyrrhopygini, are sister to all other tribes but Celaenorrhinini and Tagiadini. Achlyodini is recovered as the sister group to Carcharodini, and Erynnini as sister group to Pyrgini. Within the grass skippers (Hesperiinae), there is strong support for the monophyly of Aeromachini plus remaining Hesperiinae. The giant skippers (Agathymus and Megathymus) once classified as a subfamily, are recovered as monophyletic with strong support, but are deeply nested within Hesperiinae. Anchored Hybrid Enrichment sequencing resulted in a large amount of data that built the foundation for a new, robust evolutionary tree of skippers. The newly inferred phylogenetic tree resolves long-standing systematic issues and changes our understanding of the skipper tree of life. These resultsenhance understanding of the evolution of one of the most species-rich butterfly families.

A multigene phylogeny of Olpidium and its implications for early fungal evolution

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background From a common ancestor with animals, the earliest fungi inherited flagellated zoospores for dispersal in water. Terrestrial fungi lost all flagellated stages and reproduce instead with nonmotile spores. Olpidium virulentus (= Olpidium brassicae), a unicellular fungus parasitizing vascular plant root cells, seemed anomalous. Although Olpidium produces zoospores, in previous phylogenetic studies it appeared nested among the terrestrial fungi. Its position was based mainly on ribosomal gene sequences and was not strongly supported. Our goal in this study was to use amino acid sequences from four genes to reconstruct the branching order of the early-diverging fungi with particular emphasis on the position of Olpidium. Results We concatenated sequences from the Ef-2, RPB1, RPB2 and actin loci for maximum likelihood and Bayesian analyses. In the resulting trees, Olpidium virulentus, O. bornovanus and non-flagellated terrestrial fungi formed a strongly supported clade. Topology tests rejected monophyly of the Olpidium species with any other clades of flagellated fungi. Placing Olpidium at the base of terrestrial fungi was also rejected. Within the terrestrial fungi, Olpidium formed a monophyletic group with the taxa traditionally classified in the phylum Zygomycota. Within Zygomycota, Mucoromycotina was robustly monophyletic. Although without bootstrap support, Monoblepharidomycetes, a small class of zoosporic fungi, diverged from the basal node in Fungi. The zoosporic phylum Blastocladiomycota appeared as the sister group to the terrestrial fungi plus Olpidium. Conclusions This study provides strong support for Olpidium as the closest living flagellated relative of the terrestrial fungi. Appearing nested among hyphal fungi, Olpidium's unicellular thallus may have been derived from ancestral hyphae. Early in their evolution, terrestrial hyphal fungi may have reproduced with zoospores. PMID:22085768

Functional architecture and global properties of the Corynebacterium glutamicum regulatory network: Novel insights from a dataset with a high genomic coverage.

PubMed

Freyre-González, Julio A; Tauch, Andreas

2017-09-10

Corynebacterium glutamicum is a Gram-positive, anaerobic, rod-shaped soil bacterium able to grow on a diversity of carbon sources like sugars and organic acids. It is a biotechnological relevant organism because of its highly efficient ability to biosynthesize amino acids, such as l-glutamic acid and l-lysine. Here, we reconstructed the most complete C. glutamicum regulatory network to date and comprehensively analyzed its global organizational properties, systems-level features and functional architecture. Our analyses show the tremendous power of Abasy Atlas to study the functional organization of regulatory networks. We created two models of the C. glutamicum regulatory network: all-evidences (containing both weak and strong supported interactions, genomic coverage=73%) and strongly-supported (only accounting for strongly supported evidences, genomic coverage=71%). Using state-of-the-art methodologies, we prove that power-law behaviors truly govern the connectivity and clustering coefficient distributions. We found a non-previously reported circuit motif that we named complex feed-forward motif. We highlighted the importance of feedback loops for the functional architecture, beyond whether they are statistically over-represented or not in the network. We show that the previously reported top-down approach is inadequate to infer the hierarchy governing a regulatory network because feedback bridges different hierarchical layers, and the top-down approach disregards the presence of intermodular genes shaping the integration layer. Our findings all together further support a diamond-shaped, three-layered hierarchy exhibiting some feedback between processing and coordination layers, which is shaped by four classes of systems-level elements: global regulators, locally autonomous modules, basal machinery and intermodular genes. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Understanding of and attitudes to genetic testing for inherited retinal disease: a patient perspective.

PubMed

Willis, T A; Potrata, B; Ahmed, M; Hewison, J; Gale, R; Downey, L; McKibbin, M

2013-09-01

The views of people with inherited retinal disease are important to help develop health policy and plan services. This study aimed to record levels of understanding of and attitudes to genetic testing for inherited retinal disease, and views on the availability of testing. Telephone questionnaires comprising quantitative and qualitative items were completed with adults with inherited retinal disease. Participants were recruited via postal invitation (response rate 48%), approach at clinic or newsletters of relevant charitable organisations. Questionnaires were completed with 200 participants. Responses indicated that participants' perceived understanding of genetic testing for inherited retinal disease was variable. The majority (90%) considered testing to be good/very good and would be likely to undergo genetic testing (90%) if offered. Most supported the provision of diagnostic (97%) and predictive (92%) testing, but support was less strong for testing as part of reproductive planning. Most (87%) agreed with the statement that testing should be offered only after the individual has received genetic counselling from a professional. Subgroup analyses revealed differences associated with participant age, gender, education level and ethnicity (p<0.02). Participants reported a range of perceived benefits (eg, family planning, access to treatment) and risks (eg, impact upon family relationships, emotional consequences). Adults with inherited retinal disease strongly support the provision of publicly funded genetic testing. Support was stronger for diagnostic and predictive testing than for testing as part of reproductive planning.

Testing the new animal phylogeny: a phylum level molecular analysis of the animal kingdom.

PubMed

Bourlat, Sarah J; Nielsen, Claus; Economou, Andrew D; Telford, Maximilian J

2008-10-01

The new animal phylogeny inferred from ribosomal genes some years ago has prompted a number of radical rearrangements of the traditional, morphology based metazoan tree. The two main bilaterian clades, Deuterostomia and Protostomia, find strong support, but the protostomes consist of two sister groups, Ecdysozoa and Lophotrochozoa, not seen in morphology based trees. Although widely accepted, not all recent molecular phylogenetic analyses have supported the tripartite structure of the new animal phylogeny. Furthermore, even if the small ribosomal subunit (SSU) based phylogeny is correct, there is a frustrating lack of resolution of relationships between the phyla that make up the three clades of this tree. To address this issue, we have assembled a dataset including a large number of aligned sequence positions as well as a broad sampling of metazoan phyla. Our dataset consists of sequence data from ribosomal and mitochondrial genes combined with new data from protein coding genes (5139 amino acid and 3524 nucleotide positions in total) from 37 representative taxa sampled across the Metazoa. Our data show strong support for the basic structure of the new animal phylogeny as well as for the Mandibulata including Myriapoda. We also provide some resolution within the Lophotrochozoa, where we confirm support for a monophyletic clade of Echiura, Sipuncula and Annelida and surprising evidence of a close relationship between Brachiopoda and Nemertea.

Diversification and biogeography of the Neotropical caviomorph lineage Octodontoidea (Rodentia: Hystricognathi).

PubMed

Upham, Nathan S; Patterson, Bruce D

2012-05-01

The rodent superfamily Octodontoidea comprises 6 families, 38 genera, and 193 living species of spiny rats, tuco-tucos, degus, hutias, and their relatives. All are endemic to the Neotropical Region where they represent roughly three-quarters of extant caviomorphs. Although caviomorph monophyly is well established and phylogenetic hypotheses exist for several families, understanding of octodontoid relationships is clouded by sparse taxon sampling and single-gene analyses. We examined sequence variation in one mitochondrial (12S rRNA) and three nuclear genes (vWF, GHR, and RAG1) across all caviomorph families (including 47 octodontoid species), all phiomorph families, and the sole remaining hystricognath family, using the gundi (Ctenodactylus) and springhaas (Pedetes) as outgroups. Our analyses support the monophyly of Phiomorpha, Caviomorpha, and the caviomorph superfamilies Cavioidea (Dasyproctidae, Cuniculidae, and Caviidae, the latter including Hydrochoerus), Erethizontoidea, Chinchilloidea (including Dinomyidae), and Octodontoidea. Cavioids and erethizontoids are strongly supported as sisters, whereas chinchilloids appear to be sister to octodontoids. Among octodontoids, Abrocomidae is consistently recovered as the basal element, sister to a pair of strongly supported clades; one includes Octodontidae and Ctenomyidae as reciprocally monophyletic lineages, whereas the other includes taxa currently allocated to Echimyidae, Capromyidae and Myocastoridae. Capromys appears near the base of this clade, in keeping with current classification, but Myocastor is nested securely inside a clade of Echimyidae that also contains eumysopines, echimyines and dactylomyines. Another, more weakly supported clade of Echimyidae contains fossorial and scansorial taxa from the Chaco-Cerrado-Caatinga and the Atlantic Forest. Biogeographic analyses robustly recover the Patagonia-Southern Andes complex as ancestral for the Octodontoidea, with three component lineages emerging by the Oligocene-Miocene boundary (∼23Ma): (1) stem abrocomids in the Central and Southern Andes; (2) a lineage leading to octodontids plus ctenomyids in Patagonia, later dispersing into the Chaco-Cerrado-Caatinga; and (3) a lineage leading to echimyids, capromyids, and myocastorids that subsequently radiated in more mesic biomes, including Amazonia, Atlantic Forest, and the Antilles. This reconstruction refutes earlier ideas that the diverse, generalized, mainly lowland family Echimyidae, which appears early in the fossil record, gave rise to the Andean lineages of octodontoids-instead, the reverse derivation appears to be true. We recommend formal synonymy of Myocastoridae with Echimyidae but defer a similar treatment of Capromyidae until additional hutia taxa and sequences can be analyzed. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Preparing Teachers to Use GIS: The Impact of a Hybrid Professional Development Program on Teachers' Use of GIS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moore, Steven; Haviland, Don; Moore, William; Tran, Michael

2016-12-01

This article reports the findings of a 3-year study of a hybrid professional development program designed to prepare science and mathematics teachers to implement GIS in their classrooms. The study was conducted as part of the CoastLines Innovative Technology Experiences for Students and Teachers project funded by the National Science Foundation. Three cohorts of teachers participated in the program, with each participant receiving 40 h of synchronous online instruction and 80 h of in-person instruction and support over an 8-month period. Data from surveys of participants both before and after the program were analyzed using correlation, ordinary least squares, and ordered logit regression analyses. The analyses revealed increases in the self-reported frequency of GIS use and enhanced feelings of preparation, competence, community, and comfort with respect to using GIS for instruction. A composite index of all impact variables was positively influenced as well. The statistical analyses found a strong relationship between self-reported feelings of preparation and use of GIS. Some support was found for the idea that feelings of competence, community, and comfort were related to the teachers' sense of preparation. The findings suggest that a robust hybrid model of teacher professional development can prepare teachers to use GIS in their classrooms. More research is needed to understand how hybrid models influence the sociopsychological and other dimensions that support teachers' feelings of preparation to implement GIS.

Phylogenetic relationships within Chamaecrista sect. Xerocalyx (Leguminosae, Caesalpinioideae) inferred from the cpDNA trnE-trnT intergenic spacer and nrDNA ITS sequences

PubMed Central

Torres, Davi Coe; Lima, João Paulo Matos Santos; Fernandes, Afrânio Gomes; Nunes, Edson Paula; Grangeiro, Thalles Barbosa

2011-01-01

Chamaecrista belongs to subtribe Cassiinae (Caesalpinioideae), and it comprises over 330 species, divided into six sections. The section Xerocalyx has been subjected to a profound taxonomic shuffling over the years. Therefore, we conducted a phylogenetic analysis using a cpDNA trnE-trnT intergenic spacer and nrDNA ITS/5.8S sequences from Cassiinae taxa, in an attempt to elucidate the relationships within this section from Chamaecrista. The tree topology was congruent between the two data sets studied in which the monophyly of the genus Chamaecrista was strongly supported. Our analyses reinforce that new sectional boundaries must be defined in the Chamaecrista genus, especially the inclusion of sections Caliciopsis and Xerocalyx in sect. Chamaecrista, considered here paraphyletic. The section Xerocalyx was strongly supported as monophyletic; however, the current data did not show C. ramosa (microphyllous) and C. desvauxii (macrophyllous) and their respective varieties in distinct clades, suggesting that speciation events are still ongoing in these specimens. PMID:21734825

Antecedents and consequences of psychological and team empowerment in organizations: a meta-analytic review.

PubMed

Seibert, Scott E; Wang, Gang; Courtright, Stephen H

2011-09-01

This paper provides meta-analytic support for an integrated model specifying the antecedents and consequences of psychological and team empowerment. Results indicate that contextual antecedent constructs representing perceived high-performance managerial practices, socio-political support, leadership, and work characteristics are each strongly related to psychological empowerment. Positive self-evaluation traits are related to psychological empowerment and are as strongly related as the contextual factors. Psychological empowerment is in turn positively associated with a broad range of employee outcomes, including job satisfaction, organizational commitment, and task and contextual performance, and is negatively associated with employee strain and turnover intentions. Team empowerment is positively related to team performance. Further, the magnitude of parallel antecedent and outcome relationships at the individual and team levels is statistically indistinguishable, demonstrating the generalizability of empowerment theory across these 2 levels of analysis. A series of analyses also demonstrates the validity of psychological empowerment as a unitary second-order construct. Implications and future directions for empowerment research and theory are discussed. PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved

The sea lamprey meiotic map improves resolution of ancient vertebrate genome duplications.

PubMed

Smith, Jeramiah J; Keinath, Melissa C

2015-08-01

It is generally accepted that many genes present in vertebrate genomes owe their origin to two whole-genome duplications that occurred deep in the ancestry of the vertebrate lineage. However, details regarding the timing and outcome of these duplications are not well resolved. We present high-density meiotic and comparative genomic maps for the sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus), a representative of an ancient lineage that diverged from all other vertebrates ∼550 million years ago. Linkage analyses yielded a total of 95 linkage groups, similar to the estimated number of germline chromosomes (1n ∼ 99), spanning a total of 5570.25 cM. Comparative mapping data yield strong support for the hypothesis that a single whole-genome duplication occurred in the basal vertebrate lineage, but do not strongly support a hypothetical second event. Rather, these comparative maps reveal several evolutionarily independent segmental duplications occurring over the last 600+ million years of chordate evolution. This refined history of vertebrate genome duplication should permit more precise investigations of vertebrate evolution. © 2015 Smith and Keinath; Published by Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press.

The average expectable environment is not good enough: a response to Scarr.

PubMed

Baumrind, D

1993-10-01

I take the position, contrary to Scarr's, that the details of socialization patterns are crucial to an understanding of normal and deviant development. Considerable evidence has accrued to justify the claim that what normal parents do or fail to do crucially affects their children's development. Research is cited to support the argument that better than "good enough" parenting optimizes the development of both normal and vulnerable children, and that parents' belief in their own effectiveness further enhances their caregiving, whereas causal attributions that assign responsibility for child outcomes to genetic factors that parents cannot change undermine parents' belief in their own effectiveness. The strong conclusions Scarr draws from heritability analyses to support her thesis that genotypes drive experiences overlook their inherent limitations.

Longitudinal effects of student mobility on three dimensions of elementary school engagement.

PubMed

Gruman, Diana H; Harachi, Tracy W; Abbott, Robert D; Catalano, Richard F; Fleming, Charles B

2008-01-01

Working within the developmental science research framework, this study sought to capture a dynamic and complex view of student mobility. Second- through fifth-grade data (N = 1,003, predominantly Caucasian) were drawn from a longitudinal study, and growth curve analyses allowed for the examination of mobility effects within the context of other factors that put children at risk, including behavior problems and family stress. School changes predicted declines in academic performance and classroom participation but not positive attitude toward school. Time-varying factors such as peer acceptance and teacher support had a positive influence on the growth trajectories of child outcomes. Additionally, teacher support had a particularly strong influence on positive attitudes toward school among children who had more school changes.

Longitudinal Effects of Student Mobility on Three Dimensions of Elementary School Engagement

PubMed Central

Gruman, Diana H.; Harachi, Tracy W.; Abbott, Robert D.; Catalano, Richard F.; Fleming, Charles B.

2013-01-01

Working within the developmental science research framework, this study sought to capture a dynamic and complex view of student mobility. Second- through fifth-grade data (N = 1,003, predominantly Caucasian) were drawn from a longitudinal study, and growth curve analyses allowed for the examination of mobility effects within the context of other factors that put children at risk, including behavior problems and family stress. School changes predicted declines in academic performance and classroom participation but not positive attitude toward school. Time-varying factors such as peer acceptance and teacher support had a positive influence on the growth trajectories of child outcomes. Additionally, teacher support had a particularly strong influence on positive attitudes toward school among children who had more school changes. PMID:19037953

Comparing short forms of the Social Interaction Anxiety Scale and the Social Phobia Scale.

PubMed

Carleton, R Nicholas; Thibodeau, Michel A; Weeks, Justin W; Teale Sapach, Michelle J N; McEvoy, Peter M; Horswill, Samantha C; Heimberg, Richard G

2014-12-01

The Social Interaction Anxiety Scale (SIAS) and the Social Phobia Scale (SPS; Mattick & Clarke, 1998) are companion scales developed to measure anxiety in social interaction and performance situations, respectively. The measures have strong discriminant and convergent validity; however, their factor structures remain debated, and furthermore, the combined administration length (i.e., 39 items) can be prohibitive for some settings. There have been 4 attempts to assess the factor structures of the scales and reduce the item content: the 14-item Social Interaction Phobia Scale (SIPS; Carleton et al., 2009), the 12-item SIAS-6/SPS-6 (Peters, Sunderland, Andrews, Rapee, & Mattick, 2012), the 21-item abbreviated SIAS/SPS (ASIAS/ASPS; Kupper & Denollet, 2012), and the 12-item Readability SIAS and SPS (RSIAS/RSPS; Fergus, Valentiner, McGrath, Gier-Lonsway, & Kim, 2012). The current study compared the short forms on (a) factor structure, (b) ability to distinguish between clinical and non-clinical populations, (c) sensitivity to change following therapy, and (d) convergent validity with related measures. Participants included 3,607 undergraduate students (55% women) and 283 patients with social anxiety disorder (43% women). Results of confirmatory factor analyses, sensitivity analyses, and correlation analyses support the robust utility of items in the SIPS and the SPS-6 and SIAS-6 relative to the other short forms; furthermore, the SIPS and the SPS-6 and SIAS-6 were also supported by convergent validity analyses within the undergraduate sample. The RSIAS/RSPS and the ASIAS/ASPS were least supported, based on the current results and the principle of parsimony. Accordingly, researchers and clinicians should consider carefully which of the short forms will best suit their needs. (c) 2014 APA, all rights reserved.

WRKY transcription factor genes in wild rice Oryza nivara

PubMed Central

Xu, Hengjian; Watanabe, Kenneth A.; Zhang, Liyuan; Shen, Qingxi J.

2016-01-01

The WRKY transcription factor family is one of the largest gene families involved in plant development and stress response. Although many WRKY genes have been studied in cultivated rice (Oryza sativa), the WRKY genes in the wild rice species Oryza nivara, the direct progenitor of O. sativa, have not been studied. O. nivara shows abundant genetic diversity and elite drought and disease resistance features. Herein, a total of 97 O. nivara WRKY (OnWRKY) genes were identified. RNA-sequencing demonstrates that OnWRKY genes were generally expressed at higher levels in the roots of 30-day-old plants. Bioinformatic analyses suggest that most of OnWRKY genes could be induced by salicylic acid, abscisic acid, and drought. Abundant potential MAPK phosphorylation sites in OnWRKYs suggest that activities of most OnWRKYs can be regulated by phosphorylation. Phylogenetic analyses of OnWRKYs support a novel hypothesis that ancient group IIc OnWRKYs were the original ancestors of only some group IIc and group III WRKYs. The analyses also offer strong support that group IIc OnWRKYs containing the HVE sequence in their zinc finger motifs were derived from group Ia WRKYs. This study provides a solid foundation for the study of the evolution and functions of WRKY genes in O. nivara. PMID:27345721

Phylogenomic analyses of malaria parasites and evolution of their exported proteins

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background Plasmodium falciparum is the most malignant agent of human malaria. It belongs to the taxon Laverania, which includes other ape-infecting Plasmodium species. The origin of the Laverania is still debated. P. falciparum exports pathogenicity-related proteins into the host cell using the Plasmodium export element (PEXEL). Predictions based on the presence of a PEXEL motif suggest that more than 300 proteins are exported by P. falciparum, while there are many fewer exported proteins in non-Laverania. Results A whole-genome approach was applied to resolve the phylogeny of eight Plasmodium species and four outgroup taxa. By using 218 orthologous proteins we received unanimous support for a sister group position of Laverania and avian malaria parasites. This observation was corroborated by the analyses of 28 exported proteins with orthologs present in all Plasmodium species. Most interestingly, several deviations from the P. falciparum PEXEL motif were found to be present in the orthologous sequences of non-Laverania. Conclusion Our phylogenomic analyses strongly support the hypotheses that the Laverania have been founded by a single Plasmodium species switching from birds to African great apes or vice versa. The deviations from the canonical PEXEL motif in orthologs may explain the comparably low number of exported proteins that have been predicted in non-Laverania. PMID:21676252

Phylogenomic analyses of Crassiclitellata support major Northern and Southern Hemisphere clades and a Pangaean origin for earthworms.

PubMed

Anderson, Frank E; Williams, Bronwyn W; Horn, Kevin M; Erséus, Christer; Halanych, Kenneth M; Santos, Scott R; James, Samuel W

2017-05-30

Earthworms (Crassiclitellata) are a diverse group of annelids of substantial ecological and economic importance. Earthworms are primarily terrestrial infaunal animals, and as such are probably rather poor natural dispersers. Therefore, the near global distribution of earthworms reflects an old and likely complex evolutionary history. Despite a long-standing interest in Crassiclitellata, relationships among and within major clades remain unresolved. In this study, we evaluate crassiclitellate phylogenetic relationships using 38 new transcriptomes in combination with publicly available transcriptome data. Our data include representatives of nearly all extant earthworm families and a representative of Moniligastridae, another terrestrial annelid group thought to be closely related to Crassiclitellata. We use a series of differentially filtered data matrices and analyses to examine the effects of data partitioning, missing data, compositional and branch-length heterogeneity, and outgroup inclusion. We recover a consistent, strongly supported ingroup topology irrespective of differences in methodology. The topology supports two major earthworm clades, each of which consists of a Northern Hemisphere subclade and a Southern Hemisphere subclade. Divergence time analysis results are concordant with the hypothesis that these north-south splits are the result of the breakup of the supercontinent Pangaea. These results support several recently proposed revisions to the classical understanding of earthworm phylogeny, reveal two major clades that seem to reflect Pangaean distributions, and raise new questions about earthworm evolutionary relationships.

A new species of Trichoderma hypoxylon harbours abundant secondary metabolites.

PubMed

Sun, Jingzu; Pei, Yunfei; Li, Erwei; Li, Wei; Hyde, Kevin D; Yin, Wen-Bing; Liu, Xingzhong

2016-11-21

Some species of Trichoderma are fungicolous on fungi and have been extensively studied and commercialized as biocontrol agents. Multigene analyses coupled with morphology, resulted in the discovery of T. hypoxylon sp. nov., which was isolated from surface of the stroma of Hypoxylon anthochroum. The new taxon produces Trichoderma- to Verticillium-like conidiophores and hyaline conidia. Phylogenetic analyses based on combined ITS, TEF1-α and RPB2 sequence data indicated that T. hypoxylon is a well-distinguished species with strong bootstrap support in the polysporum group. Chemical assessment of this species reveals a richness of secondary metabolites with trichothecenes and epipolythiodiketopiperazines as the major compounds. The fungicolous life style of T. hypoxylon and the production of abundant metabolites are indicative of the important ecological roles of this species in nature.

Refining cost-effectiveness analyses using the net benefit approach and econometric methods: an example from a trial of anti-depressant treatment.

PubMed

Sabes-Figuera, Ramon; McCrone, Paul; Kendricks, Antony

2013-04-01

Economic evaluation analyses can be enhanced by employing regression methods, allowing for the identification of important sub-groups and to adjust for imperfect randomisation in clinical trials or to analyse non-randomised data. To explore the benefits of combining regression techniques and the standard Bayesian approach to refine cost-effectiveness analyses using data from randomised clinical trials. Data from a randomised trial of anti-depressant treatment were analysed and a regression model was used to explore the factors that have an impact on the net benefit (NB) statistic with the aim of using these findings to adjust the cost-effectiveness acceptability curves. Exploratory sub-samples' analyses were carried out to explore possible differences in cost-effectiveness. Results The analysis found that having suffered a previous similar depression is strongly correlated with a lower NB, independent of the outcome measure or follow-up point. In patients with previous similar depression, adding an selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI) to supportive care for mild-to-moderate depression is probably cost-effective at the level used by the English National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence to make recommendations. This analysis highlights the need for incorporation of econometric methods into cost-effectiveness analyses using the NB approach.

A Religious Worldview: Protecting One's Meaning System Through Religious Prejudice.

PubMed

Goplen, Joanna; Plant, E Ashby

2015-11-01

For some people, religion strongly influences their worldviews. We propose that religious outgroups threaten the foundational beliefs of people with strong religious worldviews (RWVs) by endorsing alternative belief systems and that this threat contributes to religious prejudice. To examine these ideas, we developed a measure of RWV strength and assessed the role of RWV threat in religious prejudice. Across five studies, strength of RWV was related to religious prejudice, including derogation and denial of alternative religious viewpoints, as well as support for suppressing, avoiding, and even aggressing against religious outgroups. These responses were strongest toward religious outgroups whose worldviews were the most different, and therefore most threatening. Mediational analyses revealed that strong RWV people expressed heightened prejudice because of the worldview threat posed by religious outgroup members. These findings indicate that the avoidance and subjugation of religious outgroups can serve as a worldview protection strategy for some people. © 2015 by the Society for Personality and Social Psychology, Inc.

Brief Overview of Using Nonlinear Seismology in Analysis of the Soil Deposits Effects on Structure Location

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Florin Balan, Stefan; Apostol, Bogdan Felix; Ionescu, Constantin

2017-12-01

The purpose of the paper is to show the great influence of nonlinear seismology in the analysis of the soil deposit response. Some elements about nonlinear seismology, the complexity of the seismic phenomenon are presented, and how we perceive seismic input for constructions at the surface of the earth. Further is presented the nonlinear behaviour of soil deposits during strong earthquakes as it results from resonant column tests (in laboratory) and from the spectral amplification factors (in situ records). The resonance phenomenon between natural period of a structure and soil deposit during strong earthquakes is analysed. All these studies have in common nonlinear behaviour of the soil deposit during strong earthquakes, in fact, the site where a new construction is built or an old one is rehabilitated and needs an optional assessment for mitigation seismic risk. All these studies stand up in supporting nonlinear seismology, the seismology of the XXI-st century.

Seismic response and damage detection analyses of an instrumented steel moment-framed building

USGS Publications Warehouse

Rodgers, J.E.; Celebi, M.

2006-01-01

The seismic performance of steel moment-framed buildings has been of particular interest since brittle fractures were discovered at the beam-column connections in a number of buildings following the M 6.7 Northridge earthquake of January 17, 1994. A case study of the seismic behavior of an extensively instrumented 13-story steel moment frame building located in the greater Los Angeles area of California is described herein. Response studies using frequency domain, joint time-frequency, system identification, and simple damage detection analyses are performed using an extensive strong motion dataset dating from 1971 to the present, supported by engineering drawings and results of postearthquake inspections. These studies show that the building's response is more complex than would be expected from its highly symmetrical geometry. The response is characterized by low damping in the fundamental mode, larger accelerations in the middle and lower stories than at the roof and base, extended periods of vibration after the cessation of strong input shaking, beating in the response, elliptical particle motion, and significant torsion during strong shaking at the top of the concrete piers which extend from the basement to the second floor. The analyses conducted indicate that the response of the structure was elastic in all recorded earthquakes to date, including Northridge. Also, several simple damage detection methods employed did not indicate any structural damage or connection fractures. The combination of a large, real structure and low instrumentation density precluded the application of many recently proposed advanced damage detection methods in this case study. Overall, however, the findings of this study are consistent with the limited code-compliant postearthquake intrusive inspections conducted after the Northridge earthquake, which found no connection fractures or other structural damage. ?? ASCE.

Evaluation of hot corrosion behavior of thermal barrier coatings

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hodge, P. E.; Miller, R. A.; Gedwill, M. A.

1980-01-01

Calcium silicate and yttria stabilized zirconia/MCrAlY thermal barrier coating systems on air-cooled specimens were exposed to sodium plus vanadium doped Mach 0.3 combustion gases. Thermal barrier coating endurance was determined to be a strong inverse function of ceramic coating thickness. Coating system durability was increased through the use of higher Cr + Al NiCrAl and CoCrAlY bond coatings. Chemical and electron microprobe analyses supported the predictions of condensate compositions and the determination of their roles in causing spalling of the ceramic coatings.

Phylogenetic Relationships within the Opisthokonta Based on Phylogenomic Analyses of Conserved Single-Copy Protein Domains

PubMed Central

Torruella, Guifré; Derelle, Romain; Paps, Jordi; Lang, B. Franz; Roger, Andrew J.; Shalchian-Tabrizi, Kamran; Ruiz-Trillo, Iñaki

2012-01-01

Many of the eukaryotic phylogenomic analyses published to date were based on alignments of hundreds to thousands of genes. Frequently, in such analyses, the most realistic evolutionary models currently available are often used to minimize the impact of systematic error. However, controversy remains over whether or not idiosyncratic gene family dynamics (i.e., gene duplications and losses) and incorrect orthology assignments are always appropriately taken into account. In this paper, we present an innovative strategy for overcoming orthology assignment problems. Rather than identifying and eliminating genes with paralogy problems, we have constructed a data set comprised exclusively of conserved single-copy protein domains that, unlike most of the commonly used phylogenomic data sets, should be less confounded by orthology miss-assignments. To evaluate the power of this approach, we performed maximum likelihood and Bayesian analyses to infer the evolutionary relationships within the opisthokonts (which includes Metazoa, Fungi, and related unicellular lineages). We used this approach to test 1) whether Filasterea and Ichthyosporea form a clade, 2) the interrelationships of early-branching metazoans, and 3) the relationships among early-branching fungi. We also assessed the impact of some methods that are known to minimize systematic error, including reducing the distance between the outgroup and ingroup taxa or using the CAT evolutionary model. Overall, our analyses support the Filozoa hypothesis in which Ichthyosporea are the first holozoan lineage to emerge followed by Filasterea, Choanoflagellata, and Metazoa. Blastocladiomycota appears as a lineage separate from Chytridiomycota, although this result is not strongly supported. These results represent independent tests of previous phylogenetic hypotheses, highlighting the importance of sophisticated approaches for orthology assignment in phylogenomic analyses. PMID:21771718

Mitochondrial genomes of Meloidogyne chitwoodi and M. incognita (Nematoda: Tylenchina): comparative analysis, gene order and phylogenetic relationships with other nematodes.

PubMed

Humphreys-Pereira, Danny A; Elling, Axel A

2014-01-01

Root-knot nematodes (Meloidogyne spp.) are among the most important plant pathogens. In this study, the mitochondrial (mt) genomes of the root-knot nematodes, M. chitwoodi and M. incognita were sequenced. PCR analyses suggest that both mt genomes are circular, with an estimated size of 19.7 and 18.6-19.1kb, respectively. The mt genomes each contain a large non-coding region with tandem repeats and the control region. The mt gene arrangement of M. chitwoodi and M. incognita is unlike that of other nematodes. Sequence alignments of the two Meloidogyne mt genomes showed three translocations; two in transfer RNAs and one in cox2. Compared with other nematode mt genomes, the gene arrangement of M. chitwoodi and M. incognita was most similar to Pratylenchus vulnus. Phylogenetic analyses (Maximum Likelihood and Bayesian inference) were conducted using 78 complete mt genomes of diverse nematode species. Analyses based on nucleotides and amino acids of the 12 protein-coding mt genes showed strong support for the monophyly of class Chromadorea, but only amino acid-based analyses supported the monophyly of class Enoplea. The suborder Spirurina was not monophyletic in any of the phylogenetic analyses, contradicting the Clade III model, which groups Ascaridomorpha, Spiruromorpha and Oxyuridomorpha based on the small subunit ribosomal RNA gene. Importantly, comparisons of mt gene arrangement and tree-based methods placed Meloidogyne as sister taxa of Pratylenchus, a migratory plant endoparasitic nematode, and not with the sedentary endoparasitic Heterodera. Thus, comparative analyses of mt genomes suggest that sedentary endoparasitism in Meloidogyne and Heterodera is based on convergent evolution. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Effectiveness of phylogenomic data and coalescent species-tree methods for resolving difficult nodes in the phylogeny of advanced snakes (Serpentes: Caenophidia).

PubMed

Pyron, R Alexander; Hendry, Catriona R; Chou, Vincent M; Lemmon, Emily M; Lemmon, Alan R; Burbrink, Frank T

2014-12-01

Next-generation genomic sequencing promises to quickly and cheaply resolve remaining contentious nodes in the Tree of Life, and facilitates species-tree estimation while taking into account stochastic genealogical discordance among loci. Recent methods for estimating species trees bypass full likelihood-based estimates of the multi-species coalescent, and approximate the true species-tree using simpler summary metrics. These methods converge on the true species-tree with sufficient genomic sampling, even in the anomaly zone. However, no studies have yet evaluated their efficacy on a large-scale phylogenomic dataset, and compared them to previous concatenation strategies. Here, we generate such a dataset for Caenophidian snakes, a group with >2500 species that contains several rapid radiations that were poorly resolved with fewer loci. We generate sequence data for 333 single-copy nuclear loci with ∼100% coverage (∼0% missing data) for 31 major lineages. We estimate phylogenies using neighbor joining, maximum parsimony, maximum likelihood, and three summary species-tree approaches (NJst, STAR, and MP-EST). All methods yield similar resolution and support for most nodes. However, not all methods support monophyly of Caenophidia, with Acrochordidae placed as the sister taxon to Pythonidae in some analyses. Thus, phylogenomic species-tree estimation may occasionally disagree with well-supported relationships from concatenated analyses of small numbers of nuclear or mitochondrial genes, a consideration for future studies. In contrast for at least two diverse, rapid radiations (Lamprophiidae and Colubridae), phylogenomic data and species-tree inference do little to improve resolution and support. Thus, certain nodes may lack strong signal, and larger datasets and more sophisticated analyses may still fail to resolve them. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Attachment to Life: Psychometric Analyses of the Valuation of Life Scale and Differences Among Older Adults

PubMed Central

Gitlin, Laura N.; Parisi, Jeanine; Huang, Jin; Winter, Laraine; Roth, David L.

2016-01-01

Purpose of study: Examine psychometric properties of Lawton’s Valuation of Life (VOL) scale, a measure of an older adults’ assessment of the perceived value of their lives; and whether ratings differ by race (White, Black/African American) and sex. Design and Methods: The 13-item VOL scale was administered at baseline in 2 separate randomized trials (Advancing Better Living for Elders, ABLE; Get Busy Get Better, GBGB) for a total of 527 older adults. Principal component analyses were applied to a subset of ABLE data (subsample 1) and confirmatory factor analyses were conducted on remaining data (subsample 2 and GBGB). Once the factor structure was identified and confirmed, 2 subscales were created, corresponding to optimism and engagement. Convergent validity of total and subscale scores were examined using measures of depressive symptoms, social support, control-oriented strategies, mastery, and behavioral activation. For discriminant validity, indices of health status, physical function, financial strain, cognitive status, and number of falls were examined. Results: Trial samples (ABLE vs. GBGB) differed by age, race, marital status, education, and employment. Principal component analysis on ABLE subsample 1 (n = 156) yielded two factors subsequently confirmed in confirmatory factor analyses on ABLE subsample 2 (n = 163) and GBGB sample (N = 208) separately. Adequate fit was found for the 2-factor model. Correlational analyses supported strong convergent and discriminant validity. Some statistically significant race and sex differences in subscale scores were found. Implications: VOL measures subjective appraisals of perceived value of life. Consisting of two interrelated subscales, it offers an efficient approach to ascertain personal attributions. PMID:26874189

Tafamidis delays disease progression in patients with early stage transthyretin familial amyloid polyneuropathy: additional supportive analyses from the pivotal trial.

PubMed

Keohane, Denis; Schwartz, Jeffrey; Gundapaneni, Balarama; Stewart, Michelle; Amass, Leslie

2017-03-01

Tafamidis, a non-NSAID highly specific transthyretin stabilizer, delayed neurologic disease progression as measured by Neuropathy Impairment Score-Lower Limbs (NIS-LL) in an 18-month, double-blind, placebo-controlled randomized trial in 128 patients with early-stage transthyretin V30M familial amyloid polyneuropathy (ATTRV30M-FAP). The current post hoc analyses aimed to further evaluate the effects of tafamidis in delaying ATTRV30M-FAP progression in this trial. Pre-specified, repeated-measures analysis of change from baseline in NIS-LL in this trial (ClinicalTrials.gov NCT00409175) was repeated with addition of baseline as covariate and multiple imputation analysis for missing data by treatment group. Change in NIS-LL plus three small-fiber nerve tests (NIS-LL + Σ3) and NIS-LL plus seven nerve tests (NIS-LL + Σ7) were assessed without baseline as covariate. Treatment outcomes over the NIS-LL, Σ3, Σ7, modified body mass index and Norfolk Quality of Life-Diabetic Neuropathy Total Quality of Life Score were also examined using multivariate analysis techniques. Neuropathy progression based on NIS-LL change from baseline to Month 18 remained significantly reduced for tafamidis versus placebo in the baseline-adjusted and multiple imputation analyses. NIS-LL + Σ3 and NIS-LL + Σ7 captured significant treatment group differences. Multivariate analyses provided strong statistical evidence for a superior tafamidis treatment effect. These supportive analyses confirm that tafamidis delays neurologic progression in early-stage ATTRV30M-FAP. NCT00409175.

Complex archaea that bridge the gap between prokaryotes and eukaryotes

PubMed Central

Martijn, Joran; Lind, Anders E.; van Eijk, Roel; Schleper, Christa; Guy, Lionel; Ettema, Thijs J. G.

2015-01-01

The origin of the eukaryotic cell remains one of the most contentious puzzles in modern biology. Recent studies have provided support for the emergence of the eukaryotic host cell from within the archaeal domain of life, but the identity and nature of the putative archaeal ancestor remain a subject of debate. Here we describe the discovery of ‘Lokiarchaeota’, a novel candidate archaeal phylum, which forms a monophyletic group with eukaryotes in phylogenomic analyses, and whose genomes encode an expanded repertoire of eukaryotic signature proteins that are suggestive of sophisticated membrane remodelling capabilities. Our results provide strong support for hypotheses in which the eukaryotic host evolved from a bona fide archaeon, and demonstrate that many components that underpin eukaryote-specific features were already present in that ancestor. This provided the host with a rich genomic ‘starter-kit’ to support the increase in the cellular and genomic complexity that is characteristic of eukaryotes. PMID:25945739

The conflicting influences of religiosity on attitude toward torture.

PubMed

Malka, Ariel; Soto, Christopher J

2011-08-01

This research examines the thesis that religiosity has conflicting influences on Americans' attitudes about the use of torture on terrorism suspects: an organic influence favoring opposition to torture and a discursively driven influence favoring support of torture. In each of two national samples, religiosity had both a direct effect toward opposition to torture and an indirect effect-via conservative political alignment-toward support of torture. Multiple-group analyses revealed that the direct effect toward opposition to torture did not vary across Americans with differing levels of exposure to political discourse, whereas the indirect effect toward support of torture via conservative political alignment was much stronger among Americans highly exposed to political discourse. Among such individuals, the indirect effect was so strong that it completely counteracted the competing direct effect. Discussion focuses on the competing influences that a single nonpolitical psychological characteristic may have on a political preference.

Measuring hope among families impacted by cognitive impairment

PubMed Central

Hunsaker, Amanda E.; Terhorst, Lauren; Gentry, Amanda; Lingler, Jennifer H.

2014-01-01

The current exploratory investigation aims to establish the reliability and validity of a hope measure, the Herth Hope Index (HHI), among families impacted by early cognitive impairment (N=96). Exploratory factor analysis was used to examine the dimensionality of the measure. Bivariate analyses were used to examine construct validity. The sample had moderately high hope scores. A two-factor structure emerged from the factor analysis, explaining 51.44% of the variance. Both factors exhibited strong internal consistency (Cronbach’s alphas ranged from .83 to .86). Satisfaction with social support was positively associated with hope, supporting convergent validity. Neurocognitive status, illness insight and depression were not associated with hope, indicating discriminant validity. Families impacted by cognitive impairment may maintain hope in the face of a potentially progressive illness, regardless of cognitive status. The HHI can be utilized as a reliable and valid measure of hope by practitioners providing support to families impacted by cognitive impairment. PMID:24784938

Degradation of creatinine using boron-doped diamond electrode: Statistical modeling and degradation mechanism.

PubMed

Zhang, Zhefeng; Xian, Jiahui; Zhang, Chunyong; Fu, Degang

2017-09-01

This study investigated the degradation performance and mechanism of creatinine (a urine metabolite) with boron-doped diamond (BDD) anodes. Experiments were performed using a synthetic creatinine solution containing two supporting electrolytes (NaCl and Na 2 SO 4 ). A three-level central composite design was adopted to optimize the degradation process, a mathematical model was thus constructed and used to explore the optimum operating conditions. A maximum mineralization percentage of 80% following with full creatinine removal had been achieved within 120 min of electrolysis, confirming the strong oxidation capability of BDD anodes. Moreover, the results obtained suggested that supporting electrolyte concentration should be listed as one of the most important parameters in BDD technology. Lastly, based on the results from quantum chemistry calculations and LC/MS analyses, two different reaction pathways which governed the electrocatalytic oxidation of creatinine irrespective of the supporting electrolytes were identified. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Cross-Validation of the Implementation Leadership Scale (ILS) in Child Welfare Service Organizations.

PubMed

Finn, Natalie K; Torres, Elisa M; Ehrhart, Mark G; Roesch, Scott C; Aarons, Gregory A

2016-08-01

The Implementation Leadership Scale (ILS) is a brief, pragmatic, and efficient measure that can be used for research or organizational development to assess leader behaviors and actions that actively support effective implementation of evidence-based practices (EBPs). The ILS was originally validated with mental health clinicians. This study validates the ILS factor structure with providers in community-based organizations (CBOs) providing child welfare services. Participants were 214 service providers working in 12 CBOs that provide child welfare services. All participants completed the ILS, reporting on their immediate supervisor. Confirmatory factor analyses were conducted to examine the factor structure of the ILS. Internal consistency reliability and measurement invariance were also examined. Confirmatory factor analyses showed acceptable fit to the hypothesized first- and second-order factor structure. Internal consistency reliability was strong and there was partial measurement invariance for the first-order factor structure when comparing child welfare and mental health samples. The results support the use of the ILS to assess leadership for implementation of EBPs in child welfare organizations. © The Author(s) 2016.

Asian cultural values gap, cognitive flexibility, coping strategies, and parent-child conflicts among Korean Americans.

PubMed

Ahn, Annie J; Kim, Bryan S K; Park, Yong S

2008-10-01

The study examined Korean American college students' perceived Asian cultural values gap between themselves and their parents, cognitive flexibility, and coping strategies. The relationships between these factors were studied with the intensities and types of parent-child conflicts. The results indicated that the participants adhered less strongly to Asian values than their parents. When faced with conflicts, the participants reported using problem solving coping strategy to the greatest extent, followed by social support coping strategy, and then avoidance coping strategy. Simultaneous regression analyses revealed a positive relationship between the participant-perceived parent-child values gap and the intensity of conflicts, particularly in the area of dating and marriage. There were inverse relationships between cognitive flexibility and the intensity of conflicts, specifically in the area of dating and marriage. A positive relationship was observed between the use of social support coping strategy and intensity of conflicts. Hierarchical regression analyses revealed a significant interaction effect in which participant-perceived parent-child values gap and cognitive flexibility were related to increased frequency of dating and marriage conflicts.

Phylogenetic relationships in Myrceugenia (Myrtaceae) based on plastid and nuclear DNA sequences

PubMed Central

Murillo-A., José; Ruiz-P., Eduardo; Landrum, Leslie R.; Stuessy, Tod F.; Barfuss, Michael H.J.

2012-01-01

Myrceugenia is a genus endemic to South America with a disjunct distribution: 12 species occurring mainly in central Chile and approximately 25 in southeastern Brazil. Relationships are reconstructed within Myrceugenia from four plastid markers (partial trnK-matK, rpl32-trnL, trnQ-5′rps16 and rpl16) and two ribosomal nuclear regions (ETS and ITS) using maximum parsimony and Bayesian analyses. Relationships inferred previously from morphological data are not completely consistent with those from molecular data. All molecular analyses support the hypothesis that Myrceugenia is monophyletic, except for M. fernadeziana that falls outside the genus. Chilean species and Brazilian species form two separate lineages. Chilean species form three early diverging clades, whereas Brazilian species are a strongly supported monophyletic group in a terminal position. Least average evolutionary divergence, low resolution, short branches, and high species diversity found in the Brazilian clade suggest rapid radiation. Geographical distributions and phylogenetic reconstructions suggest that extant Myrceugenia species arose in northern Chile followed by colonization southward and finally to the Juan Fernández Islands and southeastern Brazil. PMID:22155422

Links Between Remembered Childhood Emotion Socialization and Adult Adjustment: Similarities and Differences Between European American and African American Women

PubMed Central

Leerkes, Esther M.; Supple, Andrew J.; Su, Jinni; Cavanaugh, Alyson M.

2017-01-01

The purpose of this paper was to examine whether recollections of mothers’ emotion socialization practices during childhood are linked to adult emotional well-being as indexed by depression, trait anger, and cardiac vagal tone, and whether these effects vary for African American and European American women. Participants included 251 women (128 European American; 123 African American) who ranged in age from 18 to 44 years (M = 25 years). Multigroup confirmatory factor analyses indicated strong measurement and factor invariance across African American and European American participants. Remembered non-supportive emotion socialization was linked with elevated depressive symptoms for European American women, but not African American women and with elevated trait anger for both groups. Remembered supportive emotion socialization was linked with higher resting vagal tone for both groups. The results provide some support for the view that non-supportive emotion socialization may be more detrimental for European Americans than African Americans. PMID:29527083

Morphological reassessment and molecular phylogenetic analyses of Amauroderma s.lat. raised new perspectives in the generic classification of the Ganodermataceae family.

PubMed

Costa-Rezende, D H; Robledo, G L; Góes-Neto, A; Reck, M A; Crespo, E; Drechsler-Santos, E R

2017-12-01

Ganodermataceae is a remarkable group of polypore fungi, mainly characterized by particular double-walled basidiospores with a coloured endosporium ornamented with columns or crests, and a hyaline smooth exosporium. In order to establish an integrative morphological and molecular phylogenetic approach to clarify relationship of Neotropical Amauroderma s.lat. within the Ganodermataceae family, morphological analyses, including scanning electron microscopy, as well as a molecular phylogenetic approach based on one (ITS) and four loci (ITS-5.8S, LSU, TEF-1α and RPB1 ), were carried out. Ultrastructural analyses raised up a new character for Ganodermataceae systematics, i.e . , the presence of perforation in the exosporium with holes that are connected with hollow columns of the endosporium. This character is considered as a synapomorphy in Foraminispora , a new genus proposed here to accommodate Porothelium rugosum (≡ Amauroderma sprucei ). Furtadoa is proposed to accommodate species with monomitic context: F. biseptata, F. brasiliensis and F. corneri . Molecular phylogenetic analyses confirm that both genera grouped as strongly supported distinct lineages out of the Amauroderma s.str. clade.

The role of social support on physical activity behaviour in adolescent girls: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

PubMed

Laird, Yvonne; Fawkner, Samantha; Kelly, Paul; McNamee, Lily; Niven, Ailsa

2016-07-07

Adolescent girls have been targeted as a priority group for promoting physical activity levels however it is unclear how this can be achieved. There is some evidence to suggest that social support could impact the physical activity levels of adolescent girls, although the relationship is complex and not well understood. We aimed to systematically review and meta-analyse the relationship between social support and physical activity in adolescent girls, exploring how different types and providers of social support might influence the relationship. Articles were identified through a systematic search of the literature using 14 electronic databases, personal resources, grey literature, and reference lists of included studies and previous reviews. Search terms representing social support, physical activity and adolescent girls were identified and used in various combinations to form a search strategy which was adapted for different databases. Cross-sectional or longitudinal articles published in English that reported an association between social support and physical activity in adolescent girls between the ages of 10 to 19 years were included. Studies that focused only on clinical or overweight populations were excluded. Data extraction was carried out by one reviewer using an electronic extraction form. A random 25 % of included articles were selected for data extraction by a second reviewer to check fidelity. Risk of bias was assessed using a custom tool informed by the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme Cohort Study Checklist in conjunction with data extraction. Cross-sectional results were meta-analysed and longitudinal results were presented narratively. Small but significant associations between all available providers of total social support (except teachers) and physical activity were found (r = .14-.24). Small but significant associations were also identified for emotional, instrumental and modelling support for some providers of support (r = .10-.21). Longitudinal research supported the cross-sectional analyses. Many of the meta-analysis results suggested high heterogeneity and there was some evidence of publication bias, therefore, the meta-analysis results should be interpreted with caution. In conclusion, the meta-analysis results suggest that social support is not a strong predictor of physical activity in adolescent girls though parents and friends may have a role in enhancing PA. PROSPERO 2014: CRD42014006738.

Healthy Children, Strong Families 2: A randomized controlled trial of a healthy lifestyle intervention for American Indian families designed using community-based approaches.

PubMed

Tomayko, Emily J; Prince, Ronald J; Cronin, Kate A; Parker, Tassy; Kim, Kyungmann; Grant, Vernon M; Sheche, Judith N; Adams, Alexandra K

2017-04-01

Background/Aims Few obesity prevention trials have focused on young children and their families in the home environment, particularly in underserved communities. Healthy Children, Strong Families 2 is a randomized controlled trial of a healthy lifestyle intervention for American Indian children and their families, a group at very high risk of obesity. The study design resulted from our long-standing engagement with American Indian communities, and few collaborations of this type resulting in the development and implementation of a randomized clinical trial have been described. Methods Healthy Children, Strong Families 2 is a lifestyle intervention targeting increased fruit and vegetable intake, decreased sugar intake, increased physical activity, decreased TV/screen time, and two less-studied risk factors: stress and sleep. Families with young children from five American Indian communities nationwide were randomly assigned to a healthy lifestyle intervention ( Wellness Journey) augmented with social support (Facebook and text messaging) or a child safety control group ( Safety Journey) for 1 year. After Year 1, families in the Safety Journey receive the Wellness Journey, and families in the Wellness Journey start the Safety Journey with continued wellness-focused social support based on communities' request that all families receive the intervention. Primary (adult body mass index and child body mass index z-score) and secondary (health behaviors) outcomes are assessed after Year 1 with additional analyses planned after Year 2. Results To date, 450 adult/child dyads have been enrolled (100% target enrollment). Statistical analyses await trial completion in 2017. Lessons learned Conducting a community-partnered randomized controlled trial requires significant formative work, relationship building, and ongoing flexibility. At the communities' request, the study involved minimal exclusion criteria, focused on wellness rather than obesity, and included an active control group and a design allowing all families to receive the intervention. This collective effort took additional time but was critical to secure community engagement. Hiring and retaining qualified local site coordinators was a challenge but was strongly related to successful recruitment and retention of study families. Local infrastructure has also been critical to project success. Other challenges included geographic dispersion of study communities and providing appropriate incentives to retain families in a 2-year study. Conclusion This multisite intervention addresses key gaps regarding family/home-based approaches for obesity prevention in American Indian communities. Healthy Children, Strong Families 2's innovative aspects include substantial community input, inclusion of both traditional (diet/activity) and less-studied obesity risk factors (stress/sleep), measurement of both adult and child outcomes, social networking support for geographically dispersed households, and a community selected active control group. Our data will address a literature gap regarding multiple risk factors and their relationship to health outcomes in American Indian families.

Infertility and Its Treatments in Association with Autism Spectrum Disorders: A Review and Results from the CHARGE Study

PubMed Central

Lyall, Kristen; Baker, Alice; Hertz-Picciotto, Irva; Walker, Cheryl K.

2013-01-01

Previous findings on relationships between infertility, infertility therapies, and autism spectrum disorders (ASD) have been inconsistent. The goals of this study are first, to briefly review this evidence and second, to examine infertility and its treatments in association with having a child with ASD in newly analyzed data. In review, we identified 14 studies published as of May 2013 investigating infertility and/or its treatments and ASD. Overall, prior results showed little support for a strong association, though some increases in risk with specific treatments were found; many limitations were noted. In new analyses of the CHildhood Autism Risk from Genetics and the Environment (CHARGE) population-based study, cases with autism spectrum disorder (ASD, n = 513) and controls confirmed to have typical development (n = 388) were compared with regard to frequencies of infertility diagnoses and treatments overall and by type. Infertility diagnoses and treatments were also grouped to explore potential underlying pathways. Logistic regression was used to obtain crude and adjusted odds ratios overall and, in secondary analyses, stratified by maternal age (≥35 years) and diagnostic subgroups. No differences in infertility, infertility treatments, or hypothesized underlying pathways were found between cases and controls in crude or adjusted analyses. Numbers were small for rarer therapies and in subgroup analyses; thus the potential for modest associations in specific subsets cannot be ruled out. However, converging evidence from this and other studies suggests that assisted reproductive technology is not a strong independent risk factor for ASD. Recommendations for future studies of this topic are provided. PMID:23965925

Extracting phylogenetic signal and accounting for bias in whole-genome data sets supports the Ctenophora as sister to remaining Metazoa.

PubMed

Borowiec, Marek L; Lee, Ernest K; Chiu, Joanna C; Plachetzki, David C

2015-11-23

Understanding the phylogenetic relationships among major lineages of multicellular animals (the Metazoa) is a prerequisite for studying the evolution of complex traits such as nervous systems, muscle tissue, or sensory organs. Transcriptome-based phylogenies have dramatically improved our understanding of metazoan relationships in recent years, although several important questions remain. The branching order near the base of the tree, in particular the placement of the poriferan (sponges, phylum Porifera) and ctenophore (comb jellies, phylum Ctenophora) lineages is one outstanding issue. Recent analyses have suggested that the comb jellies are sister to all remaining metazoan phyla including sponges. This finding is surprising because it suggests that neurons and other complex traits, present in ctenophores and eumetazoans but absent in sponges or placozoans, either evolved twice in Metazoa or were independently, secondarily lost in the lineages leading to sponges and placozoans. To address the question of basal metazoan relationships we assembled a novel dataset comprised of 1080 orthologous loci derived from 36 publicly available genomes representing major lineages of animals. From this large dataset we procured an optimized set of partitions with high phylogenetic signal for resolving metazoan relationships. This optimized data set is amenable to the most appropriate and computationally intensive analyses using site-heterogeneous models of sequence evolution. We also employed several strategies to examine the potential for long-branch attraction to bias our inferences. Our analyses strongly support the Ctenophora as the sister lineage to other Metazoa. We find no support for the traditional view uniting the ctenophores and Cnidaria. Our findings are supported by Bayesian comparisons of topological hypotheses and we find no evidence that they are biased by long-branch attraction. Our study further clarifies relationships among early branching metazoan lineages. Our phylogeny supports the still-controversial position of ctenophores as sister group to all other metazoans. This study also provides a workflow and computational tools for minimizing systematic bias in genome-based phylogenetic analyses. Future studies of metazoan phylogeny will benefit from ongoing efforts to sequence the genomes of additional invertebrate taxa that will continue to inform our view of the relationships among the major lineages of animals.

The Influence of Judgment Calls on Meta-Analytic Findings.

PubMed

Tarrahi, Farid; Eisend, Martin

2016-01-01

Previous research has suggested that judgment calls (i.e., methodological choices made in the process of conducting a meta-analysis) have a strong influence on meta-analytic findings and question their robustness. However, prior research applies case study comparison or reanalysis of a few meta-analyses with a focus on a few selected judgment calls. These studies neglect the fact that different judgment calls are related to each other and simultaneously influence the outcomes of a meta-analysis, and that meta-analytic findings can vary due to non-judgment call differences between meta-analyses (e.g., variations of effects over time). The current study analyzes the influence of 13 judgment calls in 176 meta-analyses in marketing research by applying a multivariate, multilevel meta-meta-analysis. The analysis considers simultaneous influences from different judgment calls on meta-analytic effect sizes and controls for alternative explanations based on non-judgment call differences between meta-analyses. The findings suggest that judgment calls have only a minor influence on meta-analytic findings, whereas non-judgment call differences between meta-analyses are more likely to explain differences in meta-analytic findings. The findings support the robustness of meta-analytic results and conclusions.

Turbulence measurements in the vicinity of a strong polar jet during POLSTRACC/GWLCYCLE II/SALSA, 2016

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bramberger, Martina; Dörnbrack, Andreas; Rapp, Markus; Gemsa, Steffen; Raynor, Kevin

2017-04-01

In January 2016, the combined POLar STRAtosphere in a Changing Climate (POLSTRACC), Investigation of the life cycle of gravity waves (GW-LCYCLE) II and Seasonality of Air mass transport and origin in the Lowermost Stratosphere (SALSA) campaign, shortly abbreviated as PGS, took place in Kiruna, Sweden. During this campaign, on 31 January 2016, a strong polar jet with horizontal wind speeds up to 100 m/s was located above northern Great Britain. The research flight PGS12 lead the High Altitude LOng range (HALO) aircraft right above the jet streak of this polar jet, a region which is known from theoretical studies for prevalent turbulence. Here, we present a case study in which high-resolution in-situ aircraft measurements are employed to analyse and quantify turbulence in the described region with parameters such as e.g. turbulent kinetic energy and the eddy dissipation rate. This analysis is supported by idealized numerical simulations to determine involved processes for the generation of turbulence. Complementing, forecasts and operational analyses of the integrated forecast system (IFS) of the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) are used to thoroughly analyze the meteorological situation.

The consumption of coffee and black tea and the risk of lung cancer.

PubMed

Pasquet, Romain; Karp, Igor; Siemiatycki, Jack; Koushik, Anita

2016-11-01

Coffee and black tea are among the most consumed beverages worldwide. Although their potential role in lung cancer occurrence has been investigated in several studies, results have been inconclusive. We investigated the associations between intake of coffee and black tea with lung cancer in a population-based case-control study in Montreal, Canada. These analyses included 1130 cases and 1483 controls. Adjusted odds ratios (ORs) were estimated between four metrics of coffee and black tea consumption (frequency, average daily amount, duration, and cumulative amount) and lung cancer, using unconditional logistic regression. The adjusted ORs (95% confidence intervals) for lung cancer comparing daily to never consumers were 0.73 (0.49-1.10) for coffee and 1.05 (0.85-1.31) for black tea. Analyses of other metrics did not reveal any clear patterns of increasing or decreasing risk with increasing amounts or duration of consumption. There was no strong evidence of OR modification by sex or smoking level. The OR estimates did not materially differ by histological subtype for either of the beverages. Our results do not provide strong support for associations between consumption of coffee and black tea and lung cancer. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Quantitative genetics of age at reproduction in wild swans: Support for antagonistic pleiotropy models of senescence

PubMed Central

Charmantier, Anne; Perrins, Christopher; McCleery, Robin H.; Sheldon, Ben C.

2006-01-01

Why do individuals stop reproducing after a certain age, and how is this age determined? The antagonistic pleiotropy theory for the evolution of senescence predicts that increased early-life performance should be accompanied by earlier (or faster) senescence. Hence, an individual that has started to breed early should also lose its reproductive capacities early. We investigate here the relationship between age at first reproduction (AFR) and age at last reproduction (ALR) in a free-ranging mute swan (Cygnus olor) population monitored for 36 years. Using multivariate analyses on the longitudinal data, we show that both traits are strongly selected in opposite directions. Analysis of the phenotypic covariance between these characters shows that individuals vary in their inherent quality, such that some individuals have earlier AFR and later ALR than expected. Quantitative genetic pedigree analyses show that both traits possess additive genetic variance but also that AFR and ALR are positively genetically correlated. Hence, although both traits display heritable variation and are under opposing directional selection, their evolution is constrained by a strong evolutionary tradeoff. These results are consistent with the theory that increased early-life performance comes with faster senescence because of genetic tradeoffs. PMID:16618935

A multilocus perspective on the speciation history of a North American aridland toad (Anaxyrus punctatus).

PubMed

Bryson, Robert W; Jaeger, Jef R; Lemos-Espinal, Julio A; Lazcano, David

2012-09-01

Interpretations of phylogeographic patterns can change when analyses shift from single gene-tree to multilocus coalescent analyses. Using multilocus coalescent approaches, a species tree and divergence times can be estimated from a set of gene trees while accounting for gene-tree stochasticity. We utilized the conceptual strengths of a multilocus coalescent approach coupled with complete range-wide sampling to examine the speciation history of a broadly distributed, North American warm-desert toad, Anaxyrus punctatus. Phylogenetic analyses provided strong support for three major lineages within A. punctatus. Each lineage broadly corresponded to one of three desert regions. Early speciation in A. punctatus appeared linked to late Miocene-Pliocene development of the Baja California peninsula. This event was likely followed by a Pleistocene divergence associated with the separation of the Chihuahuan and Sonoran Deserts. Our multilocus coalescent-based reconstruction provides an informative contrast to previous single gene-tree estimates of the evolutionary history of A. punctatus. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Strong support for relocation to other work tasks: A cross-sectional study of attitudes to sickness insurance regulations in Sweden.

PubMed

Hensing, G; Holmgren, K; Rohdén, H

2015-01-01

Profound changes are taking place in the Swedish welfare state. The general population's attitudes are important insofar changes will be perceived as fair and effective to become implemented. The aim was to study attitudes to the strictness of the sick-leave rules, relocation to other work tasks after 3 months of sick leave and applications for new jobs after 6 months of sick leave. Eligible for this questionnaire study were 1,140 individuals aged 19 to 64 years. Their attitudes were analyzed in relation to age, gender, political ideology and health status. Health status was measured as sick-leave experiences, self-reported health and level of symptoms. Showed that 42% considered the sick-leave rules to be too strict, 60% found relocation to other work tasks to be good while 35% found that applications for new work were good. In logistic regression analyses, high sick-leave experience was associated with increased odds of finding the sick-leave rules too strict and disagreement with relocation to other work tasks or application for new jobs. In conclusion, strong support was found for relocation to other work tasks with the present employer. Earlier research on returning to work has found workplace interventions to be efficient. From a policy perspective it seems relevant to promote such interventions given the strong public opinion in their favor.

Psychometric properties of the Brunel Mood Scale in Chinese adolescents and adults.

PubMed

Zhang, Chun-Qing; Si, Gangyan; Chung, Pak-Kwong; Du, Mengmeng; Terry, Peter C

2014-01-01

Building on the work of Terry and colleagues (Terry, P. C., Lane, A. M., Lane, H. J., & Keohane, L. (1999). Development and validation of a mood measure for adolescents. Journal of Sports Sciences, 17, 861-872; Terry, P. C., Lane, A. M., & Fogarty, G. J. (2003). Construct validity of the Profile of Mood States-Adolescents for use with adults. Psychology of Sport & Exercise, 4, 125-139.), the present study examined the validity and internal consistency reliability of the Chinese version of the Brunel Mood Scale (BRUMS-C) among 2,548 participants, comprising adolescent athletes (n = 520), adult athletes (n = 434), adolescent students (n = 673), and adult students (n = 921). Both adolescent and adult athletes completed the BRUMS-C before, during, or after regular training and both adolescent and adult students completed the BRUMS-C in a classroom setting. Confirmatory factor analyses (CFAs) provided support for the factorial validity of a 23-item six-factor model, with one item removed from the hypothesised measurement model. Internal consistency reliabilities were satisfactory for all subscales across each of the four samples. Criterion validity was supported with strong relationships between the BRUMS-C, abbreviated POMS, and Chinese Affect Scale consistent with theoretical predictions. Multi-sample CFAs showed the BRUMS-C to be invariant at the configural, metric, strong, and structural levels for all samples. Furthermore, latent mean difference analyses showed that athletes reported significantly higher levels of fatigue than students while maintaining almost the same levels of vigour, and adolescent students reported significantly higher levels of depressed mood than the other three samples.

Shedding light into the function of the earliest vertebrate skeleton

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Martinez-Perez, Carlos; Purnell, Mark; Rayfield, Emily; Donoghue, Philip

2016-04-01

Conodonts are an extinct group of jawless vertebrates, the first in our evolutionary lineage to develop a biomineralized skeleton. As such, the conodont skeleton is of great significance because of the insights it provides concerning the biology and function of the primitive vertebrate skeleton. Conodont function has been debated for a century and a half on the basis of its paleocological importance in the Palaezoic ecosystems. However, due to the lack of extanct close representatives and the small size of the conodont element (under a milimiter in length) strongly limited their functional analysis, traditional restricted to analogy. More recently, qualitative approaches have been developed, facilitating tests of element function based on occlusal performance and analysis of microwear and microstructure. In this work we extend these approaches using novel quantitative experimental methods including Synchrotron Radiation X-ray Tomographic Microscopy or Finite Element Analysis to test hypotheses of conodont function. The development of high resolution virtual models of conodont elements, together with biomechanical approaches using Finite Element analysis, informed by occlusal and microwear analyses, provided conclusive support to test hypothesis of structural adaptation within the crown tissue microstructure, showing a close topological co-variation patterns of compressive and tensile stress distribution with different crystallite orientation. In addition, our computational analyses strongly support a tooth-like function for many conodont species. Above all, our study establishes a framework (experimental approach) in which the functional ecology of conodonts can be read from their rich taxonomy and phylogeny, representing an important attempt to understand the role of this abundant and diverse clade in the Phanerozoic marine ecosystems.

The Worry Behaviors Inventory: Assessing the behavioral avoidance associated with generalized anxiety disorder.

PubMed

Mahoney, Alison E J; Hobbs, Megan J; Newby, Jill M; Williams, Alishia D; Sunderland, Matthew; Andrews, Gavin

2016-10-01

Understanding behavioral avoidance associated with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) has implications for the classification, theoretical conceptualization, and clinical management of the disorder. This study describes the development and preliminary psychometric evaluation of a self-report measure of avoidant behaviors associated with GAD: the Worry Behaviors Inventory (WBI). The WBI was administered to treatment-seeking patients (N=1201). Convergent validity was assessed by correlating the WBI with measures of GAD symptom severity. Divergent validity was assessed by correlating the WBI with measures of general disability and measures of depression, social anxiety and panic disorder symptom severity. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses supported a two-factor structure (Safety Behaviors and Avoidance). Internal reliability was acceptable for the 10-item WBI scale (α=.86), Safety Behaviors (α=.85) and Avoidance subscales (α=.75). Evidence of convergent, divergent, and discriminant validity is reported. WBI subscales demonstrated differential associations with measures of symptom severity. The Safety Behaviors subscale was more strongly associated with GAD symptoms than symptoms of other disorders, whereas the Avoidance subscale was as strongly correlated with GAD severity as it was with depression, social anxiety and panic disorder severity. Structured diagnostic interviews were not conducted therefor validity analyses are limited to probable diagnoses based on self-report. The cross-sectional design precluded examination of the WBI's temporal stability and treatment sensitivity. Preliminary evidence supports the use of the WBI in research and clinical settings and may assist clinicians to identify behaviors that are theorized to maintain GAD and that can be targeted during psychological treatment. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Mitochondrial Genome Rearrangements in the Scleractinia/Corallimorpharia Complex: Implications for Coral Phylogeny

PubMed Central

Lin, Mei-Fang; Kitahara, Marcelo Visentini; Luo, Haiwei; Tracey, Dianne; Geller, Jonathan; Fukami, Hironobu; Miller, David John; Chen, Chaolun Allen

2014-01-01

Corallimorpharia is a small Order of skeleton-less animals that is closely related to the reef-building corals (Scleractinia) and of fundamental interest in the context of understanding the potential impacts of climate change in the future on coral reefs. The relationship between the nominal Orders Corallimorpharia and Scleractinia is controversial—the former is either the closest outgroup to the Scleractinia or alternatively is derived from corals via skeleton loss. This latter scenario, the “naked coral” hypothesis, is strongly supported by analyses based on mitochondrial (mt) protein sequences, whereas the former is equally strongly supported by analyses of mt nucleotide sequences. The “naked coral” hypothesis seeks to link skeleton loss in the putative ancestor of corallimorpharians with a period of elevated oceanic CO2 during the Cretaceous, leading to the idea that these skeleton-less animals may be harbingers for the fate of coral reefs under global climate change. In an attempt to better understand their evolutionary relationships, we examined mt genome organization in a representative range (12 species, representing 3 of the 4 extant families) of corallimorpharians and compared these patterns with other Hexacorallia. The most surprising finding was that mt genome organization in Corallimorphus profundus, a deep-water species that is the most scleractinian-like of all corallimorpharians on the basis of morphology, was much more similar to the common scleractinian pattern than to those of other corallimorpharians. This finding is consistent with the idea that C. profundus represents a key position in the coral <-> corallimorpharian transition. PMID:24769753

Support for laws to prohibit weight discrimination in the United States: public attitudes from 2011 to 2013.

PubMed

Suh, Young; Puhl, Rebecca; Liu, Sai; Milici, Frances Fleming

2014-08-01

Public attitudes about three proposed laws prohibiting weight discrimination in the US, from 2011 to 2013 were examined. An online survey using a diverse national sample of US adults to assess their level of support for three specific laws against weight discrimination was conducted. Data collection occurred between June and July in 2011 (n = 1,098), 2012 (n = 1,202), and 2013 (n = 1,202). Between 2011 and 2013, support for laws prohibiting weight discrimination remained consistent, and in some cases became increasingly supportive, primarily in 2012-2013. At least 75% of participants consistently favored laws prohibiting weight discrimination in the workplace. Individuals became increasingly supportive of extending disability protections for individuals with obesity (62% in 2011 to 69% in 2013) and adding body weight as a protected class in Civil Rights statutes (70% in 2011 to 76% in 2013). Analyses highlight specific predictors of support (gender, race, education, and political affiliation). There is strong, consistent support for policies prohibiting weight discrimination. These findings have important implications for developing specific antidiscrimination legislation to protect Americans with obesity and improve their quality of life. Copyright © 2014 The Obesity Society.

What is working memory capacity, and how can we measure it?

PubMed Central

Wilhelm, Oliver; Hildebrandt, Andrea; Oberauer, Klaus

2013-01-01

A latent variable study examined whether different classes of working-memory tasks measure the same general construct of working-memory capacity (WMC). Data from 270 subjects were used to examine the relationship between Binding, Updating, Recall-N-back, and Complex Span tasks, and the relations of WMC with secondary memory measures, indicators of cognitive control from two response-conflict paradigms (Simon task and Eriksen flanker task), and fluid intelligence. Confirmatory factor analyses support the concept of a general WMC factor. Results from structural-equation modeling show negligible relations of WMC with response-conflict resolution, and very strong relations of WMC with secondary memory and fluid intelligence. The findings support the hypothesis that individual differences in WMC reflect the ability to build, maintain and update arbitrary bindings. PMID:23898309

Daily Couple Experiences and Parent Affect in Families of Children with versus without Autism

PubMed Central

Hartley, Sigan L.; DaWalt, Leann Smith; Schultz, Haley M.

2017-01-01

We examined daily couple experiences in 174 couples who had a child with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) relative to 179 couples who had a child without disabilities and their same-day association with parent affect. Parents completed a 14-day daily diary in which they reported time with partner, partner support, partner closeness, and positive and negative couple interactions and level of positive and negative affect. One-way multivariate analyses of covariance and dyadic multilevel models were conducted. Parents of children with ASD reported less time with partner, lower partner closeness, and fewer positive couple interactions than the comparison group. Daily couple experiences were more strongly associated with parent affect in the ASD than comparison group. Findings have implications for programs and supports. PMID:28275928

Daily Couple Experiences and Parent Affect in Families of Children with Versus Without Autism.

PubMed

Hartley, Sigan L; DaWalt, Leann Smith; Schultz, Haley M

2017-06-01

We examined daily couple experiences in 174 couples who had a child with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) relative to 179 couples who had a child without disabilities and their same-day association with parent affect. Parents completed a 14-day daily diary in which they reported time with partner, partner support, partner closeness, and positive and negative couple interactions and level of positive and negative affect. One-way multivariate analyses of covariance and dyadic multilevel models were conducted. Parents of children with ASD reported less time with partner, lower partner closeness, and fewer positive couple interactions than the comparison group. Daily couple experiences were more strongly associated with parent affect in the ASD than comparison group. Findings have implications for programs and supports.

Understanding of and attitudes to genetic testing for inherited retinal disease: a patient perspective

PubMed Central

Willis, T A; Potrata, B; Ahmed, M; Hewison, J; Gale, R; Downey, L; McKibbin, M

2013-01-01

Background/aims The views of people with inherited retinal disease are important to help develop health policy and plan services. This study aimed to record levels of understanding of and attitudes to genetic testing for inherited retinal disease, and views on the availability of testing. Methods Telephone questionnaires comprising quantitative and qualitative items were completed with adults with inherited retinal disease. Participants were recruited via postal invitation (response rate 48%), approach at clinic or newsletters of relevant charitable organisations. Results Questionnaires were completed with 200 participants. Responses indicated that participants’ perceived understanding of genetic testing for inherited retinal disease was variable. The majority (90%) considered testing to be good/very good and would be likely to undergo genetic testing (90%) if offered. Most supported the provision of diagnostic (97%) and predictive (92%) testing, but support was less strong for testing as part of reproductive planning. Most (87%) agreed with the statement that testing should be offered only after the individual has received genetic counselling from a professional. Subgroup analyses revealed differences associated with participant age, gender, education level and ethnicity (p<0.02). Participants reported a range of perceived benefits (eg, family planning, access to treatment) and risks (eg, impact upon family relationships, emotional consequences). Conclusions Adults with inherited retinal disease strongly support the provision of publicly funded genetic testing. Support was stronger for diagnostic and predictive testing than for testing as part of reproductive planning. PMID:23813418

The Serotonin Transporter Promoter Variant (5-HTTLPR), Stress, and Depression Meta-Analysis Revisited: Evidence of Genetic Moderation

PubMed Central

Karg, Katja; Burmeister, Margit; Shedden, Kerby; Sen, Srijan

2013-01-01

Context The initial report of an interaction between a serotonin transporter promoter polymorphism (5-HTTLPR) and stress in the development of depression is perhaps the best-known and most cited finding in psychiatric genetics. Two recent meta-analyses explored the studies seeking to replicate this initial report and concluded that the evidence did not support the presence of the interaction. However, even the larger of the meta-analyses included only 14 of the 56 studies that have explored the relationship between 5-HTTLPR, stress and depression. Objective We sought to perform a meta-analysis including all relevant studies assessing whether 5-HTTLPR moderates the relationship between stress and depression. Data Sources We identified relevant articles from previous meta-analyses and reviews and a PubMed database search. Study Selection We excluded two studies presenting data that were included in other, larger, studies already included in our meta-analysis to avoid duplicate counting of subjects. Data Extraction In order to perform a more inclusive meta-analysis, we used the Liptak-Stouffer Z-score method to combine findings of primary studies at the significance test level rather than raw data level. Results We included 54 studies and found strong evidence that 5-HTTLPR moderates the relationship between stress and depression, with the 5-HTTLPR s allele associated with an increased risk of developing depression under stress (p<0.0001). When restricting our analysis to the studies included in the previous meta-analyses, we found no evidence of association (Munafo studies p=0.16; Risch studies p=0.11). This suggests that the difference in results between previous meta-analyses and ours was not due to the difference in meta-analytic technique but instead to the expanded set of studies included in this analysis. Conclusions Contrary to the results of the smaller earlier meta-analyses, we find strong evidence that 5-HTTLPR moderates the relationship between stress and depression in the studies published to date. PMID:21199959

Contributions of episodic retrieval and mentalizing to autobiographical thought: evidence from functional neuroimaging, resting-state connectivity, and fMRI meta-analyses

PubMed Central

Andrews-Hanna, Jessica R.; Saxe, Rebecca; Yarkoni, Tal

2014-01-01

A growing number of studies suggest the brain’s “default network” becomes engaged when individuals recall their personal past or simulate their future. Recent reports of heterogeneity within the network raises the possibility that these autobiographical processes are comprised of multiple component processes, each supported by distinct functional-anatomic subsystems. We previously hypothesized that a medial temporal subsystem contributes to autobiographical memory and future thought by enabling individuals to retrieve prior information and bind this information into a mental scene. Conversely, a dorsal medial subsystem was proposed to support social-reflective aspects of autobiographical thought, allowing individuals to reflect on the mental states of one’s self and others (i.e. “mentalizing”). To test these hypotheses, we first examined activity in the default network subsystems as participants performed two commonly employed tasks of episodic retrieval and mentalizing. In a subset of participants, relationships among task-evoked regions were examined at rest, in the absence of an overt task. Finally, large-scale fMRI meta-analyses were conducted to identify brain regions that most strongly predicted the presence of episodic retrieval and mentalizing, and these results were compared to meta-analyses of autobiographical tasks. Across studies, laboratory-based episodic retrieval tasks were preferentially linked to the medial temporal subsystem, while mentalizing tasks were preferentially linked to the dorsal medial subsystem. In turn, autobiographical tasks engaged aspects of both subsystems. These results suggest the default network is a heterogeneous brain system whose subsystems support distinct component processes of autobiographical thought. PMID:24486981

Contributions of episodic retrieval and mentalizing to autobiographical thought: evidence from functional neuroimaging, resting-state connectivity, and fMRI meta-analyses.

PubMed

Andrews-Hanna, Jessica R; Saxe, Rebecca; Yarkoni, Tal

2014-05-01

A growing number of studies suggest the brain's "default network" becomes engaged when individuals recall their personal past or simulate their future. Recent reports of heterogeneity within the network raise the possibility that these autobiographical processes comprised of multiple component processes, each supported by distinct functional-anatomic subsystems. We previously hypothesized that a medial temporal subsystem contributes to autobiographical memory and future thought by enabling individuals to retrieve prior information and bind this information into a mental scene. Conversely, a dorsal medial subsystem was proposed to support social-reflective aspects of autobiographical thought, allowing individuals to reflect on the mental states of one's self and others (i.e. "mentalizing"). To test these hypotheses, we first examined activity in the default network subsystems as participants performed two commonly employed tasks of episodic retrieval and mentalizing. In a subset of participants, relationships among task-evoked regions were examined at rest, in the absence of an overt task. Finally, large-scale fMRI meta-analyses were conducted to identify brain regions that most strongly predicted the presence of episodic retrieval and mentalizing, and these results were compared to meta-analyses of autobiographical tasks. Across studies, laboratory-based episodic retrieval tasks were preferentially linked to the medial temporal subsystem, while mentalizing tasks were preferentially linked to the dorsal medial subsystem. In turn, autobiographical tasks engaged aspects of both subsystems. These results suggest the default network is a heterogeneous brain system whose subsystems support distinct component processes of autobiographical thought. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The “Naked Coral” Hypothesis Revisited – Evidence for and Against Scleractinian Monophyly

PubMed Central

Forêt, Sylvain; Huttley, Gavin; Miller, David J.; Chen, Chaolun Allen

2014-01-01

The relationship between Scleractinia and Corallimorpharia, Orders within Anthozoa distinguished by the presence of an aragonite skeleton in the former, is controversial. Although classically considered distinct groups, some phylogenetic analyses have placed the Corallimorpharia within a larger Scleractinia/Corallimorpharia clade, leading to the suggestion that the Corallimorpharia are “naked corals” that arose via skeleton loss during the Cretaceous from a Scleractinian ancestor. Scleractinian paraphyly is, however, contradicted by a number of recent phylogenetic studies based on mt nucleotide (nt) sequence data. Whereas the “naked coral” hypothesis was based on analysis of the sequences of proteins encoded by a relatively small number of mt genomes, here a much-expanded dataset was used to reinvestigate hexacorallian phylogeny. The initial observation was that, whereas analyses based on nt data support scleractinian monophyly, those based on amino acid (aa) data support the “naked coral” hypothesis, irrespective of the method and with very strong support. To better understand the bases of these contrasting results, the effects of systematic errors were examined. Compared to other hexacorallians, the mt genomes of “Robust” corals have a higher (A+T) content, codon usage is far more constrained, and the proteins that they encode have a markedly higher phenylalanine content, leading us to suggest that mt DNA repair may be impaired in this lineage. Thus the “naked coral” topology could be caused by high levels of saturation in these mitochondrial sequences, long-branch effects or model violations. The equivocal results of these extensive analyses highlight the fundamental problems of basing coral phylogeny on mitochondrial sequence data. PMID:24740380

The coevolution of innovation and technical intelligence in primates

PubMed Central

Street, Sally E.; Whalen, Andrew; Laland, Kevin N.

2016-01-01

In birds and primates, the frequency of behavioural innovation has been shown to covary with absolute and relative brain size, leading to the suggestion that large brains allow animals to innovate, and/or that selection for innovativeness, together with social learning, may have driven brain enlargement. We examined the relationship between primate brain size and both technical (i.e. tool using) and non-technical innovation, deploying a combination of phylogenetically informed regression and exploratory causal graph analyses. Regression analyses revealed that absolute and relative brain size correlated positively with technical innovation, and exhibited consistently weaker, but still positive, relationships with non-technical innovation. These findings mirror similar results in birds. Our exploratory causal graph analyses suggested that technical innovation shares strong direct relationships with brain size, body size, social learning rate and social group size, whereas non-technical innovation did not exhibit a direct relationship with brain size. Nonetheless, non-technical innovation was linked to brain size indirectly via diet and life-history variables. Our findings support ‘technical intelligence’ hypotheses in linking technical innovation to encephalization in the restricted set of primate lineages where technical innovation has been reported. Our findings also provide support for a broad co-evolving complex of brain, behaviour, life-history, social and dietary variables, providing secondary support for social and ecological intelligence hypotheses. The ability to gain access to difficult-to-extract, but potentially nutrient-rich, resources through tool use may have conferred on some primates adaptive advantages, leading to selection for brain circuitry that underlies technical proficiency. PMID:26926276

The coevolution of innovation and technical intelligence in primates.

PubMed

Navarrete, Ana F; Reader, Simon M; Street, Sally E; Whalen, Andrew; Laland, Kevin N

2016-03-19

In birds and primates, the frequency of behavioural innovation has been shown to covary with absolute and relative brain size, leading to the suggestion that large brains allow animals to innovate, and/or that selection for innovativeness, together with social learning, may have driven brain enlargement. We examined the relationship between primate brain size and both technical (i.e. tool using) and non-technical innovation, deploying a combination of phylogenetically informed regression and exploratory causal graph analyses. Regression analyses revealed that absolute and relative brain size correlated positively with technical innovation, and exhibited consistently weaker, but still positive, relationships with non-technical innovation. These findings mirror similar results in birds. Our exploratory causal graph analyses suggested that technical innovation shares strong direct relationships with brain size, body size, social learning rate and social group size, whereas non-technical innovation did not exhibit a direct relationship with brain size. Nonetheless, non-technical innovation was linked to brain size indirectly via diet and life-history variables. Our findings support 'technical intelligence' hypotheses in linking technical innovation to encephalization in the restricted set of primate lineages where technical innovation has been reported. Our findings also provide support for a broad co-evolving complex of brain, behaviour, life-history, social and dietary variables, providing secondary support for social and ecological intelligence hypotheses. The ability to gain access to difficult-to-extract, but potentially nutrient-rich, resources through tool use may have conferred on some primates adaptive advantages, leading to selection for brain circuitry that underlies technical proficiency. © 2016 The Author(s).

Identifying the Basal Angiosperm Node in Chloroplast GenomePhylogenies: Sampling One's Way Out of the Felsenstein Zone

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Leebens-Mack, Jim; Raubeson, Linda A.; Cui, Liying

2005-05-27

While there has been strong support for Amborella and Nymphaeales (water lilies) as branching from basal-most nodes in the angiosperm phylogeny, this hypothesis has recently been challenged by phylogenetic analyses of 61 protein-coding genes extracted from the chloroplast genome sequences of Amborella, Nymphaea and 12 other available land plant chloroplast genomes. These character-rich analyses placed the monocots, represented by three grasses (Poaceae), as sister to all other extant angiosperm lineages. We have extracted protein-coding regions from draft sequences for six additional chloroplast genomes to test whether this surprising result could be an artifact of long-branch attraction due to limited taxonmore » sampling. The added taxa include three monocots (Acorus, Yucca and Typha), a water lily (Nuphar), a ranunculid(Ranunculus), and a gymnosperm (Ginkgo). Phylogenetic analyses of the expanded DNA and protein datasets together with microstructural characters (indels) provided unambiguous support for Amborella and the Nymphaeales as branching from the basal-most nodes in the angiospermphylogeny. However, their relative positions proved to be dependent on method of analysis, with parsimony favoring Amborella as sister to all other angiosperms, and maximum likelihood and neighbor-joining methods favoring an Amborella + Nympheales clade as sister. The maximum likelihood phylogeny supported the later hypothesis, but the likelihood for the former hypothesis was not significantly different. Parametric bootstrap analysis, single gene phylogenies, estimated divergence dates and conflicting in del characters all help to illuminate the nature of the conflict in resolution of the most basal nodes in the angiospermphylogeny. Molecular dating analyses provided median age estimates of 161 mya for the most recent common ancestor of all extant angiosperms and 145 mya for the most recent common ancestor of monocots, magnoliids andeudicots. Whereas long sequences reduce variance in branch lengths and molecular dating estimates, the impact of improved taxon sampling on the rooting of the angiosperm phylogeny together with the results of parametric bootstrap analyses demonstrate how long-branch attraction can mislead genome-scale phylogenetic analyses.« less

A photoelectron spectroscopic investigation of vinyl fluoride (C2H3F): the HeI, threshold and CIS photoelectron spectroscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Locht, R.; Leyh, B.; Dehareng, D.; Hottmann, K.; Baumgärtel, H.

2010-01-01

The threshold photoelectron spectrum (TPES) and the constant ion state (CIS) spectra of the individual ionic states of C2H3F have been recorded using synchrotron radiation. For comparison a well-resolved HeI photoelectron spectrum (HeI-PES) has also been measured and analysed in detail. The TPES has been measured between 9.5 eV and 35 eV photon energy. Numerous vibrational structures, reported for the first time, observed in the ground state and the six excited states of the cation are analysed. Quantum chemical calculations have been performed and provide strong support to the assignments. State-selected CIS spectra highlighted the major importance of autoionization for the production of almost all ionized states of C2H3F observed in this work.

Mesoscale Variability in SUCCESS Data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Eckermann, Stephen D.; Stewart, Richard W. (Technical Monitor)

1998-01-01

Analysis of meteorological, chemical and microphysical data from the airborne SUCCESS (SUbsonic aircraft Contrail and Cloud Effects Special Study) mission is reported. Careful analysis of the complex DC-8 flight pattern of May 2, 1996 reveals 19 linear flight segments within six main geographical areas, which we have analyzed. Significant mountain wave activity is revealed in the data from the MMS (Meteorology Measurement System) and MTP (Microwave Temperature Profiler) instruments on the DC-8, which resembles previous observations of mountain wave structures near Boulder, Colorado. Strong mountain-wave-induced upwelling downwind of the Rockies is noted. Turbulence is also noted in regions of the mountain wave consistent with overturning near the tropopause. Zonal winds recorded on the ER-2 are shown to be consistent with mountain wave breaking at or near critical levels in the stratosphere, consistent with the strong turbulence reported by the pilot during the ER-2 flight. These observations have been supported with spectral analyses and modeling studies. 'Postcasts' of mountain wave activity on May 2, 1996 using the Naval Research Laboratory Mountain Wave Forecast Model predicts both strong mountain wave activity near the tropopause and strong mountain-wave-induced turbulence in the stratosphere.

Structure and Filling Characteristics of Paleokarst Reservoirs in the Northern Tarim Basin, Revealed by Outcrop, Core and Borehole Images

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tian, Fei; Lu, Xinbian; Zheng, Songqing; Zhang, Hongfang; Rong, Yuanshuai; Yang, Debin; Liu, Naigui

2017-06-01

The Ordovician paleokarst reservoirs in the Tahe oilfield, with burial depths of over 5300 m, experienced multiple phases of geologic processes and exhibit strong heterogeneity. Core testing can be used to analyse the characteristics of typical points at the centimetre scale, and seismic datasets can reveal the macroscopic outlines of reservoirs at the >10-m scale. However, neither method can identify caves, cave fills and fractures at the meter scale. Guided by outcrop investigations and calibrations based on core sample observations, this paper describes the interpretation of high longitudinal resolution borehole images, the identification of the characteristics of caves, cave fills (sedimentary, breccia and chemical fills) and fractures in single wells, and the identification of structures and fill characteristics at the meter scale in the strongly heterogeneous paleokarst reservoirs. The paleogeomorphology, a major controlling factor in the distribution of paleokarst reservoirs, was also analysed. The results show that one well can penetrate multiple cave layers of various sizes and that the caves are filled with multiple types of fill. The paleogeomorphology can be divided into highlands, slopes and depressions, which controlled the structure and fill characteristics of the paleokarst reservoirs. The results of this study can provide fundamental meter-scale datasets for interpreting detailed geologic features of deeply buried paleocaves, can be used to connect core- and seismic-scale interpretations, and can provide support for the recognition and development of these strongly heterogeneous reservoirs.

The evolutionary history of ferns inferred from 25 low-copy nuclear genes.

PubMed

Rothfels, Carl J; Li, Fay-Wei; Sigel, Erin M; Huiet, Layne; Larsson, Anders; Burge, Dylan O; Ruhsam, Markus; Deyholos, Michael; Soltis, Douglas E; Stewart, C Neal; Shaw, Shane W; Pokorny, Lisa; Chen, Tao; dePamphilis, Claude; DeGironimo, Lisa; Chen, Li; Wei, Xiaofeng; Sun, Xiao; Korall, Petra; Stevenson, Dennis W; Graham, Sean W; Wong, Gane K-S; Pryer, Kathleen M

2015-07-01

• Understanding fern (monilophyte) phylogeny and its evolutionary timescale is critical for broad investigations of the evolution of land plants, and for providing the point of comparison necessary for studying the evolution of the fern sister group, seed plants. Molecular phylogenetic investigations have revolutionized our understanding of fern phylogeny, however, to date, these studies have relied almost exclusively on plastid data.• Here we take a curated phylogenomics approach to infer the first broad fern phylogeny from multiple nuclear loci, by combining broad taxon sampling (73 ferns and 12 outgroup species) with focused character sampling (25 loci comprising 35877 bp), along with rigorous alignment, orthology inference and model selection.• Our phylogeny corroborates some earlier inferences and provides novel insights; in particular, we find strong support for Equisetales as sister to the rest of ferns, Marattiales as sister to leptosporangiate ferns, and Dennstaedtiaceae as sister to the eupolypods. Our divergence-time analyses reveal that divergences among the extant fern orders all occurred prior to ∼200 MYA. Finally, our species-tree inferences are congruent with analyses of concatenated data, but generally with lower support. Those cases where species-tree support values are higher than expected involve relationships that have been supported by smaller plastid datasets, suggesting that deep coalescence may be reducing support from the concatenated nuclear data.• Our study demonstrates the utility of a curated phylogenomics approach to inferring fern phylogeny, and highlights the need to consider underlying data characteristics, along with data quantity, in phylogenetic studies. © 2015 Botanical Society of America, Inc.

A culture conducive to women's academic success: development of a measure.

PubMed

Westring, Alyssa Friede; Speck, Rebecca M; Sammel, Mary Dupuis; Scott, Patricia; Tuton, Lucy Wolf; Grisso, Jeane Ann; Abbuhl, Stephanie

2012-11-01

The work environment culture inhibits women's career success in academic medicine. The lack of clarity and consistency in the definition, measurement, and analysis of culture constrains current research on the topic. The authors addressed this gap by defining the construct of a culture conducive to women's academic success (CCWAS) and creating a measure (i.e., tool) to evaluate it. First, the authors conducted a review of published literature, held focus groups, and consulted with subject matter experts to develop a measure of academic workplace culture for women. Then they developed and pilot-tested the measure with a convenience sample of women assistant professors. After refining the measure, they administered it, along with additional scales for validation, to 133 women assistant professors at the University of Pennsylvania. Finally, they conducted statistical analyses to explore the measure's nature and validity. A CCWAS consists of four distinct, but related, dimensions: equal access, work-life balance, freedom from gender biases, and supportive leadership. The authors found evidence that women within departments/divisions agree on the supportiveness of their units but that substantial differences among units exist. The analyses provided strong evidence for the reliability and validity of their measure. This report contributes to a growing understanding of women's academic medicine careers and provides a measure that researchers can use to assess the supportiveness of the culture for women assistant professors and that leaders can use to evaluate the effectiveness of interventions designed to increase the supportiveness of the environment for women faculty.

Meta-Analyses and Orthodontic Evidence-Based Clinical Practice in the 21st Century

PubMed Central

Papadopoulos, Moschos A.

2010-01-01

Introduction: Aim of this systematic review was to assess the orthodontic related issues which currently provide the best evidence as documented by meta-analyses, by critically evaluating and discussing the methodology used in these studies. Material and Methods: Several electronic databases were searched and handsearching was also performed in order to identify the corresponding meta-analyses investigating orthodontic related subjects. In total, 197 studies were retrieved initially. After applying specific inclusion and exclusion criteria, 27 articles were identified as meta-analyses treating orthodontic-related subjects. Results: Many of these 27 papers presented sufficient quality and followed appropriate meta-analytic approaches to quantitatively synthesize data and presented adequately supported evidence. However, the methodology used in some of them presented weaknesses, limitations or deficiencies. Consequently, the topics in orthodontics which currently provide the best evidence, include some issues related to Class II or Class III treatment, treatment of transverse problems, external apical root resorption, dental anomalies, such as congenital missing teeth and tooth transposition, frequency of severe occlusal problems, nickel hypersensitivity, obstructive sleep apnea syndrome, and computer-assisted learning in orthodontic education. Conclusions: Only a few orthodontic related issues have been so far investigated by means of MAs. In addition, for some of these issues investigated in the corresponding MAs no definite conclusions could be drawn, due to significant methodological deficiencies of these studies. According to this investigation, it can be concluded that at the begin of the 21st century there is evidence for only a few orthodontic related issues as documented by meta-analyses, and more well-conducted high quality research studies are needed to produce strong evidence in order to support evidence-based clinical practice in orthodontics. PMID:21673839

Attitudes towards euthanasia in severely ill and dementia patients and cremation in Cyprus: a population-based survey

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background Population studies on end-of-life decisions have not been conducted in Cyprus. Our study aim was to evaluate the beliefs and attitudes of Greek Cypriots towards end-of-life issues regarding euthanasia and cremation. Methods A population-based telephone survey was conducted in Cyprus. One thousand randomly selected individuals from the population of Cyprus age 20 years or older were invited to participate. Beliefs and attitudes on end-of-life decisions were collected using an anonymous and validated questionnaire. Statistical analyses included cross-tabulations, Pearson’s chi-square tests and multivariable-adjusted logistic regression models. Results A total of 308 males and 689 females participated in the survey. About 70% of the respondents did not support euthanasia for people with incurable illness and/or elders with dementia when requested by them and 77% did not support euthanasia for people with incurable illness and/or elders with dementia when requested by relatives. Regarding cremation, 78% were against and only 14% reported being in favor. Further statistical analyses showed that male gender, being single and having reached higher educational level were factors positively associated with support for euthanasia in a statistically significant fashion. On the contrary, the more religiosity expressed by study participants, the less support they reported for euthanasia or cremation. Conclusions The vast majority of Greek Cypriots does not support euthanasia for people with incurable illness and/or elders with dementia and also do not support cremation. Certain demographic characteristics such as age and education have a positive influence towards attitudes for euthanasia and cremation, while religiosity exerts a strong negative influence on the above. Family bonding as well as social and cultural traditions may also play a role although not comprehensively evaluated in the current study. PMID:24060291

Attitudes towards euthanasia in severely ill and dementia patients and cremation in Cyprus: a population-based survey.

PubMed

Televantos, Anastasios; Talias, Michael A; Charalambous, Marianna; Soteriades, Elpidoforos S

2013-09-23

Population studies on end-of-life decisions have not been conducted in Cyprus. Our study aim was to evaluate the beliefs and attitudes of Greek Cypriots towards end-of-life issues regarding euthanasia and cremation. A population-based telephone survey was conducted in Cyprus. One thousand randomly selected individuals from the population of Cyprus age 20 years or older were invited to participate. Beliefs and attitudes on end-of-life decisions were collected using an anonymous and validated questionnaire. Statistical analyses included cross-tabulations, Pearson's chi-square tests and multivariable-adjusted logistic regression models. A total of 308 males and 689 females participated in the survey. About 70% of the respondents did not support euthanasia for people with incurable illness and/or elders with dementia when requested by them and 77% did not support euthanasia for people with incurable illness and/or elders with dementia when requested by relatives. Regarding cremation, 78% were against and only 14% reported being in favor. Further statistical analyses showed that male gender, being single and having reached higher educational level were factors positively associated with support for euthanasia in a statistically significant fashion. On the contrary, the more religiosity expressed by study participants, the less support they reported for euthanasia or cremation. The vast majority of Greek Cypriots does not support euthanasia for people with incurable illness and/or elders with dementia and also do not support cremation. Certain demographic characteristics such as age and education have a positive influence towards attitudes for euthanasia and cremation, while religiosity exerts a strong negative influence on the above. Family bonding as well as social and cultural traditions may also play a role although not comprehensively evaluated in the current study.

RTEMS Centre - Support and Maintenance Centre to RTEMS Operating System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Silva, H.; Constantino, A.; Freitas, D.; Coutinho, M.; Faustino, S.; Mota, M.; Colaço, P.; Sousa, J.; Dias, L.; Damjanovic, B.; Zulianello, M.; Rufino, J.

2009-05-01

RTEMS CENTRE - Support and Maintenance Centre to RTEMS Operating System is a joint ESA/Portuguese Task Force initiative to develop a support and maintenance centre to the Real-Time Executive for Multiprocessor Systems (RTEMS). This paper gives a high level visibility of the progress, the results obtained and the future work in the RTEMS CENTRE [6] and in the RTEMS Improvement [7] projects. RTEMS CENTRE started officially in November 2006, with the RTEMS 4.6.99.2 version. A full analysis of RTEMS operating system was produced. The architecture was analysed in terms of conceptual, organizational and operational concepts. The original objectives [1] of the centre were primarily to create and maintain technical expertise and competences in this RTOS, to develop a website to provide the European Space Community an entry point for obtaining support (http://rtemscentre.edisoft.pt), to design, develop, maintain and integrate some RTEMS support tools (Timeline Tool, Configuration and Management Tools), to maintain flight libraries and Board Support Packages, to develop a strong relationship with the World RTEMS Community and finally to produce some considerations in ARINC-653, DO-178B and ECSS E-40 standards. RTEMS Improvement is the continuation of the RTEMS CENTRE. Currently the RTEMS, version 4.8.0, is being facilitated for a future qualification. In this work, the validation material is being produced following the Galileo Software Standards Development Assurance Level B [5]. RTEMS is being completely tested, errors analysed, dead and deactivated code removed and tests produced to achieve 100% statement and decision coverage of source code [2]. The SW to exploit the LEON Memory Management Unit (MMU) hardware will be also added. A brief description of the expected implementations will be given.

WRKY transcription factor genes in wild rice Oryza nivara.

PubMed

Xu, Hengjian; Watanabe, Kenneth A; Zhang, Liyuan; Shen, Qingxi J

2016-08-01

The WRKY transcription factor family is one of the largest gene families involved in plant development and stress response. Although many WRKY genes have been studied in cultivated rice (Oryza sativa), the WRKY genes in the wild rice species Oryza nivara, the direct progenitor of O. sativa, have not been studied. O. nivara shows abundant genetic diversity and elite drought and disease resistance features. Herein, a total of 97 O. nivara WRKY (OnWRKY) genes were identified. RNA-sequencing demonstrates that OnWRKY genes were generally expressed at higher levels in the roots of 30-day-old plants. Bioinformatic analyses suggest that most of OnWRKY genes could be induced by salicylic acid, abscisic acid, and drought. Abundant potential MAPK phosphorylation sites in OnWRKYs suggest that activities of most OnWRKYs can be regulated by phosphorylation. Phylogenetic analyses of OnWRKYs support a novel hypothesis that ancient group IIc OnWRKYs were the original ancestors of only some group IIc and group III WRKYs. The analyses also offer strong support that group IIc OnWRKYs containing the HVE sequence in their zinc finger motifs were derived from group Ia WRKYs. This study provides a solid foundation for the study of the evolution and functions of WRKY genes in O. nivara. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Kazusa DNA Research Institute.

Vitality, mental health, and satisfaction with information after breast cancer.

PubMed

Griggs, Jennifer J; Sorbero, Melony E S; Mallinger, Julie B; Quinn, Megan; Waterman, Margaret; Brooks, Beverly; Yirinec, Brian; Shields, Cleveland G

2007-04-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between satisfaction with information about treatment-related and survivorship issues and mental health outcomes, including vitality, in long-term breast cancer survivors. Participants who had finished treatment for breast cancer at least 3 months before enrollment completed a survey instrument designed to evaluate satisfaction with diagnostic and treatment information and satisfaction with survivorship information. Mental health and vitality were measured using the Medical Outcomes Study SF-36, and distress was measured using the impact of events scale. Bivariate analyses and linear regression analyses were performed to investigate the relationships between satisfaction with information, mental health, vitality, and distress controlling for clinical and treatment variables. The survey was completed by 231 participants (response rate 83%). More respondents were highly satisfied with treatment information (87%) than with survivorship information (30%, p=0.0001). There was a strong positive relationship between satisfaction with information (both treatment and survivorship issues) and vitality, mental health, and a strong negative relationship with distress. In multivariate analyses, satisfaction with treatment information was independently associated with mental health (p<0.01), and satisfaction with survivorship information was independently associated with vitality (p<0.05). Among patients who have completed treatment for breast cancer, satisfaction with diagnosis and treatment information is greater than satisfaction with survivorship issues and satisfaction with information may play an important role in mental health outcomes. Given the relationship between satisfaction with information and vitality, interventions to improve informational support regarding survivorship issues are warranted.

Treating conduct disorder: An effectiveness and natural language analysis study of a new family-centred intervention program.

PubMed

Stevens, Kimberly A; Ronan, Prof Kevin; Davies, Gene

2017-05-01

This paper reports on a new family-centred, feedback-informed intervention focused on evaluating therapeutic outcomes and language changes across treatment for conduct disorder (CD). The study included 26 youth and families from a larger randomised, controlled trial (Ronan et al., in preparation). Outcome measures reflected family functioning/youth compliance, delinquency, and family goal attainment. First- and last-treatment session audio files were transcribed into more than 286,000 words and evaluated through the Linguistic Inquiry and Word Count Analysis program (Pennebaker et al., 2007). Significant outcomes across family functioning/youth compliance, delinquency, goal attainment and word usage reflected moderate-strong effect sizes. Benchmarking findings also revealed reduced time of treatment delivery compared to a gold standard approach. Linguistic analysis revealed specific language changes across treatment. For caregivers, increased first person, action-oriented, present tense, and assent type words and decreased sadness words were found; for youth, significant reduction in use of leisure words. This study is the first using lexical analyses of natural language to assess change across treatment for conduct disordered youth and families. Such findings provided strong support for program tenets; others, more speculative support. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier B.V.

A large-scale chloroplast phylogeny of the Lamiaceae sheds new light on its subfamilial classification

PubMed Central

Li, Bo; Cantino, Philip D.; Olmstead, Richard G.; Bramley, Gemma L. C.; Xiang, Chun-Lei; Ma, Zhong-Hui; Tan, Yun-Hong; Zhang, Dian-Xiang

2016-01-01

Lamiaceae, the sixth largest angiosperm family, contains more than 7000 species distributed all over the world. However, although considerable progress has been made in the last two decades, its phylogenetic backbone has never been well resolved. In the present study, a large-scale phylogenetic reconstruction of Lamiaceae using chloroplast sequences was carried out with the most comprehensive sampling of the family to date (288 species in 191 genera, representing approximately 78% of the genera of Lamiaceae). Twelve strongly supported primary clades were inferred, which form the phylogenetic backbone of Lamiaceae. Six of the primary clades correspond to the current recognized subfamilies Ajugoideae, Lamioideae, Nepetoideae, Prostantheroideae, Scutellarioideae, and Symphorematoideae, and one corresponds to a portion of Viticoideae. The other five clades comprise: 1) Acrymia and Cymaria; 2) Hymenopyramis, Petraeovitex, Peronema, and Garrettia; 3) Premna, Gmelina, and Cornutia; 4) Callicarpa; and 5) Tectona. Based on these results, three new subfamilies—Cymarioideae, Peronematoideae, and Premnoideae—are described, and the compositions of other subfamilies are updated based on new findings from the last decade. Furthermore, our analyses revealed five strongly supported, more inclusive clades that contain subfamilies, and we give them phylogenetically defined, unranked names: Cymalamiina, Scutelamiina, Perolamiina, Viticisymphorina, and Calliprostantherina. PMID:27748362

Classification of processes involved in sharing individual participant data from clinical trials.

PubMed

Ohmann, Christian; Canham, Steve; Banzi, Rita; Kuchinke, Wolfgang; Battaglia, Serena

2018-01-01

Background: In recent years, a cultural change in the handling of data from research has resulted in the strong promotion of a culture of openness and increased sharing of data. In the area of clinical trials, sharing of individual participant data involves a complex set of processes and the interaction of many actors and actions. Individual services/tools to support data sharing are available, but what is missing is a detailed, structured and comprehensive list of processes/subprocesses involved and tools/services needed. Methods : Principles and recommendations from a published data sharing consensus document are analysed in detail by a small expert group. Processes/subprocesses involved in data sharing are identified and linked to actors and possible services/tools. Definitions are adapted from the business process model and notation (BPMN) and applied in the analysis. Results: A detailed and comprehensive list of individual processes/subprocesses involved in data sharing, structured according to 9 main processes, is provided. Possible tools/services to support these processes/subprocesses are identified and grouped according to major type of support. Conclusions: The list of individual processes/subprocesses and tools/services identified is a first step towards development of a generic framework or architecture for sharing of data from clinical trials. Such a framework is strongly needed to give an overview of how various actors, research processes and services could form an interoperable system for data sharing.

Classification of processes involved in sharing individual participant data from clinical trials

PubMed Central

Ohmann, Christian; Canham, Steve; Banzi, Rita; Kuchinke, Wolfgang; Battaglia, Serena

2018-01-01

Background: In recent years, a cultural change in the handling of data from research has resulted in the strong promotion of a culture of openness and increased sharing of data. In the area of clinical trials, sharing of individual participant data involves a complex set of processes and the interaction of many actors and actions. Individual services/tools to support data sharing are available, but what is missing is a detailed, structured and comprehensive list of processes/subprocesses involved and tools/services needed. Methods: Principles and recommendations from a published data sharing consensus document are analysed in detail by a small expert group. Processes/subprocesses involved in data sharing are identified and linked to actors and possible services/tools. Definitions are adapted from the business process model and notation (BPMN) and applied in the analysis. Results: A detailed and comprehensive list of individual processes/subprocesses involved in data sharing, structured according to 9 main processes, is provided. Possible tools/services to support these processes/subprocesses are identified and grouped according to major type of support. Conclusions: The list of individual processes/subprocesses and tools/services identified is a first step towards development of a generic framework or architecture for sharing of data from clinical trials. Such a framework is strongly needed to give an overview of how various actors, research processes and services could form an interoperable system for data sharing. PMID:29623192

Interlimb relation during the double support phase of gait: an electromyographic, mechanical and energy-based analysis.

PubMed

Sousa, Andreia S P; Silva, Augusta; Tavares, João Manuel R S

2013-03-01

The purpose of this study is to analyse the interlimb relation and the influence of mechanical energy on metabolic energy expenditure during gait. In total, 22 subjects were monitored as to electromyographic activity, ground reaction forces and VO2 consumption (metabolic power) during gait. The results demonstrate a moderate negative correlation between the activity of tibialis anterior, biceps femoris and vastus medialis of the trailing limb during the transition between mid-stance and double support and that of the leading limb during double support for the same muscles, and between these and gastrocnemius medialis and soleus of the trailing limb during double support. Trailing limb soleus during the transition between mid-stance and double support was positively correlated to leading limb tibialis anterior, vastus medialis and biceps femoris during double support. Also, the trailing limb centre of mass mechanical work was strongly influenced by the leading limbs, although only the mechanical power related to forward progression of both limbs was correlated to metabolic power. These findings demonstrate a consistent interlimb relation in terms of electromyographic activity and centre of mass mechanical work, being the relations occurred in the plane of forward progression the more important to gait energy expenditure.

Innate immune response development in nestling tree swallows

USGS Publications Warehouse

Stambaugh, T.; Houdek, B.J.; Lombardo, M.P.; Thorpe, P.A.; Caldwell, Hahn D.

2011-01-01

We tracked the development of innate immunity in nestling Tree Swallows (Tachycineta bicolor) and compared it to that of adults using blood drawn from nestlings during days 6, 12, and 18 of the ???20-day nestling period and from adults. Innate immunity was characterized using an in vitro assay of the ability of whole blood to kill Escherichia coli. The ability of whole blood to kill E. coli increased as nestlings matured. Neither this component of innate immunity nor right wing chord length on day18 were as developed as in adults indicating that development of the innate immune system and growth both continued after fledging. Narrow sense heritability analyses suggest that females with strong immune responses produced nestlings with strong immune responses. These data suggest nestling Tree Swallows allocated sufficient energy to support rapid growth to enable fledging by day 18, but that further development of innate immunity occurred post-fledging. ?? 2011 by the Wilson Ornithological Society.

Neighborhood and housing disorder, parenting, and youth adjustment in low-income urban families.

PubMed

Jocson, Rosanne M; McLoyd, Vonnie C

2015-06-01

Using two waves of data, this study examined relations among neighborhood and housing disorder, parents' psychological distress, parenting behaviors, and subsequent youth adjustment in a low-income, multiethnic sample of families with children aged 6-16. Results supported the hypothesized indirect relation between disorder and youth outcomes via parenting processes. Higher levels of neighborhood and housing disorder were associated with higher levels of parents' psychological distress, which was in turn related to more frequent use of harsh and inconsistent discipline strategies and lower parental warmth. More frequent use of harsh and inconsistent discipline was associated with higher levels of youth internalizing and externalizing behaviors 3 years later. Housing disorder contributed more strongly to parents' psychological distress than neighborhood disorder, whereas neighborhood disorder contributed more strongly to youth externalizing behaviors compared to housing disorder. Multiple-group analyses showed that the patterns of relations were similar for younger and older children, and for girls and boys.

Hydrological Networks and Associated Topographic Variation as Templates for the Spatial Organization of Tropical Forest Vegetation

PubMed Central

Detto, Matteo; Muller-Landau, Helene C.; Mascaro, Joseph; Asner, Gregory P.

2013-01-01

An understanding of the spatial variability in tropical forest structure and biomass, and the mechanisms that underpin this variability, is critical for designing, interpreting, and upscaling field studies for regional carbon inventories. We investigated the spatial structure of tropical forest vegetation and its relationship to the hydrological network and associated topographic structure across spatial scales of 10–1000 m using high-resolution maps of LiDAR-derived mean canopy profile height (MCH) and elevation for 4930 ha of tropical forest in central Panama. MCH was strongly associated with the hydrological network: canopy height was highest in areas of positive convexity (valleys, depressions) close to channels draining 1 ha or more. Average MCH declined strongly with decreasing convexity (transition to ridges, hilltops) and increasing distance from the nearest channel. Spectral analysis, performed with wavelet decomposition, showed that the variance in MCH had fractal similarity at scales of ∼30–600 m, and was strongly associated with variation in elevation, with peak correlations at scales of ∼250 m. Whereas previous studies of topographic correlates of tropical forest structure conducted analyses at just one or a few spatial grains, our study found that correlations were strongly scale-dependent. Multi-scale analyses of correlations of MCH with slope, aspect, curvature, and Laplacian convexity found that MCH was most strongly related to convexity measured at scales of 20–300 m, a topographic variable that is a good proxy for position with respect to the hydrological network. Overall, our results support the idea that, even in these mesic forests, hydrological networks and associated topographical variation serve as templates upon which vegetation is organized over specific ranges of scales. These findings constitute an important step towards a mechanistic understanding of these patterns, and can guide upscaling and downscaling. PMID:24204610

Phylogenetic reconstruction using four low-copy nuclear loci strongly supports a polyphyletic origin of the genus Sorghum

PubMed Central

Hawkins, Jennifer S.; Ramachandran, Dhanushya; Henderson, Ashley; Freeman, Jasmine; Carlise, Michael; Harris, Alex; Willison-Headley, Zachary

2015-01-01

Background and Aims Sorghum is an essential grain crop whose evolutionary placement within the Andropogoneae has been the subject of scrutiny for decades. Early studies using cytogenetic and morphological data point to a poly- or paraphyletic origin of the genus; however, acceptance of poly- or paraphyly has been met with resistance. This study aimed to address the species relationships within Sorghum, in addition to the placement of Sorghum within the tribe, using a phylogenetic approach and employing broad taxon sampling. Methods From 16 diverse Sorghum species, eight low-copy nuclear loci were sequenced that are known to play a role in morphological diversity and have been previously used to study evolutionary relationships in grasses. Further, the data for four of these loci were combined with those from 57 members of the Andropogoneae in order to determine the placement of Sorghum within the tribe. Both maximum likelihood and Bayesian analyses were performed on multilocus concatenated data matrices. Key Results The Sorghum-specific topology provides strong support for two major lineages, in alignment with earlier studies employing chloroplast and internal transcribed spacer (ITS) markers. Clade I is composed of the Eu-, Chaeto- and Heterosorghum, while clade II contains the Stipo- and Parasorghum. When combined with data from the Andropogoneae, Clade II resolves as sister to a clade containing Miscanthus and Saccharum with high posterior probability and bootstrap support, and to the exclusion of Clade I. Conclusions The results provide compelling evidence for a two-lineage polyphyletic ancestry of Sorghum within the larger Andropogoneae, i.e. the derivation of the two major Sorghum clades from a unique common ancestor. Rejection of monophyly in previous molecular studies is probably due to limited taxon sampling outside of the genus. The clade consisting of Para- and Stiposorghum resolves as sister to Miscanthus and Saccharum with strong node support. PMID:26141132

A Molecular Phylogeny for the Leaf-Roller Moths (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) and Its Implications for Classification and Life History Evolution

PubMed Central

Regier, Jerome C.; Brown, John W.; Mitter, Charles; Baixeras, Joaquín; Cho, Soowon; Cummings, Michael P.; Zwick, Andreas

2012-01-01

Background Tortricidae, one of the largest families of microlepidopterans, comprise about 10,000 described species worldwide, including important pests, biological control agents and experimental models. Understanding of tortricid phylogeny, the basis for a predictive classification, is currently provisional. We present the first detailed molecular estimate of relationships across the tribes and subfamilies of Tortricidae, assess its concordance with previous morphological evidence, and re-examine postulated evolutionary trends in host plant use and biogeography. Methodology/Principal Findings We sequenced up to five nuclear genes (6,633 bp) in each of 52 tortricids spanning all three subfamilies and 19 of the 22 tribes, plus up to 14 additional genes, for a total of 14,826 bp, in 29 of those taxa plus all 14 outgroup taxa. Maximum likelihood analyses yield trees that, within Tortricidae, differ little among data sets and character treatments and are nearly always strongly supported at all levels of divergence. Support for several nodes was greatly increased by the additional 14 genes sequenced in just 29 of 52 tortricids, with no evidence of phylogenetic artifacts from deliberately incomplete gene sampling. There is strong support for the monophyly of Tortricinae and of Olethreutinae, and for grouping of these to the exclusion of Chlidanotinae. Relationships among tribes are robustly resolved in Tortricinae and mostly so in Olethreutinae. Feeding habit (internal versus external) is strongly conserved on the phylogeny. Within Tortricinae, a clade characterized by eggs being deposited in large clusters, in contrast to singly or in small batches, has markedly elevated incidence of polyphagous species. The five earliest-branching tortricid lineages are all species-poor tribes with mainly southern/tropical distributions, consistent with a hypothesized Gondwanan origin for the family. Conclusions/Significance We present the first robustly supported phylogeny for Tortricidae, and a revised classification in which all of the sampled tribes are now monophyletic. PMID:22536410

Ratings for emotion film clips.

PubMed

Gabert-Quillen, Crystal A; Bartolini, Ellen E; Abravanel, Benjamin T; Sanislow, Charles A

2015-09-01

Film clips are widely utilized to elicit emotion in a variety of research studies. Normative ratings for scenes selected for these purposes support the idea that selected clips correspond to the intended target emotion, but studies reporting normative ratings are limited. Using an ethnically diverse sample of college undergraduates, selected clips were rated for intensity, discreteness, valence, and arousal. Variables hypothesized to affect the perception of stimuli (i.e., gender, race-ethnicity, and familiarity) were also examined. Our analyses generally indicated that males reacted strongly to positively valenced film clips, whereas females reacted more strongly to negatively valenced film clips. Caucasian participants tended to react more strongly to the film clips, and we found some variation by race-ethnicity across target emotions. Finally, familiarity with the films tended to produce higher ratings for positively valenced film clips, and lower ratings for negatively valenced film clips. These findings provide normative ratings for a useful set of film clips for the study of emotion, and they underscore factors to be considered in research that utilizes scenes from film for emotion elicitation.

The obstetrical and postpartum benefits of continuous support during childbirth.

PubMed

Scott, K D; Klaus, P H; Klaus, M H

1999-12-01

The purpose of this article is to review the evidence regarding the effectiveness of continuous support provided by a trained laywoman (doula) during childbirth on obstetrical and postpartum outcomes. Twelve individual randomized trials have compared obstetrical and postpartum outcomes between doula-supported women and women who did not receive doula support during childbirth. Three meta-analyses, which used different approaches, have been performed on the results of the clinical trials. Emotional and physical support significantly shortens labor and decreases the need for cesarean deliveries, forceps and vacuum extraction, oxytocin augmentation, and analgesia. Doula-supported mothers also rate childbirth as less difficult and painful than do women not supported by a doula. Labor support by fathers does not appear to produce similar obstetrical benefits. Eight of the 12 trials report early or late psychosocial benefits of doula support. Early benefits include reductions in state anxiety scores, positive feelings about the birth experience, and increased rates of breastfeeding initiation. Later postpartum benefits include decreased symptoms of depression, improved self-esteem, exclusive breastfeeding, and increased sensitivity of the mother to her child's needs. The results of these 12 trials strongly suggest that doula support is an essential component of childbirth. A thorough reorganization of current birth practices is in order to ensure that every woman has access to continuous emotional and physical support during labor.

Social Support and Thriving Health: A New Approach to Understanding the Health of Indigenous Canadians

PubMed Central

Richmond, Chantelle A.M.; Ross, Nancy A.; Egeland, Grace M.

2007-01-01

Objectives. We examined the importance of social support in promoting thriving health among indigenous Canadians, a disadvantaged population. Methods. We categorized the self-reported health status of 31625 adult indigenous Canadians as thriving (excellent, very good) or nonthriving (good, fair, poor). We measured social support with indices of positive interaction, emotional support, tangible support, and affection and intimacy. We used multivariable logistic regression analyses to estimate odds of reporting thriving health, using social support as the key independent variable, and we controlled for educational attainment and labor force status. Results. Compared with women reporting low levels of social support, those reporting high levels of positive interaction (odds ratio [OR]=1.4; 95% confidence interval [CI]=1.2, 1.6), emotional support (OR=2.1; 95% CI=1.8, 2.4), and tangible support (OR = 1.4; 95% CI = 1.2, 1.5) were significantly more likely to report thriving health. Among men, only emotional support was significantly related to thriving health (OR=1.7; 95% CI=1.5, 1.9). Thriving health status was also significantly mediated by age, aboriginal status (First Nations, Métis, or Inuit), educational attainment, and labor force status. Conclusions. Social support is a strong determinant of thriving health, particularly among women. Research that emphasizes thriving represents a positive and necessary turn in the indigenous health discourse. PMID:17761564

ClonoCalc and ClonoPlot: immune repertoire analysis from raw files to publication figures with graphical user interface.

PubMed

Fähnrich, Anke; Krebbel, Moritz; Decker, Normann; Leucker, Martin; Lange, Felix D; Kalies, Kathrin; Möller, Steffen

2017-03-11

Next generation sequencing (NGS) technologies enable studies and analyses of the diversity of both T and B cell receptors (TCR and BCR) in human and animal systems to elucidate immune functions in health and disease. Over the last few years, several algorithms and tools have been developed to support respective analyses of raw sequencing data of the immune repertoire. These tools focus on distinct aspects of the data processing and require a strong bioinformatics background. To facilitate the analysis of T and B cell repertoires by less experienced users, software is needed that combines the most common tools for repertoire analysis. We introduce a graphical user interface (GUI) providing a complete analysis pipeline for processing raw NGS data for human and animal TCR and BCR clonotype determination and advanced differential repertoire studies. It provides two applications. ClonoCalc prepares the raw data for downstream analyses. It combines a demultiplexer for barcode splitting and employs MiXCR for paired-end read merging and the extraction of human and animal TCR/BCR sequences. ClonoPlot wraps the R package tcR and further contributes self-developed plots for the descriptive comparative investigation of immune repertoires. This workflow reduces the amount of programming required to perform the respective analyses and supports both communication and training between scientists and technicians, and across scientific disciplines. The Open Source development in Java and R is modular and invites advanced users to extend its functionality. Software and documentation are freely available at https://bitbucket.org/ClonoSuite/clonocalc-plot .

HIV-Related Sexual Risk among African American Men Preceding Incarceration: Associations with Support from Significant Others, Family, and Friends.

PubMed

Coatsworth, Ashley M; Scheidell, Joy D; Wohl, David A; Whitehead, Nicole E; Golin, Carol E; Judon-Monk, Selena; Khan, Maria R

2017-02-01

We evaluated the association between social support received from significant others, family, and friends and HIV-related sexual risk behaviors among African American men involved in the criminal justice system. Project DISRUPT is a cohort study among African American men released from prison in North Carolina (N = 189). During the baseline (in-prison) survey, we assessed the amount of support men perceived they had received from significant others, family, and friends. We measured associations between low support from each source (

Resolving Relationships among the Megadiverse Butterflies and Moths with a Novel Pipeline for Anchored Phylogenomics.

PubMed

Breinholt, Jesse W; Earl, Chandra; Lemmon, Alan R; Lemmon, Emily Moriarty; Xiao, Lei; Kawahara, Akito Y

2018-01-01

The advent of next-generation sequencing technology has allowed for thecollection of large portions of the genome for phylogenetic analysis. Hybrid enrichment and transcriptomics are two techniques that leverage next-generation sequencing and have shown much promise. However, methods for processing hybrid enrichment data are still limited. We developed a pipeline for anchored hybrid enrichment (AHE) read assembly, orthology determination, contamination screening, and data processing for sequences flanking the target "probe" region. We apply this approach to study the phylogeny of butterflies and moths (Lepidoptera), a megadiverse group of more than 157,000 described species with poorly understood deep-level phylogenetic relationships. We introduce a new, 855 locus AHE kit for Lepidoptera phylogenetics and compare resulting trees to those from transcriptomes. The enrichment kit was designed from existing genomes, transcriptomes, and expressed sequence tags and was used to capture sequence data from 54 species from 23 lepidopteran families. Phylogenies estimated from AHE data were largely congruent with trees generated from transcriptomes, with strong support for relationships at all but the deepest taxonomic levels. We combine AHE and transcriptomic data to generate a new Lepidoptera phylogeny, representing 76 exemplar species in 42 families. The tree provides robust support for many relationships, including those among the seven butterfly families. The addition of AHE data to an existing transcriptomic dataset lowers node support along the Lepidoptera backbone, but firmly places taxa with AHE data on the phylogeny. Combining taxa sequenced for AHE with existing transcriptomes and genomes resulted in a tree with strong support for (Calliduloidea $+$ Gelechioidea $+$ Thyridoidea) $+$ (Papilionoidea $+$ Pyraloidea $+$ Macroheterocera). To examine the efficacy of AHE at a shallow taxonomic level, phylogenetic analyses were also conducted on a sister group representing a more recent divergence, the Saturniidae and Sphingidae. These analyses utilized sequences from the probe region and data flanking it, nearly doubled the size of the dataset; resulting trees supported new phylogenetics relationships, especially within the Saturniidae and Sphingidae (e.g., Hemarina derived in the latter). We hope that our data processing pipeline, hybrid enrichment gene set, and approach of combining AHE data with transcriptomes will be useful for the broader systematics community. © The Author(s) 2017. Published by Oxford University Press, on behalf of the Society of Systematic Biologists. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Xenopus in Space and Time: Fossils, Node Calibrations, Tip-Dating, and Paleobiogeography.

PubMed

Cannatella, David

2015-01-01

Published data from DNA sequences, morphology of 11 extant and 15 extinct frog taxa, and stratigraphic ranges of fossils were integrated to open a window into the deep-time evolution of Xenopus. The ages and morphological characters of fossils were used as independent datasets to calibrate a chronogram. We found that DNA sequences, either alone or in combination with morphological data and fossils, tended to support a close relationship between Xenopus and Hymenochirus, although in some analyses this topology was not significantly better than the Pipa + Hymenochirus topology. Analyses that excluded DNA data found strong support for the Pipa + Hymenochirus tree. The criterion for selecting the maximum age of the calibration prior influenced the age estimates, and our age estimates of early divergences in the tree of frogs are substantially younger than those of published studies. Node-dating and tip-dating calibrations, either alone or in combination, yielded older dates for nodes than did a root calibration alone. Our estimates of divergence times indicate that overwater dispersal, rather than vicariance due to the splitting of Africa and South America, may explain the presence of Xenopus in Africa and its closest fossil relatives in South America.

The Cross-Cultural Loss Scale: development and psychometric evaluation.

PubMed

Wang, Kenneth T; Wei, Meifen; Zhao, Ran; Chuang, Chih-Chun; Li, Feihan

2015-03-01

The Cross-Cultural Loss Scale (CCLS), a measure of loss associated with crossing national boundaries, was developed across 2 samples of international students. With Sample 1 (N = 262), exploratory factor analyses were used to select the 14 CCLS items and to determine 3 factors: Belonging-Competency (α = .87), National Privileges (α = .68), and Access to Home Familiarity (α = .72). With Sample 2, confirmatory factor analyses (N = 256) cross-validated the 3-factor oblique model as well as a bifactor model. Cronbach alphas of CCLS subscale scores in Sample 2 ranged from .73 to .87. The validity of the CCLS scores was supported by its associations with related variables in the expected directions. Perceived cross-cultural losses were positively associated with negative affect, migration grief and loss, and discrimination and were negatively associated with life satisfaction, positive affect, general self-efficacy, and social connection with mainstream society. Moreover, the CCLS total and 2 subscale scores added significant incremental variance in predicting subjective well-being over and above related constructs. The results indicated measurement invariance and validity equivalency for the CCLS scores between men and women. The overall results from these 2 samples support CCLS as a psychometrically strong measure. 2015 APA, all rights reserved

Molecular signatures of fossil leaves provide unexpected new evidence for extinct plant relationships.

PubMed

Vajda, Vivi; Pucetaite, Milda; McLoughlin, Stephen; Engdahl, Anders; Heimdal, Jimmy; Uvdal, Per

2017-08-01

Gene sequences form the primary basis for understanding the relationships among extant plant groups, but genetic data are unavailable from fossils to evaluate the affinities of extinct taxa. Here we show that geothermally resistant fossil cuticles of seed-bearing plants, analysed with Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA), retain biomolecular suites that consistently distinguish major taxa even after experiencing different diagenetic histories. Our results reveal that similarities between the cuticular biochemical signatures of major plant groups (extant and fossil) are mostly consistent with recent phylogenetic hypotheses based on molecular and morphological data. Our novel chemotaxonomic data also support the hypothesis that the extinct Nilssoniales and Bennettitales are closely allied, but only distantly related to Cycadales. The chemical signature of the cuticle of Czekanowskia (Leptostrobales) is strongly similar to that of Ginkgo leaves and supports a close evolutionary relationship between these groups. Finally, our results also reveal that the extinct putative araucariacean, Allocladus, when analysed through HCA, is grouped closer to Ginkgoales than to conifers. Thus, in the absence of modern relatives yielding molecular information, FTIR spectroscopy provides valuable proxy biochemical data complementing morphological characters to distinguish fossil taxa and to help elucidate extinct plant relationships.

Taxonomy, phylogeny and host plants of some Abia sawflies (Hymenoptera, Cimbicidae).

PubMed

Liston, Andrew D; Savina, Henri; Nagy, Zoltán Tamás; Sonet, Gontran; Boevé, Jean-Luc

2014-06-19

We briefly review the taxonomy of Abia, and attempt to clarify their systematics by phylogenetic tree reconstructions inferred from three (nuclear and mitochondrial) genes of some West Palaearctic and Nearctic species. The main question which we asked is whether the distinction, made by several authors, of two genera within this group is justified. Based on the species here sampled, our results strongly support a clade recognised widely in earlier literature as Abia or Abia (Abia), but do not always support another clade, Zaraea or Abia (Zaraea), as monophyletic. In the interests of nomenclatural stability and for other practical reasons, the two nominal genera should be treated as synonyms. Host plant associations may be useful in the systematics of Abia species, but this topic requires further investigation and inclusion of more species in phylogenetic analyses.

[50 years Rodewisch theses--for the beginnings of social-psychiatric reforms in East Germany (GDR)].

PubMed

Kumbier, Ekkehardt; Haack, Kathleen; Steinberg, Holger

2013-09-01

The so-called Rodewisch Theses of 1963 demonstrate East German psychiatry's attempts to implement social-psychiatric reforms. To mark their 50th anniversary, this article analyses their emergence, drafting and implementation. It has been known that key requirements could only be fulfilled on a regional basis, the Leipzig University Department of Psychiatry being an outstanding example, although its staff worked rather autonomously of the Rodewisch Theses. The reasons for the different degree of success of these developments in individual areas are manifold, key reasons being the lack of stark political support and of opportunity to discuss shortcomings in mental health care, as in Western Germany, due to political circumstances in particular. There was no strong social basis and support as in Western democracies. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

The influence of parents' marital quality on adult children's attitudes toward marriage and its alternatives: main and moderating effects.

PubMed

Cunningham, Mick; Thornton, Arland

2006-11-01

Drawing on a panel study of parents and children, we investigate linkages between parents' marital quality and adult children's attitudes toward a range of family issues, including premarital sex, cohabitation, lifelong singlehood, and divorce. We hypothesize that parents' marital quality will be negatively related to children's support for these behaviors in adulthood and that parents' marital quality will condition the intergenerational transmission of attitudes toward these issues. We find some evidence that parents' marital quality influences children's support for divorce and premarital sex. More important, our analyses show that parents' marital quality facilitates the intergenerational transmission of attitudes. Parents' attitudes toward premarital sex, cohabitation, and being single are more strongly linked to those same attitudes among their young adult children when parents' marital quality is high than when it is low.

Phylogenetics of tribe Orchideae (Orchidaceae: Orchidoideae) based on combined DNA matrices: inferences regarding timing of diversification and evolution of pollination syndromes

PubMed Central

Inda, Luis A.; Pimentel, Manuel; Chase, Mark W.

2012-01-01

Background and aims Tribe Orchideae (Orchidaceae: Orchidoideae) comprises around 62 mostly terrestrial genera, which are well represented in the Northern Temperate Zone and less frequently in tropical areas of both the Old and New Worlds. Phylogenetic relationships within this tribe have been studied previously using only nuclear ribosomal DNA (nuclear ribosomal internal transcribed spacer, nrITS). However, different parts of the phylogenetic tree in these analyses were weakly supported, and integrating information from different plant genomes is clearly necessary in orchids, where reticulate evolution events are putatively common. The aims of this study were to: (1) obtain a well-supported and dated phylogenetic hypothesis for tribe Orchideae, (ii) assess appropriateness of recent nomenclatural changes in this tribe in the last decade, (3) detect possible examples of reticulate evolution and (4) analyse in a temporal context evolutionary trends for subtribe Orchidinae with special emphasis on pollination systems. Methods The analyses included 118 samples, belonging to 103 species and 25 genera, for three DNA regions (nrITS, mitochondrial cox1 intron and plastid rpl16 intron). Bayesian and maximum-parsimony methods were used to construct a well-supported and dated tree. Evolutionary trends in the subtribe were analysed using Bayesian and maximum-likelihood methods of character evolution. Key Results The dated phylogenetic tree strongly supported the recently recircumscribed generic concepts of Bateman and collaborators. Moreover, it was found that Orchidinae have diversified in the Mediterranean basin during the last 15 million years, and one potential example of reticulate evolution in the subtribe was identified. In Orchidinae, pollination systems have shifted on numerous occasions during the last 23 million years. Conclusions The results indicate that ancestral Orchidinae were hymenopteran-pollinated, food-deceptive plants and that these traits have been dominant throughout the evolutionary history of the subtribe in the Mediterranean. Evidence was also obtained that the onset of sexual deception might be linked to an increase in labellum size, and the possibility is discussed that diversification in Orchidinae developed in parallel with diversification of bees and wasps from the Miocene onwards. PMID:22539542

Early-branching euteleost relationships: areas of congruence between concatenation and coalescent model inferences.

PubMed

Campbell, Matthew A; Alfaro, Michael E; Belasco, Max; López, J Andrés

2017-01-01

Phylogenetic inference based on evidence from DNA sequences has led to significant strides in the development of a stable and robustly supported framework for the vertebrate tree of life. To date, the bulk of those advances have relied on sequence data from a small number of genome regions that have proven unable to produce satisfactory answers to consistently recalcitrant phylogenetic questions. Here, we re-examine phylogenetic relationships among early-branching euteleostean fish lineages classically grouped in the Protacanthopterygii using DNA sequence data surrounding ultraconserved elements. We report and examine a dataset of thirty-four OTUs with 17,957 aligned characters from fifty-three nuclear loci. Phylogenetic analysis is conducted in concatenated, joint gene trees and species tree estimation and summary coalescent frameworks. All analytical frameworks yield supporting evidence for existing hypotheses of relationship for the placement of Lepidogalaxias salamandroides , monophyly of the Stomiatii and the presence of an esociform + salmonid clade. Lepidogalaxias salamandroides and the Esociformes + Salmoniformes are successive sister lineages to all other euteleosts in the majority of analyses. The concatenated and joint gene trees and species tree analysis types produce high support values for this arrangement. However, inter-relationships of Argentiniformes, Stomiatii and Neoteleostei remain uncertain as they varied by analysis type while receiving strong and contradictory indices of support. Topological differences between analysis types are also apparent within the otomorph and the percomorph taxa in the data set. Our results identify concordant areas with strong support for relationships within and between early-branching euteleost lineages but they also reveal limitations in the ability of larger datasets to conclusively resolve other aspects of that phylogeny.

Early-branching euteleost relationships: areas of congruence between concatenation and coalescent model inferences

PubMed Central

Alfaro, Michael E.; Belasco, Max; López, J. Andrés

2017-01-01

Phylogenetic inference based on evidence from DNA sequences has led to significant strides in the development of a stable and robustly supported framework for the vertebrate tree of life. To date, the bulk of those advances have relied on sequence data from a small number of genome regions that have proven unable to produce satisfactory answers to consistently recalcitrant phylogenetic questions. Here, we re-examine phylogenetic relationships among early-branching euteleostean fish lineages classically grouped in the Protacanthopterygii using DNA sequence data surrounding ultraconserved elements. We report and examine a dataset of thirty-four OTUs with 17,957 aligned characters from fifty-three nuclear loci. Phylogenetic analysis is conducted in concatenated, joint gene trees and species tree estimation and summary coalescent frameworks. All analytical frameworks yield supporting evidence for existing hypotheses of relationship for the placement of Lepidogalaxias salamandroides, monophyly of the Stomiatii and the presence of an esociform + salmonid clade. Lepidogalaxias salamandroides and the Esociformes + Salmoniformes are successive sister lineages to all other euteleosts in the majority of analyses. The concatenated and joint gene trees and species tree analysis types produce high support values for this arrangement. However, inter-relationships of Argentiniformes, Stomiatii and Neoteleostei remain uncertain as they varied by analysis type while receiving strong and contradictory indices of support. Topological differences between analysis types are also apparent within the otomorph and the percomorph taxa in the data set. Our results identify concordant areas with strong support for relationships within and between early-branching euteleost lineages but they also reveal limitations in the ability of larger datasets to conclusively resolve other aspects of that phylogeny. PMID:28929008

Public opinion on food-related obesity prevention policy initiatives.

PubMed

Morley, Belinda; Martin, Jane; Niven, Philippa; Wakefield, Melanie

2012-08-01

The study was designed to determine public acceptability of various forms of regulation to support a healthy eating environment. Telephone interviews were undertaken in June-July 2010 with a random sample of adults in Australia who were the main grocery buyer for their household. Data were analysed for 1,511 adults. A clear majority of participants (80% or more) were in favour of traffic light and kilojoule menu labelling, reformulation to reduce the fat, salt and sugar content of processed foods, and regulation of broadcast and non-broadcast avenues used to market unhealthy food and drinks to children. Relatively less support (two-thirds or more), particularly among lower socioeconomic status participants, was shown for taxation policies and controls on food company sponsorship of sports and education programs. Despite the survey's focus on food marketing avenues and methods directed at children, for the most part non-parents were just as likely as parents to support restrictions. Overall, these findings indicate that there is strong public support for the introduction of policy initiatives aimed at creating a healthier food environment.

High-Throughput Sequencing of Six Bamboo Chloroplast Genomes: Phylogenetic Implications for Temperate Woody Bamboos (Poaceae: Bambusoideae)

PubMed Central

Li, De-Zhu

2011-01-01

Background Bambusoideae is the only subfamily that contains woody members in the grass family, Poaceae. In phylogenetic analyses, Bambusoideae, Pooideae and Ehrhartoideae formed the BEP clade, yet the internal relationships of this clade are controversial. The distinctive life history (infrequent flowering and predominance of asexual reproduction) of woody bamboos makes them an interesting but taxonomically difficult group. Phylogenetic analyses based on large DNA fragments could only provide a moderate resolution of woody bamboo relationships, although a robust phylogenetic tree is needed to elucidate their evolutionary history. Phylogenomics is an alternative choice for resolving difficult phylogenies. Methodology/Principal Findings Here we present the complete nucleotide sequences of six woody bamboo chloroplast (cp) genomes using Illumina sequencing. These genomes are similar to those of other grasses and rather conservative in evolution. We constructed a phylogeny of Poaceae from 24 complete cp genomes including 21 grass species. Within the BEP clade, we found strong support for a sister relationship between Bambusoideae and Pooideae. In a substantial improvement over prior studies, all six nodes within Bambusoideae were supported with ≥0.95 posterior probability from Bayesian inference and 5/6 nodes resolved with 100% bootstrap support in maximum parsimony and maximum likelihood analyses. We found that repeats in the cp genome could provide phylogenetic information, while caution is needed when using indels in phylogenetic analyses based on few selected genes. We also identified relatively rapidly evolving cp genome regions that have the potential to be used for further phylogenetic study in Bambusoideae. Conclusions/Significance The cp genome of Bambusoideae evolved slowly, and phylogenomics based on whole cp genome could be used to resolve major relationships within the subfamily. The difficulty in resolving the diversification among three clades of temperate woody bamboos, even with complete cp genome sequences, suggests that these lineages may have diverged very rapidly. PMID:21655229

Phylogenomic analysis of the Chilean clade of Liolaemus lizards (Squamata: Liolaemidae) based on sequence capture data.

PubMed

Panzera, Alejandra; Leaché, Adam D; D'Elía, Guillermo; Victoriano, Pedro F

2017-01-01

The genus Liolaemus is one of the most ecologically diverse and species-rich genera of lizards worldwide. It currently includes more than 250 recognized species, which have been subject to many ecological and evolutionary studies. Nevertheless, Liolaemus lizards have a complex taxonomic history, mainly due to the incongruence between morphological and genetic data, incomplete taxon sampling, incomplete lineage sorting and hybridization. In addition, as many species have restricted and remote distributions, this has hampered their examination and inclusion in molecular systematic studies. The aims of this study are to infer a robust phylogeny for a subsample of lizards representing the Chilean clade (subgenus Liolaemus sensu stricto ), and to test the monophyly of several of the major species groups. We use a phylogenomic approach, targeting 541 ultra-conserved elements (UCEs) and 44 protein-coding genes for 16 taxa. We conduct a comparison of phylogenetic analyses using maximum-likelihood and several species tree inference methods. The UCEs provide stronger support for phylogenetic relationships compared to the protein-coding genes; however, the UCEs outnumber the protein-coding genes by 10-fold. On average, the protein-coding genes contain over twice the number of informative sites. Based on our phylogenomic analyses, all the groups sampled are polyphyletic. Liolaemus tenuis tenuis is difficult to place in the phylogeny, because only a few loci (nine) were recovered for this species. Topologies or support values did not change dramatically upon exclusion of L. t. tenuis from analyses, suggesting that missing data did not had a significant impact on phylogenetic inference in this data set. The phylogenomic analyses provide strong support for sister group relationships between L. fuscus , L. monticola , L. nigroviridis and L. nitidus , and L. platei and L. velosoi . Despite our limited taxon sampling, we have provided a reliable starting hypothesis for the relationships among many major groups of the Chilean clade of Liolaemus that will help future work aimed at resolving the Liolaemus phylogeny.

Voting on Embryonic Stem Cell Research: Citizens More Supportive than Politicians.

PubMed

Stadelmann, David; Torgler, Benno

2017-01-01

As the public debate over stem cell research continues, the observable voting behaviour in Switzerland offers a unique opportunity to compare the voting behaviour of politicians with that of voters. By analysing the outcomes of a referendum on a liberal new bill regulating such research, we reveal an about 10 percentage point lower conditional probability of the bill being accepted by politicians than by voters. Whereas the behaviour of politicians is driven almost entirely by party affiliation, citizen votes are driven not only by party attachment but also by church attendance. Seldom or never attending church increases the probability of bill acceptance by over 15 percentage points, while supporting the Liberal Party and the Social Democratic Party instead of the Christian Democratic Party makes supporting the bill more likely for voters, suggesting that religious observance is important. The observance of these tendencies in Switzerland-an environment that promotes discussion through direct democratic rights-strongly suggests that citizens see the benefits of stem cell research.

[Factors Influencing Burnout among Mothers of Children with Cerebral Palsy].

PubMed

Seo, Ji Young; Lee, Hae Jin; You, Mi Ae

2017-04-01

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of parental stress, social support, and coping behavior on burnout among mothers caring for children with cerebral palsy. Participants in this cross-sectional, descriptive study were 185 mothers who completed a self-report structured questionnaire. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, t-test, one-way ANOVA, correlation and multiple linear regression analyses with IBM SPSS Win 22 program. Parental stress and coping behavior were strong predictors of burnout among mothers of children with cerebral palsy. These variables explained 50.0% of the variance in burnout. Social support was not a predictor of burnout. A higher level of burnout was associated with higher levels of parental stress and lower levels of social support and coping behavior. Mothers of children with cerebral palsy are vulnerable to burnout. These results show that effective strategies for reducing parental stress and improving positive coping behavior are needed to reduce burnout in these mothers. © 2017 Korean Society of Nursing Science

Measuring hope among families impacted by cognitive impairment.

PubMed

Hunsaker, Amanda E; Terhorst, Lauren; Gentry, Amanda; Lingler, Jennifer H

2016-07-01

The current exploratory investigation aims to establish the reliability and validity of a hope measure, the Herth Hope Index, among families impacted by early cognitive impairment (N = 96). Exploratory factor analysis was used to examine the dimensionality of the measure. Bivariate analyses were used to examine construct validity. The sample had moderately high hope scores. A two-factor structure emerged from the factor analysis, explaining 51.44% of the variance. Both factors exhibited strong internal consistency (Cronbach's alphas ranged from .83 to .86). Satisfaction with social support was positively associated with hope, supporting convergent validity. Neurocognitive status, illness insight, and depression were not associated with hope, indicating discriminant validity. Families impacted by cognitive impairment may maintain hope in the face of a potentially progressive illness, regardless of cognitive status. The Herth Hope Index can be utilized as a reliable and valid measure of hope by practitioners providing support to families impacted by cognitive impairment. © The Author(s) 2014.

Stakeholders' Perspectives towards the Use of the Comprehensive Health Assessment Program (CHAP) for Adults with Intellectual Disabilities in Manitoba.

PubMed

Shooshtari, Shahin; Temple, Beverley; Waldman, Celeste; Abraham, Sneha; Ouellette-Kuntz, Héléne; Lennox, Nicholas

2017-07-01

No standardized tool is used in Canada for comprehensive health assessments of adults with intellectual disabilities. This study was conducted to determine the feasibility of implementing the Comprehensive Health Assessment Program (CHAP) in Manitoba, Canada. This was a qualitative study using a purposive sample of physicians, nurse practitioners, support workers and families. Data were collected through individual interviews and focus groups and were analysed using content analysis. Use of the CHAP was perceived as beneficial for persons with intellectual disabilities. Improved continuity of care was of the reported benefits. Six barriers for the future implementation of the CHAP were identified including the time required to complete the CHAP, and the perceived lack of physicians' willingness to do comprehensive assessments. The future implementation of the CHAP was strongly supported. For its successful implementation, training of healthcare professionals and support staff and change in regulations and policies were recommended. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Treatment of psychopathology in people with intellectual and other disabilities.

PubMed

Sturmey, Peter

2012-10-01

To review the psychosocial, pharmacological, and other treatments of psychopathology in people with intellectual disabilities (IDs), autism, and other developmental disabilities (DDs). Systematic reviews and meta-analyses of psychosocial, pharmacological, and other treatments for people with DDs are reviewed. There is strong evidence for applied behaviour analysis (ABA) and other behavioural treatments of some forms of psychopathology. There is little good evidence to support the effectiveness of cognitive-behavioural therapy, cognitive therapy, sensory interventions, and other forms of psychosocial interventions. Recently, more randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of psychopharmacology have been published, especially with people with autism spectrum disorders. Most RCTs were for externalizing behaviour problems, rather than for psychopathology. These RCTs offer only preliminary support for the effectiveness of pharmacotherapy. No evidence was found for the effectiveness of other biological treatments. Current research supports the use of ABA and other behavioural interventions for some forms of psychopathology. Evidence for the effectiveness of other interventions is limited or absent.

A longitudinal examination of adolescent career planning and exploration using a social cognitive career theory framework.

PubMed

Rogers, Mary E; Creed, Peter A

2011-02-01

This study used social cognitive career theory (Lent, Brown, & Hackett, 1994), as a framework to investigate predictors of career choice actions, operationalised as career planning and career exploration. The model was tested cross-sectionally and longitudinally with 631 high school students enrolled in Grades 10-12. Students completed measures of self-efficacy, outcome expectations, goals, supports and personality. Results of the hierarchical regression analyses indicated strong support for self-efficacy and goals predicting career planning and exploration across all grades at T1, and predicting change in career planning and exploration from T1 to T2. Whilst support for pathways among other predictor variables (personality, contextual influences and biographic variables) to choice actions was found, these pathways varied across grades at T1, and also from T1 to T2. Implications for social cognitive career theory, career counselling practice and future research are discussed. Copyright © 2010 The Association for Professionals in Services for Adolescents. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Coming Out and the Potential for Growth in Sexual Minorities: The Role of Social Reactions and Internalized Homonegativity.

PubMed

Solomon, David; McAbee, James; Åsberg, Kia; McGee, Ashley

2015-01-01

Coming out is a significant and sometimes difficult process in the lives of sexual minorities, but disclosure can also affect wellbeing in positive ways, including reduced distress and greater relationship satisfaction. This study investigates the possibility of stress-related growth and depreciation following coming out. To obtain a diverse sample with varying coming-out experiences, data were collected from undergraduate students as well as from online sources, including lesbian, gay, and bisexual support groups and Pride groups. Regression analyses indicated that negative social reactions to coming out predicted both growth and depreciation, although they more strongly predicted depreciation. Positive social reactions were positively related to stress-related growth, while internalized homonegativity was inversely associated with growth. Although the two sample sources (online and campus) differed in some ways, sample source was not a significant predictor in the regressions, nor was it indicated as a moderator in exploratory ANOVA analyses.

Shallow phylogeographic structuring of Vimba vimba across Europe suggests two distinct refugia during the last glaciation.

PubMed

Hänfling, B; Dümpelmann, C; Bogutskaya, N G; Brandl, R; Brändle, M

2009-12-01

Genetic variation and geographical structuring of vimba Vimba vimba were analysed across 26 sites (80 individuals) by means of mtDNA sequences (cyt b gene, mitochondrial control region) to localize hypothesized glacial refugia and to reconstruct postglacial recoloniation routes. Although genetic diversity among sequenced individuals was low, a combined analysis of the two sequenced fragments revealed a western (central and northern Europe: Danube, Elbe and lakes of Sweden) and an eastern clade (eastern Europe: Dnieper-South Bug, Don, Neman). Furthermore, a number of divergent ancestral haplotypes distributed around the Black and Caspian Seas became apparent. Mismatch analyses supported a sudden expansion model for the populations of the western clade between 50 and 10 000 bp. Overall, the study provides strong evidence for a northward and westward expansion of V. vimba from two refugial regions located in the Danubian drainage and the northern Pontic regions respectively.

Selective depression behavior of guar gum on talc-type scheelite flotation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Yong-zhong; Gu, Guo-hua; Wu, Xiang-bin; Zhao, Kai-le

2017-08-01

The depression behavior and mechanism of guar gum on talc-type scheelite flotation were systematically investigated by flotation experiments, adsorption tests, zeta-potential measurements, and infrared spectroscopic analyses. The flotation results for monominerals, mixed minerals, and actual mineral samples indicated that guar gum exhibited much higher selective depression for talc than for scheelite. Bench-scale closed-circuit tests showed that a tungsten concentrate with a WO3 grade of 51.43% and a WO3 recovery of 76.18% was obtained. Adsorption tests, zeta-potential measurements, and infrared spectral analyses confirmed that guar gum absorbed more strongly onto the talc surface than onto the scheelite surface because of chemisorption between guar gum and talc. This chemisorption is responsible for the guar gum's highly selective depression for talc and small depression for scheelite. The flotation results provide technical support for talc-type scheelite flotation.

The Causal Ordering of Prominence and Salience in Identity Theory: An Empirical Examination

PubMed Central

Brenner, Philip S.; Serpe, Richard T.; Stryker, Sheldon

2016-01-01

Identity theory invokes two distinct but related concepts, identity salience and prominence, to explain how the organization of identities that make up the self impacts the probability that a given identity is situationally enacted. However, much extant research has failed to clearly distinguish between salience and prominence, and their empirical relationship has not been adequately investigated, impeding a solid understanding of the significance and role of each in a general theory of the self. This study examines their causal ordering using three waves of panel data from 48 universities focusing on respondents’ identities as science students. Analyses strongly support a causal ordering from prominence to salience. We provide theoretical and empirical grounds to justify this ordering while acknowledging potential variation in its strength across identities. Finally, we offer recommendations about the use of prominence and salience when measures of one or both are available or when analyses use cross-sectional data. PMID:27284212

Testing the generality of a trophic-cascade model for plague

USGS Publications Warehouse

Collinge, S.K.; Johnson, W.C.; Ray, C.; Matchett, R.; Grensten, J.; Cully, J.F.; Gage, K.L.; Kosoy, M.Y.; Loye, J.E.; Martin, A.P.

2005-01-01

Climate may affect the dynamics of infectious diseases by shifting pathogen, vector, or host species abundance, population dynamics, or community interactions. Black-tailed prairie dogs (Cynomys ludovicianus) are highly susceptible to plague, yet little is known about factors that influence the dynamics of plague epizootics in prairie dogs. We investigated temporal patterns of plague occurrence in black-tailed prairie dogs to assess the generality of links between climate and plague occurrence found in previous analyses of human plague cases. We examined long-term data on climate and plague occurrence in prairie dog colonies within two study areas. Multiple regression analyses revealed that plague occurrence in prairie dogs was not associated with climatic variables in our Colorado study area. In contrast, plague occurrence was strongly associated with climatic variables in our Montana study area. The models with most support included a positive association with precipitation in April-July of the previous year, in addition to a positive association with the number of "warm" days and a negative association with the number of "hot" days in the same year as reported plague events. We conclude that the timing and magnitude of precipitation and temperature may affect plague occurrence in some geographic areas. The best climatic predictors of plague occurrence in prairie dogs within our Montana study area are quite similar to the best climatic predictors of human plague cases in the southwestern United States. This correspondence across regions and species suggests support for a (temperature-modulated) trophic-cascade model for plague, including climatic effects on rodent abundance, flea abundance, and pathogen transmission, at least in regions that experience strong climatic signals. ?? 2005 EcoHealth Journal Consortium.

Conflict between the work and family domains and exhaustion among vocationally active men and women.

PubMed

Canivet, Catarina; Ostergren, Per-Olof; Lindeberg, Sara I; Choi, BongKyoo; Karasek, Robert; Moghaddassi, Mahnaz; Isacsson, Sven-Olof

2010-04-01

Exhaustion is consistently found to be more prevalent in women than in men. Women suffer from job strain more often, which may constitute a partial explanation for this phenomenon, but experienced shortcomings in combining work and family demands may also contribute to ill health. The aim of this study was to investigate, and analyse by gender, how work-related and family-related factors, as well as the interface between them, i.e. work-to-family conflict (WFC) and family-to-work conflict (FWC), are related to exhaustion. The study was cross-sectional with self-administered questionnaires assessing exposures and outcome with previously well-validated instruments. The participants were 2726 men and 2735 women, aged 45-64, vocationally active, and residing in Malmö, Sweden. Sixteen percent of the women and 8% of the men considered themselves exhausted. WFC, FWC, job strain, and low job support were all strongly correlated to exhaustion in both genders. In the multivariate analyses, adjusting for other work and family risk factors, WFC and FWC remained statistically significant risk factors for exhaustion in both men and women. Job strain, low job support, and having a somatic disorder were also independently associated with exhaustion. While WFC was more prevalent among men, it was more strongly associated with exhaustion in women than in men. In women, WFC and FWC contributed to a larger part of the explanatory power of the model, which amounted to 22% of the variance in women and 14% in men. The results imply that the concept of 'work stress' should be regarded in a wider context in order to understand gender related issues of exhaustion among vocationally active individuals. Copyright 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The Effect of Performance-Based Financial Incentives on Improving Health Care Provision in Burundi: A Controlled Cohort Study

PubMed Central

Rudasingwa, Martin; Soeters, Robert; Bossuyt, Michel

2015-01-01

To strengthen the health care delivery, the Burundian Government in collaboration with international NGOs piloted performance-based financing (PBF) in 2006. The health facilities were assigned - by using a simple matching method - to begin PBF scheme or to continue with the traditional input-based funding. Our objective was to analyse the effect of that PBF scheme on the quality of health services between 2006 and 2008. We conducted the analysis in 16 health facilities with PBF scheme and 13 health facilities without PBF scheme. We analysed the PBF effect by using 58 composite quality indicators of eight health services: Care management, outpatient care, maternity care, prenatal care, family planning, laboratory services, medicines management and materials management. The differences in quality improvement in the two groups of health facilities were performed applying descriptive statistics, a paired non-parametric Wilcoxon Signed Ranks test and a simple difference-in-difference approach at a significance level of 5%. We found an improvement of the quality of care in the PBF group and a significant deterioration in the non-PBF group in the same four health services: care management, outpatient care, maternity care, and prenatal care. The findings suggest a PBF effect of between 38 and 66 percentage points (p<0.001) in the quality scores of care management, outpatient care, prenatal care, and maternal care. We found no PBF effect on clinical support services: laboratory services, medicines management, and material management. The PBF scheme in Burundi contributed to the improvement of the health services that were strongly under the control of medical personnel (physicians and nurses) in a short time of two years. The clinical support services that did not significantly improved were strongly under the control of laboratory technicians, pharmacists and non-medical personnel. PMID:25948432

Trajectories of change in symptom distress in a clinical group of late adolescents: The role of maladaptive personality traits and relations with parents.

PubMed

Koster, Nagila; Laceulle, Odilia; van der Heijden, Paul; de Clercq, Barbara; van Aken, Marcel

2018-03-25

In this study, it was analysed whether trajectories of change in symptom distress could be identified in a clinical group of late adolescents with personality pathology. Furthermore, it was examined whether maladaptive personality traits and relations with parents were predictive of following one of these trajectories. Three latent classes emerged from growth mixture modelling with a symptom inventory (n = 911): a Stable High, a Strong Decreasing and a Moderate Decreasing trajectory. Subsequently, by using multinomial logistic regression analyses in a subsample of late-adolescents (n = 127), it was revealed that high levels of Negative Affectivity and Detachment were predictive of following the Strong Decreasing, and high levels of Detachment were predictive of following the Stable High trajectory. Support from or Negative Interactions with parents were not predictive of any of the trajectories. The current results contribute to the notion of individual trajectories of change in symptom distress and provide suggestions for screening patients on personality traits to gain insight in the course of this change. © 2018 The Authors Personality and Mental Health Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd. © 2018 The Authors Personality and Mental Health Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Aphis (Hemiptera: Aphididae) species groups found in the Midwestern United States and their contribution to the phylogenetic knowledge of the genus.

PubMed

Lagos, Doris M; Voegtlin, David J; Coeur d'acier, Armelle; Giordano, Rosanna

2014-06-01

A phylogeny of the genus Aphis Linnaeus, 1 758 was built primarily from specimens collected in the Midwest of the United States. A data matrix was constructed with 68 species and 41 morphological characters with respective character states of alate and apterous viviparous females. Dendrogram topologies of analyses performed using UPGMA (Unweighted Pair Group Method with Arithmetic Mean), Maximum Parsimony and Bayesian analysis of Cytochrome Oxidase I, Elongation Factor 1-α and primary endosymbiont Buchnera aphidicola 16S sequences were not congruent. Bayesian analysis strongly supported most terminal nodes of the phylogenetic trees. The phylogeny was strongly supported by EF1-α, and analysis of COI and EF1-α molecular data combined with morphological characters. It was not supported by single analysis of COI or Buchnera aphidicola 16S. Results from the Bayesian phylogeny show 4 main species groups: asclepiadis, fabae, gossypii, and middletonii. Results place Aphis and species of the genera Protaphis Börner, 1952, Toxoptera Koch, and Xerobion Nevsky, 1928 in a monophyletic clade. Morphological characters support this monophyly as well. The phylogeny shows that the monophyletic clade of the North American middletonii species group belong to the genus Protaphis: P. debilicornis (Gillette & Palmer, 1929), comb. nov., P. echinaceae (Lagos and Voegtlin, 2009), comb. nov., and P. middletonii (Thomas, 1879). The genus Toxoptera should be considered a subgenus of Aphis (stat. nov.). The analysis also indicates that the current genus Iowana Frison, 1954 should be considered a subgenus of Aphis (stat. nov.). © 2013 Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences.

Multi-locus phylogeny using topotype specimens sheds light on the systematics of Niviventer (Rodentia, Muridae) in China.

PubMed

Zhang, Bin; He, Kai; Wan, Tao; Chen, Peng; Sun, Guozheng; Liu, Shaoying; Nguyen, Truong Son; Lin, Liangkong; Jiang, Xuelong

2016-12-01

Niviventer is a genus of white-bellied rats that are among the most common rodents in the Indo-Sundaic region. The taxonomy of the genus has undergone extensive revisions and remains controversial. The current phylogeny is unresolved and was developed primarily on the basis of mitochondrial genes. Identification is extremely difficult, and a large number of GenBank sequences seem to be problematic. We extensively sampled specimens of Niviventer in China and neighboring northern Vietnam, including topotypes of the most reported species (n = 6), subspecies (n = 8), and synonyms (n = 4). We estimated phylogenetic relationships on the basis of one mitochondrial and three nuclear genes, using concatenation and coalescent-based approaches. We also employed molecular species delimitation approaches to test the existence of cryptic and putative new species. Our phylogeny was finely resolved, especially for the N. confucianus-like species. Our data provided the first support for N. brahma and N. eha as sister species, an assignment that is congruent with their morphological similarities. Species delimitation analyses provided new insight into species diversity and systematics. Three geographic populations of N. confucianus and one of N. fulvescens were supported as genetically distinct in our species delimitation analyses, while three recognized species (N. coninga, N. huang, and N. lotipes) were not strongly supported as distinct. Our results suggested that several genetically distinct species may be contained within the species currently known as N. confucianus and N. fulvescens. In addition, the results of Bayesian Phylogenetics and Phylogeography (BPP) for N. coninga, N. huang, and N. lotipes indicated that either inter-specific gene flow had occurred or imperfect taxonomy was present. Morphological examinations and morphometric analyses are warranted to examine the molecular results.

Collaborative meta-analysis finds no evidence of a strong interaction between stress and 5-HTTLPR genotype contributing to the development of depression

PubMed Central

Culverhouse, Robert C.; Saccone, Nancy L.; Horton, Amy C.; Ma, Yinjiao; Anstey, Kaarin J.; Banaschewski, Tobias; Burmeister, Margit; Cohen-Woods, Sarah; Etain, Bruno; Fisher, Helen L.; Goldman, Noreen; Guillaume, Sébastien; Horwood, John; Juhasz, Gabriella; Lester, Kathryn J.; Mandelli, Laura; Middeldorp, Christel M.; Olié, Emilie; Villafuerte, Sandra; Air, Tracy M.; Araya, Ricardo; Bowes, Lucy; Burns, Richard; Byrne, Enda M.; Coffey, Carolyn; Coventry, William L.; Gawronski, Katerina; Glei, Dana; Hatzimanolis, Alex; Hottenga, Jouke-Jan; Jaussent, Isabelle; Jawahar, Catharine; Jennen-Steinmetz, Christine; Kramer, John R.; Lajnef, Mohamed; Little, Keriann; Meyer zu Schwabedissen, Henriette; Nauck, Matthias; Nederhof, Esther; Petschner, Peter; Peyrot, Wouter J.; Schwahn, Christian; Sinnamon, Grant; Stacey, David; Tian, Yan; Toben, Catherine; Van der Auwera, Sandra; Wainwright, Nick; Wang, Jen-Chyong; Willemsen, Gonneke; Anderson, Ian M.; Arolt, Volker; Åslund, Cecilia; Bagdy, Gyorgy; Baune, Bernhard T.; Bellivier, Frank; Boomsma, Dorret I.; Courtet, Philippe; Dannlowski, Udo; de Geus, Eco J.C.; Deakin, John F. W.; Easteal, Simon; Eley, Thalia; Fergusson, David M.; Goate, Alison M.; Gonda, Xenia; Grabe, Hans J.; Holzman, Claudia; Johnson, Eric O.; Kennedy, Martin; Laucht, Manfred; Martin, Nicholas G.; Munafò, Marcus; Nilsson, Kent W.; Oldehinkel, Albertine J.; Olsson, Craig; Ormel, Johan; Otte, Christian; Patton, George C.; Penninx, Brenda W.J.H.; Ritchie, Karen; Sarchiapone, Marco; Scheid, JM; Serretti, Alessandro; Smit, Johannes H.; Stefanis, Nicholas C.; Surtees, Paul G.; Völzke, Henry; Weinstein, Maxine; Whooley, Mary; Nurnberger, John I.; Breslau, Naomi; Bierut, Laura J.

2017-01-01

The hypothesis that the S allele of the 5-HTTLPR serotonin transporter promoter region is associated with increased risk of depression, but only in individuals exposed to stressful situations, has generated much interest, research, and controversy since first proposed in 2003. Multiple meta-analyses combining results from heterogeneous analyses have not settled the issue. To determine the magnitude of the interaction and the conditions under which it might be observed, we performed new analyses on 31 datasets containing 38 802 European-ancestry subjects genotyped for 5-HTTLPR and assessed for depression and childhood maltreatment or other stressful life events, and meta-analyzed the results. Analyses targeted two stressors (narrow, broad) and two depression outcomes (current, lifetime). All groups that published on this topic prior to the initiation of our study and met the assessment and sample size criteria were invited to participate. Additional groups, identified by consortium members or self-identified in response to our protocol (published prior to the start of analysis1) with qualifying unpublished data were also invited to participate. A uniform data analysis script implementing the protocol was executed by each of the consortium members. Our findings do not support the interaction hypothesis. We found no subgroups or variable definitions for which an interaction between stress and 5-HTTLPR genotype was statistically significant. In contrast, our findings for the main effects of life stressors (strong risk factor) and 5-HTTLPR genotype (no impact on risk) are strikingly consistent across our contributing studies, the original study reporting the interaction, and subsequent meta-analyses. Our conclusion is that if an interaction exists in which the S allele of 5-HTTLPR increases risk of depression only in stressed individuals, then it is not broadly generalizable, but must be of modest effect size and only observable in limited situations. PMID:28373689

Public opinion and medical cannabis policies: examining the role of underlying beliefs and national medical cannabis policies.

PubMed

Sznitman, Sharon R; Bretteville-Jensen, Anne Line

2015-10-14

Debate about medical cannabis legalization are typically informed by three beliefs: (1) cannabis has medical effects, (2) medical cannabis is addictive and (3) medical cannabis legalization leads to increased used of cannabis for recreational purposes (spillover effects). We examined how strongly these beliefs are associated with public support for medical cannabis legalization and whether this association differs across divergent medical cannabis policy regimes. Robust regression analysis was used to analyse data derived from two nationally representative samples of adults participating in comparable cross-sectional online surveys in one country where medical cannabis smoking is illegal (Norway, n = 2175, 51 % male) and in one country where medical cannabis smoking is legal (Israel, n = 648, 49 % male). The belief that cannabis has medical benefits was more strongly related to support for medical cannabis legalization than were beliefs about addiction and spillover effects. While the support for medical cannabis legalization was stronger in Israel than in Norway (78 vs. 51 %, p < 0.01), the belief variables had, in general, more impact on the policy stand in Norway. The belief that cannabis has medical benefits is particularly salient for support for medical cannabis legalization. It is possible that the recent surge in evidence supporting the medical benefits of cannabis will increase the belief about medical benefits of cannabis in the general population which may in turn increase public support for medical cannabis legalization. Results also suggest that once medical cannabis is legalized, factors beyond cannabis-specific beliefs will increasingly influence medical cannabis legalization support. These conclusions are, however, only suggestive as the current study is based on cross-sectional data. Hopefully, future research will be able to capitalize on changes in medical cannabis policies and conduct longitudinal studies that enable an examination of the causal relation between public opinion and medical cannabis policy changes.

Molecular systematics of Gagea and Lloydia (Liliaceae; Liliales): implications of analyses of nuclear ribosomal and plastid DNA sequences for infrageneric classification

PubMed Central

Zarrei, M.; Wilkin, P.; Fay, M. F.; Ingrouille, M. J.; Zarre, S.; Chase, M. W.

2009-01-01

Background and Aims Gagea is a Eurasian genus of petaloid monocots, with a few species in North Africa, comprising between 70 and approximately 275 species depending on the author. Lloydia (thought to be the closest relative of Gagea) consists of 12–20 species that have a mostly eastern Asian distribution. Delimitation of these genera and their subdivisions are unresolved questions in Liliaceae taxonomy. The objective of this study is to evaluate generic and infrageneric circumscription of Gagea and Lloydia using DNA sequence data. Methods A phylogenetic study of Gagea and Lloydia (Liliaceae) was conducted using sequences of nuclear ribosomal internal transcribed spacer (ITS) and plastid (rpl16 intron, trnL intron, trnL-F spacer, matK and the psbA-trnH spacer) DNA regions. This included 149 accessions (seven as outgroups), with multiple accessions of some taxa; 552 sequences were included, of which 393 were generated as part of this research. Key Results A close relationship of Gagea and Lloydia was confirmed in analyses using different datasets, but neither Gagea nor Lloydia forms a monophyletic group as currently circumscribed; however, the ITS and plastid analyses did not produce congruent results for the placement of Lloydia relative to the major groups within Gagea. Gagea accessions formed five moderately to strongly supported clades in all trees, with most Lloydia taxa positioned at the basal nodes; in the strict consensus trees from the combined data a basal polytomy occurs. There is limited congruence between the classical, morphology-derived infrageneric taxonomy in Gagea (including Lloydia) and clades in the present phylogenetic analyses. Conclusions The analyses support monophyly of Gagea/Lloydia collectively, and they clearly comprise a single lineage, as some previous authors have hypothesized. The results provide the basis for a new classification of Gagea that has support from some morphological features. Incongruence between plastid and nuclear ITS results is interpreted as potentially due to ancient hybridization and/or paralogy of ITS rDNA. PMID:19451146

The evolutionary relationships and age of Homo naledi: An assessment using dated Bayesian phylogenetic methods.

PubMed

Dembo, Mana; Radovčić, Davorka; Garvin, Heather M; Laird, Myra F; Schroeder, Lauren; Scott, Jill E; Brophy, Juliet; Ackermann, Rebecca R; Musiba, Chares M; de Ruiter, Darryl J; Mooers, Arne Ø; Collard, Mark

2016-08-01

Homo naledi is a recently discovered species of fossil hominin from South Africa. A considerable amount is already known about H. naledi but some important questions remain unanswered. Here we report a study that addressed two of them: "Where does H. naledi fit in the hominin evolutionary tree?" and "How old is it?" We used a large supermatrix of craniodental characters for both early and late hominin species and Bayesian phylogenetic techniques to carry out three analyses. First, we performed a dated Bayesian analysis to generate estimates of the evolutionary relationships of fossil hominins including H. naledi. Then we employed Bayes factor tests to compare the strength of support for hypotheses about the relationships of H. naledi suggested by the best-estimate trees. Lastly, we carried out a resampling analysis to assess the accuracy of the age estimate for H. naledi yielded by the dated Bayesian analysis. The analyses strongly supported the hypothesis that H. naledi forms a clade with the other Homo species and Australopithecus sediba. The analyses were more ambiguous regarding the position of H. naledi within the (Homo, Au. sediba) clade. A number of hypotheses were rejected, but several others were not. Based on the available craniodental data, Homo antecessor, Asian Homo erectus, Homo habilis, Homo floresiensis, Homo sapiens, and Au. sediba could all be the sister taxon of H. naledi. According to the dated Bayesian analysis, the most likely age for H. naledi is 912 ka. This age estimate was supported by the resampling analysis. Our findings have a number of implications. Most notably, they support the assignment of the new specimens to Homo, cast doubt on the claim that H. naledi is simply a variant of H. erectus, and suggest H. naledi is younger than has been previously proposed. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Seven new dolphin mitochondrial genomes and a time-calibrated phylogeny of whales

PubMed Central

Xiong, Ye; Brandley, Matthew C; Xu, Shixia; Zhou, Kaiya; Yang, Guang

2009-01-01

Background The phylogeny of Cetacea (whales) is not fully resolved with substantial support. The ambiguous and conflicting results of multiple phylogenetic studies may be the result of the use of too little data, phylogenetic methods that do not adequately capture the complex nature of DNA evolution, or both. In addition, there is also evidence that the generic taxonomy of Delphinidae (dolphins) underestimates its diversity. To remedy these problems, we sequenced the complete mitochondrial genomes of seven dolphins and analyzed these data with partitioned Bayesian analyses. Moreover, we incorporate a newly-developed "relaxed" molecular clock to model heterogenous rates of evolution among cetacean lineages. Results The "deep" phylogenetic relationships are well supported including the monophyly of Cetacea and Odontoceti. However, there is ambiguity in the phylogenetic affinities of two of the river dolphin clades Platanistidae (Indian River dolphins) and Lipotidae (Yangtze River dolphins). The phylogenetic analyses support a sister relationship between Delphinidae and Monodontidae + Phocoenidae. Additionally, there is statistically significant support for the paraphyly of Tursiops (bottlenose dolphins) and Stenella (spotted dolphins). Conclusion Our phylogenetic analysis of complete mitochondrial genomes using recently developed models of rate autocorrelation resolved the phylogenetic relationships of the major Cetacean lineages with a high degree of confidence. Our results indicate that a rapid radiation of lineages explains the lack of support the placement of Platanistidae and Lipotidae. Moreover, our estimation of molecular divergence dates indicates that these radiations occurred in the Middle to Late Oligocene and Middle Miocene, respectively. Furthermore, by collecting and analyzing seven new mitochondrial genomes, we provide strong evidence that the delphinid genera Tursiops and Stenella are not monophyletic, and the current taxonomy masks potentially interesting patterns of morphological, physiological, behavioral, and ecological evolution. PMID:19166626

Iridium, sulfur isotopes and rare earth elements in the Cretaceous-Tertiary boundary clay at Stevns Klint, Denmark

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schmitz, Birger; Andersson, Per; Dahl, Jeremy

1988-01-01

Microbial activity and redox-controlled precipitation have been of major importance in the process of metal accumulation in the strongly Ir-enriched Cretaceous-Tertiary (K-T) boundary clay, the Fish Clay, at Stevns Klint in Denmark. Two important findings support this view: 1) Kerogen, recovered by leaching the Fish Clay in HCl and HF, shows an Ir concentration of 1100 ppb; this represents about 50% of the Ir present in the bulk sample Fish Clay. Strong organometallic complexes is the most probable carrier phase for this fraction of Ir. Kerogen separated from the K-T boundary clay at Caravaca, Spain, similarly exhibits enhanced Ir concentrations. 2) Sulfur isotope analyses of metal-rich pyrite spherules, which occur in extreme abundance (about 10% by weight) in the basal Fish Clay, give a δ 34S value of -32%.. This very low value shows that sulfide formation by anaerobic bacteria was intensive in the Fish Clay during early diagenesis. Since the pyrite spherules are major carriers of elements such as Ni, Co, As, Sb and Zn, microbial activity may have played an important role for concentrating these elements. In the Fish Clay large amounts of rare earth elements have precipitated from sea water on fish scales. Analyses reveal that, compared with sea water, the Fish Clay is only about four times less enriched in sea-water derived lanthanides than in Ir. This shows that a sea-water origin is plausible for elements that are strongly enriched in the clay, but whose origin cannot be accounted for by a lithogenic precursor.

Mesoscale Variability in SUCCESS Data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Eckermann, Stephen D.

1998-01-01

Analysis of meteorological, chemical, and microphysical data from the airborne SUCCESS mission is reported. Careful analysis of the complex DC-8 flight pattern of May 2, 1996 reveals 19 linear or nearly linear flight segments within six main geographical areas, which we have analyzed. Significant mountain wave activity is revealed in the data from the MMS and MTP instruments on the DC-8, which resembles previous observations of mountain wave structures near Boulder, CO. Strong mountain-wave-induced upwelling downwind of the Rockies is noted. Turbulence is also noted in regions of the mountain wave consistent with overturning near the tropopause. Zonal winds recorded on the ER-2 are shown to consistent with mountain wave breaking at or near critical levels in the stratosphere, consistent with the strong turbulence reported by the pilot during the ER-2 flight. Those observations have been supported with spectral analyses and modeling studies. "Postcasts" of mountain wave activity on May 2, 1996, using the Naval Research Laboratory Mountain Wave Forecast Model (NRL/MWFM) predicts both strong mountain wave activity near the tropopause (as measured by the DC-8) and strong mountain-wave-induced turbulence in the stratosphere (as encountered by the ER-2). Two-dimensional simulations of fluid flow over topography reveal similar isentropic structures to observations.

Affective and executive network processing associated with persuasive antidrug messages.

PubMed

Ramsay, Ian S; Yzer, Marco C; Luciana, Monica; Vohs, Kathleen D; MacDonald, Angus W

2013-07-01

Previous research has highlighted brain regions associated with socioemotional processes in persuasive message encoding, whereas cognitive models of persuasion suggest that executive brain areas may also be important. The current study aimed to identify lateral prefrontal brain areas associated with persuasive message viewing and understand how activity in these executive regions might interact with activity in the amygdala and medial pFC. Seventy adolescents were scanned using fMRI while they watched 10 strongly convincing antidrug public service announcements (PSAs), 10 weakly convincing antidrug PSAs, and 10 advertisements (ads) unrelated to drugs. Antidrug PSAs compared with nondrug ads more strongly elicited arousal-related activity in the amygdala and medial pFC. Within antidrug PSAs, those that were prerated as strongly persuasive versus weakly persuasive showed significant differences in arousal-related activity in executive processing areas of the lateral pFC. In support of the notion that persuasiveness involves both affective and executive processes, functional connectivity analyses showed greater coactivation between the lateral pFC and amygdala during PSAs known to be strongly (vs. weakly) convincing. These findings demonstrate that persuasive messages elicit activation in brain regions responsible for both emotional arousal and executive control and represent a crucial step toward a better understanding of the neural processes responsible for persuasion and subsequent behavior change.

What defines an adaptive radiation? Macroevolutionary diversification dynamics of an exceptionally species-rich continental lizard radiation.

PubMed

Pincheira-Donoso, Daniel; Harvey, Lilly P; Ruta, Marcello

2015-08-07

Adaptive radiation theory posits that ecological opportunity promotes rapid proliferation of phylogenetic and ecological diversity. Given that adaptive radiation proceeds via occupation of available niche space in newly accessed ecological zones, theory predicts that: (i) evolutionary diversification follows an 'early-burst' process, i.e., it accelerates early in the history of a clade (when available niche space facilitates speciation), and subsequently slows down as niche space becomes saturated by new species; and (ii) phylogenetic branching is accompanied by diversification of ecologically relevant phenotypic traits among newly evolving species. Here, we employ macroevolutionary phylogenetic model-selection analyses to address these two predictions about evolutionary diversification using one of the most exceptionally species-rich and ecologically diverse lineages of living vertebrates, the South American lizard genus Liolaemus. Our phylogenetic analyses lend support to a density-dependent lineage diversification model. However, the lineage through-time diversification curve does not provide strong support for an early burst. In contrast, the evolution of phenotypic (body size) relative disparity is high, significantly different from a Brownian model during approximately the last 5 million years of Liolaemus evolution. Model-fitting analyses also reject the 'early-burst' model of phenotypic evolution, and instead favour stabilizing selection (Ornstein-Uhlenbeck, with three peaks identified) as the best model for body size diversification. Finally, diversification rates tend to increase with smaller body size. Liolaemus have diversified under a density-dependent process with slightly pronounced apparent episodic pulses of lineage accumulation, which are compatible with the expected episodic ecological opportunity created by gradual uplifts of the Andes over the last ~25My. We argue that ecological opportunity can be strong and a crucial driver of adaptive radiations in continents, but may emerge less frequently (compared to islands) when major events (e.g., climatic, geographic) significantly modify environments. In contrast, body size diversification conforms to an Ornstein-Uhlenbeck model with multiple trait optima. Despite this asymmetric diversification between both lineages and phenotype, links are expected to exist between the two processes, as shown by our trait-dependent analyses of diversification. We finally suggest that the definition of adaptive radiation should not be conditioned by the existence of early-bursts of diversification, and should instead be generalized to lineages in which species and ecological diversity have evolved from a single ancestor.

Evaluation of impact of social support and care on HIV-positive and AIDS individuals' quality of life: a nonrandomised community trial.

PubMed

Li, Xing-Ming; Yuan, Xiao-Qing; Wang, Jun-Jie; Zhang, Wan-Ying; Zhou, Yang; Liu, Gu-Ning

2017-02-01

Our study was conducted to further investigate the model of social support and care for People Living with HIV/AIDS(PLHA), to explore their role in People Living with AIDS's quality of life (QOL) as reference for improving nursing policies for AIDS. Social support and care are the most important factors impacting the QOL of People Living with HIV/AIDS, but most studies conducted upon the influence of social support and QOL of People Living with HIV/AIDS are mainly based on cross-sectional design. Our study was a nonrandomised controlled community intervention study. The participants diagnosed as People Living with HIV/AIDS at Beijing You An Hospital received a comprehensive social support care from December 2013 to December 2014. To evaluate the impact of social support and care model on People Living with HIV/AIDS, our study analysed the different dimension scores of social support scale and quality of life before and after the intervention. Correlation between the net benefit value of social support and that of QOL from various dimensions were analysed. There were significant differences in the score of objective support and usage of support (all p = 0·02) for social support. Net values of objective support score and usage of support were 0·25 and 0·19, respectively, after intervention. There were significant differences in physiological function, role physical, general health, vitality, social function, mental health, health transition and total score of quality of life (all p < 0·05). The canonical correlation analysis of net values of social support and QOL indicated that the first and second canonical correlation were statistically significant, with correlation coefficients of 0·53 (p = 0·00) and 0·21 (p = 0·04). Social support and care intervention model can effectively improve perceived subjective feeling on social support and QOL condition for People Living with HIV/AIDS. And strategies to improve social support and care intervention programmes are strongly encouraged. The method is simple and cost-effective and could be a way to improve the quality of life condition for People Living with HIV/AIDS. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Clinically assessed consequences of workplace physical violence.

PubMed

De Puy, Jacqueline; Romain-Glassey, Nathalie; Gut, Melody; Wild, Pascal; Pascal, Wild; Mangin, Patrice; Danuser, Brigitta

2015-02-01

To assess consequences of physical violence at work and identify their predictors. Among the patients in a medicolegal consultation from 2007 to 2010, the subsample of workplace violence victims (n = 185) was identified and contacted again in average 30 months after the assault. Eighty-six victims (47 %) participated. Ordinal logistic regression analyses assessed the effect of 9 potential risk factors on physical, psychological and work consequences summarized in a severity score (0-9). Severity score distribution was as follows: 4+: 14 %; 1-3: 42 %; and 0: 44 %. Initial psychological distress resulting from the violence was a strong predictor (p < 0.001) of the severity score both on work and long-term psychological consequences. Gender and age did not reach significant levels in multivariable analyses even though female victims had overall more severe consequences. Unexpectedly, only among workers whose jobs implied high awareness of the risk of violence, first-time violence was associated with long-term psychological and physical consequences (p = 0.004). Among the factors assessed at follow-up, perceived lack of employers' support or absence of employer was associated with higher values on the severity score. The seven other assessed factors (initial physical injuries; previous experience of violence; preexisting health problems; working alone; internal violence; lack of support from colleagues; and lack of support from family or friends) were not significantly associated with the severity score. Being a victim of workplace violence can result in long-term consequences on health and employment, their severity increases with the seriousness of initial psychological distress. Support from the employer can help prevent negative outcomes.

The role of social support and parity in contraceptive use in Cambodia.

PubMed

Samandari, Ghazaleh; Speizer, Ilene S; O'Connell, Kathryn

2010-09-01

In Cambodia, unmet need for contraception is high. Studies suggest that social support and parity each play a role in contraceptive decision making. A representative sample of 706 married women aged 15-49 from two rural provinces in Cambodia who wished to delay childbirth were interviewed about their contraceptive use and their perceptions of their husband's, peers' and elders' support of contraception. Multivariate analyses examined associations between support measures and women's current use of modern methods, among all women and by parity. Overall, 43% of women were currently using a modern method. Women who believed that their husband had a positive attitude toward contraception were more likely than those who did not to use a method (odds ratio, 3.4), whereas women who were nervous about talking with their husband about contraception were less likely than others to use a method (0.6); these associations remained in analyses by parity. Among all women and high-parity women, those whose husband made the final decision about contraception were less likely than other women to use a method (0.6 and 0.4, respectively). Perceiving that most of one's peers practice contraception was strongly associated with method use among low-parity women (4.4). Among all groups, women who agreed that one should not practice contraception if an elder says not to had decreased odds of method use (0.5 each). To promote contraceptive use, family planning programs should focus on increasing men's approval of contraception, improving partner communication around family planning and bolstering women's confidence in their reproductive decision making.

A Culture Conducive to Women’s Academic Success: Development of a Measure

PubMed Central

Westring, Alyssa Friede; Speck, Rebecca M.; Sammel, Mary Dupuis; Scott, Patricia; Tuton, Lucy Wolf; Grisso, Jeane Ann; Abbuhl, Stephanie

2012-01-01

Purpose The culture of the work environment inhibits women’s career success in academic medicine. The lack of clarity and consistency in the definition, measurement, and analysis of culture constrains current research on the topic. The authors addressed this gap by defining the construct of a culture conducive to women’s academic success (CCWAS) and creating a measure (i.e., tool) to evaluate it. Method First, the authors conducted a review of published literature, held focus groups, and consulted with subject matter experts to develop a measure of academic workplace culture for women. Then they developed and pilot-tested the measure with a convenience sample of women assistant professors. After refining the measure, they administered it, along with additional scales for validation, to 133 women assistant professors at the University of Pennsylvania. Finally, they conducted statistical analyses to explore the measure’s nature and validity. Results A CCWAS consists of four distinct, but related dimensions: equal access, work-life balance, freedom from gender biases, and supportive leadership. The authors found evidence that women within departments/divisions agree on the supportiveness of their units but that substantial differences among units exist. The analyses provided strong evidence for the reliability and validity of their measure. Conclusions This report contributes to a growing understanding of women’s academic medicine careers and provides a measure that researchers can utilize to assess the supportiveness of the culture for women assistant professors and that leaders can use to evaluate the effectiveness of interventions designed to increase the supportiveness of the environment for women faculty. PMID:23018337

Curvularia microspora sp. nov. associated with leaf diseases of Hippeastrum striatum in China.

PubMed

Liang, Yin; Ran, Shuang-Fei; Bhat, Jayarama; Hyde, Kevin D; Wang, Yong; Zhao, De-Gang

2018-01-01

An undescribed Curvularia sp. was isolated from the leaf spot disease of Barbados Lily ( Hippeastrum striatum (Lam.) Moore). Phylogenetic analyses of combined ITS, 28S, GPD1 and TEF1 sequence data place nine strains of this species in the trifolii -clade, but they clustered together as an independent lineage with strong support. This species was morphologically compared with related species in the trifolii -clade. Based on differences in morphology and phylogeny, it is concluded that this species is a new taxon, introduced as Curvularia microspora sp. nov. Pathogenicity testing determined the new species to be pathogenic on H. striatum .

Factors predicting desired autonomy in medical decisions: Risk-taking and gambling behaviors

PubMed Central

Fortune, Erica E; Shotwell, Jessica J; Buccellato, Kiara; Moran, Erin

2016-01-01

This study investigated factors that influence patients’ desired level of autonomy in medical decisions. Analyses included previously supported demographic variables in addition to risk-taking and gambling behaviors, which exhibit a strong relationship with overall health and decision-making, but have not been investigated in conjunction with medical autonomy. Participants (N = 203) completed measures on Amazon’s Mechanical Turk, including two measures of autonomy. Two hierarchical regressions revealed that the predictors explained a significant amount of variance for both measures, but the contribution of predictor variables was incongruent between models. Possible causes for this incongruence and implications for patient–physician interactions are discussed. PMID:28070406

The Association Between School Bonding and Smoking Amongst Chilean Adolescents.

PubMed

Gaete, Jorge; Montgomery, Alan; Araya, Ricardo

2015-01-01

The objective of the research was to study the association between school bonding dimensions (school commitment and school attachment) and current adolescent smoking in Chile, controlling for confounding variables using the fifth Chilean School Population National Substance Use Survey, 2003 (CHSS-2003) data set. The CHSS-2003 is a stratified cross-sectional survey that gathers information about personal, familial, peer, and school factors and cigarette use using a self-reported questionnaire. Complete data from 21,956 adolescent students for all the variables of interest were used in the analyses. An exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was performed in order to explore the construct validity of the questionnaire and create the main exposure and potential confounding variables. Multivariable logistic regression analyses were undertaken to study the association between school bonding and smoking. The construct validity of the school attachment and school commitment scales was mainly supported by the EFA. Multivariable analyses showed strong evidence that, after adjusting for factors from different domains, school commitment (student's good grades and school attendance) appears to have a clear inverse association with current smoking (odds ratio [OR]=0.46, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.38-0.56). On the other hand, school attachment (their feelings towards their school and their teachers) was not associated with adolescent smoking (OR=1.16, 95% CI: 0.88-1.53). School commitment was strongly associated with current smoking. It is important to further study this variable with the aim of ascertaining whether or not interventions that improve school commitment may prevent or reduce smoking amongst adolescent students.

Phylogeny of the bears (Ursidae) based on nuclear and mitochondrial genes.

PubMed

Yu, Li; Li, Qing-wei; Ryder, O A; Zhang, Ya-ping

2004-08-01

The taxomic classification and phylogenetic relationships within the bear family remain argumentative subjects in recent years. Prior investigation has been concentrated on the application of different mitochondrial (mt) sequence data, herein we employ two nuclear single-copy gene segments, the partial exon 1 from gene encoding interphotoreceptor retinoid binding protein (IRBP) and the complete intron 1 from transthyretin (TTR) gene, in conjunction with previously published mt data, to clarify these enigmatic problems. The combined analyses of nuclear IRBP and TTR datasets not only corroborated prior hypotheses, positioning the spectacled bear most basally and grouping the brown and polar bear together but also provided new insights into the bear phylogeny, suggesting the sister-taxa association of sloth bear and sun bear with strong support. Analyses based on combination of nuclear and mt genes differed from nuclear analysis in recognizing the sloth bears as the earliest diverging species among the subfamily ursine representatives while the exact placement of the sun bear did not resolved. Asiatic and American black bears clustered as sister group in all analyses with moderate levels of bootstrap support and high posterior probabilities. Comparisons between the nuclear and mtDNA findings suggested that our combined nuclear dataset have the resolving power comparable to mtDNA dataset for the phylogenetic interpretation of the bear family. As can be seen from present study, the unanimous phylogeny for this recently derived family was still not produced and additional independent genetic markers were in need.

Rapid radiation events in the family Ursidae indicated by likelihood phylogenetic estimation from multiple fragments of mtDNA.

PubMed

Waits, L P; Sullivan, J; O'Brien, S J; Ward, R H

1999-10-01

The bear family (Ursidae) presents a number of phylogenetic ambiguities as the evolutionary relationships of the six youngest members (ursine bears) are largely unresolved. Recent mitochondrial DNA analyses have produced conflicting results with respect to the phylogeny of ursine bears. In an attempt to resolve these issues, we obtained 1916 nucleotides of mitochondrial DNA sequence data from six gene segments for all eight bear species and conducted maximum likelihood and maximum parsimony analyses on all fragments separately and combined. All six single-region gene trees gave different phylogenetic estimates; however, only for control region data was this significantly incongruent with the results from the combined data. The optimal phylogeny for the combined data set suggests that the giant panda is most basal followed by the spectacled bear. The sloth bear is the basal ursine bear, and there is weak support for a sister taxon relationship of the American and Asiatic black bears. The sun bear is sister taxon to the youngest clade containing brown bears and polar bears. Statistical analyses of alternate hypotheses revealed a lack of strong support for many of the relationships. We suggest that the difficulties surrounding the resolution of the evolutionary relationships of the Ursidae are linked to the existence of sequential rapid radiation events in bear evolution. Thus, unresolved branching orders during these time periods may represent an accurate representation of the evolutionary history of bear species. Copyright 1999 Academic Press.

Plastome sequences and exploration of tree-space help to resolve the phylogeny of riceflowers (Thymelaeaceae: Pimelea).

PubMed

Foster, Charles S P; Henwood, Murray J; Ho, Simon Y W

2018-05-25

Data sets comprising small numbers of genetic markers are not always able to resolve phylogenetic relationships. This has frequently been the case in molecular systematic studies of plants, with many analyses being based on sequence data from only two or three chloroplast genes. An example of this comes from the riceflowers Pimelea Banks & Sol. ex Gaertn. (Thymelaeaceae), a large genus of flowering plants predominantly distributed in Australia. Despite the considerable morphological variation in the genus, low sequence divergence in chloroplast markers has led to the phylogeny of Pimelea remaining largely uncertain. In this study, we resolve the backbone of the phylogeny of Pimelea in comprehensive Bayesian and maximum-likelihood analyses of plastome sequences from 41 taxa. However, some relationships received only moderate to poor support, and the Pimelea clade contained extremely short internal branches. By using topology-clustering analyses, we demonstrate that conflicting phylogenetic signals can be found across the trees estimated from individual chloroplast protein-coding genes. A relaxed-clock dating analysis reveals that Pimelea arose in the mid-Miocene, with most divergences within the genus occurring during a subsequent rapid diversification. Our new phylogenetic estimate offers better resolution and is more strongly supported than previous estimates, providing a platform for future taxonomic revisions of both Pimelea and the broader subfamily. Our study has demonstrated the substantial improvements in phylogenetic resolution that can be achieved using plastome-scale data sets in plant molecular systematics. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Occurrence of Can-SINEs and intron sequence evolution supports robust phylogeny of pinniped carnivores and their terrestrial relatives.

PubMed

Schröder, Christiane; Bleidorn, Christoph; Hartmann, Stefanie; Tiedemann, Ralph

2009-12-15

Investigating the dog genome we found 178965 introns with a moderate length of 200-1000 bp. A screening of these sequences against 23 different repeat libraries to find insertions of short interspersed elements (SINEs) detected 45276 SINEs. Virtually all of these SINEs (98%) belong to the tRNA-derived Can-SINE family. Can-SINEs arose about 55 million years ago before Carnivora split into two basal groups, the Caniformia (dog-like carnivores) and the Feliformia (cat-like carnivores). Genome comparisons of dog and cat recovered 506 putatively informative SINE loci for caniformian phylogeny. In this study we show how to use such genome information of model organisms to research the phylogeny of related non-model species of interest. Investigating a dataset including representatives of all major caniformian lineages, we analysed 24 randomly chosen loci for 22 taxa. All loci were amplifiable and revealed 17 parsimony-informative SINE insertions. The screening for informative SINE insertions yields a large amount of sequence information, in particular of introns, which contain reliable phylogenetic information as well. A phylogenetic analysis of intron- and SINE sequence data provided a statistically robust phylogeny which is congruent with the absence/presence pattern of our SINE markers. This phylogeny strongly supports a sistergroup relationship of Musteloidea and Pinnipedia. Within Pinnipedia, we see strong support from bootstrapping and the presence of a SINE insertion for a sistergroup relationship of the walrus with the Otariidae.

Measuring disability across cultures — the psychometric properties of the WHODAS II in older people from seven low- and middle-income countries. The 10/66 Dementia Research Group population-based survey

PubMed Central

Sousa, Renata M; Dewey, Michael E; Acosta, Daisy; Jotheeswaran, AT; Castro-Costa, Erico; Ferri, Cleusa P; Guerra, Mariella; Huang, Yueqin; Jacob, KS; Pichardo, Juana Guillermina Rodriguez; Ramírez, Nayeli Garcia; Rodriguez, Juan Llibre; Rodriguez, Marina Calvo; Salas, Aquiles; Sosa, Ana Luisa; Williams, Joseph; Prince, Martin J

2010-01-01

We evaluated the psychometric properties of the 12-item interviewer-administered screener version of the World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule – version II (WHODAS II) among older people living in seven low- and middle-income countries. Principal component analysis (PCA), confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and Mokken analyses were carried out to test for unidimensionality, hierarchical structure, and measurement invariance across 10/66 Dementia Research Group sites. PCA generated a one-factor solution in most sites. In CFA, the two-factor solution generated in Dominican Republic fitted better for all sites other than rural China. The two factors were not easily interpretable, and may have been an artefact of differing item difficulties. Strong internal consistency and high factor loadings for the one-factor solution supported unidimensionality. Furthermore, the WHODAS II was found to be a ‘strong’ Mokken scale. Measurement invariance was supported by the similarity of factor loadings across sites, and by the high between-site correlations in item difficulties. The Mokken results strongly support that the WHODAS II 12-item screener is a unidimensional and hierarchical scale confirming to item response theory (IRT) principles, at least at the monotone homogeneity model level. More work is needed to assess the generalizability of our findings to different populations. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. PMID:20104493

Otolith shape lends support to the sensory drive hypothesis in rockfishes.

PubMed

Tuset, V M; Otero-Ferrer, J L; Gómez-Zurita, J; Venerus, L A; Stransky, C; Imondi, R; Orlov, A M; Ye, Z; Santschi, L; Afanasiev, P K; Zhuang, L; Farré, M; Love, M S; Lombarte, A

2016-10-01

The sensory drive hypothesis proposes that environmental factors affect both signalling dynamics and the evolution of signals and receivers. Sound detection and equilibrium in marine fishes are senses dependent on the sagittae otoliths, whose morphological variability appears intrinsically linked to the environment. The aim of this study was to understand if and which environmental factors could be conditioning the evolution of this sensory structure, therefore lending support to the sensory drive hypothesis. Thus, we analysed the otolith shape of 42 rockfish species (Sebastes spp.) to test the potential associations with the phylogeny, biological (age), ecological (feeding habit and depth distribution) and biogeographical factors. The results showed strong differences in the otolith shapes of some species, noticeably influenced by ecological and biogeographical factors. Moreover, otolith shape was clearly conditioned by phylogeny, but with a strong environmental effect, cautioning about the use of this structure for the systematics of rockfishes or other marine fishes. However, our most relevant finding is that the data supported the sensory drive hypothesis as a force promoting the radiation of the genus Sebastes. This hypothesis holds that adaptive divergence in communication has significant influence relative to other life history traits. It has already been established in Sebastes for visual characters and organs; our results showed that it applies to otolith transformations as well (despite the clear influence of feeding and depth), expanding the scope of the hypothesis to other sensory structures. © 2016 European Society For Evolutionary Biology. Journal of Evolutionary Biology © 2016 European Society For Evolutionary Biology.

Adolescent social networks: general and smoking-specific characteristics associated with smoking.

PubMed

Roberts, Megan E; Nargiso, Jessica E; Gaitonde, Linda Brazil; Stanton, Cassandra A; Colby, Suzanne M

2015-03-01

Converging lines of research suggest that adolescents' smoking behaviors are strongly influenced by the characteristics of their social network and the social processes their network facilitates. The primary goal of this study was to conduct a detailed comparison of the social networks of adolescent smokers and nonsmokers to determine what aspects relate the most to smoking status. A secondary goal was to conduct within-group analyses to examine relationships between key measures of behavior-specific social support and (a) smoking susceptibility among nonsmokers, and (b) readiness to quit smoking among smokers. A matched sample of 190 adolescent smokers and nonsmokers (Mage = 16.8 years; 51% female) completed a questionnaire in which they nominated and reported on up to 10 important people in their lives. This measure allowed us to examine adolescents' overall networks (both peers and family) and to investigate numerous aspects, including general network characteristics (e.g., size of network, average contact with network members), social support (e.g., importance of people in the network), and the pervasiveness of smoking in the network (e.g., percentage of smoking peers). The pervasiveness of smoking in adolescents' social network was the strongest distinguisher of smokers versus nonsmokers. In addition, behavior-specific social support was strongly associated with susceptibility to initiate smoking among nonsmokers and readiness to quit among smokers. This research offers insight into potential targets for prevention and early intervention by demonstrating how social networks can both promote and attenuate risk for smoking.

Core OCD Symptoms: Exploration of Specificity and Relations with Psychopathology

PubMed Central

Stasik, Sara M.; Naragon-Gainey, Kristin; Chmielewski, Michael; Watson, David

2012-01-01

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a heterogeneous condition, comprised of multiple symptom domains. This study used aggregate composite scales representing three core OCD dimensions (Checking, Cleaning, Rituals), as well as Hoarding, to examine the discriminant validity, diagnostic specificity, and predictive ability of OCD symptom scales. The core OCD scales demonstrated strong patterns of convergent and discriminant validity – suggesting that these dimensions are distinct from other self-reported symptoms – whereas hoarding symptoms correlated just as strongly with OCD and non-OCD symptoms in most analyses. Across analyses, our results indicated that Checking is a particularly strong, specific marker of OCD diagnosis, whereas the specificity of Cleaning and Hoarding to OCD was less strong. Finally, the OCD Checking scale was the only significant predictor of OCD diagnosis in logistic regression analyses. Results are discussed with regard to the importance of assessing OCD symptom dimensions separately and implications for classification. PMID:23026094

The Effect of Social Support on Glycemic Control in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: The Mediating Roles of Self-Efficacy and Adherence

PubMed Central

Shao, Yechang; Liang, Lu; Shi, Linjing; Yu, Shouyi

2017-01-01

Ample evidence suggests that social support, self-efficacy, and adherence significantly, independently, and together affect glycemic control in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), but the pathway from social support to glycemic control remains unclear. This study hypothesized that the effect of social support on glycemic control was mediated sequentially by self-efficacy and adherence. Patients with T2DM were recruited from two hospitals in Guangzhou, China, from January 1 to July 31, 2014, and their sociodemographic clinical data and their assessments on social support, self-efficacy, and adherence were obtained from medical records and self-completed questionnaires. Of the 532 patients who participated, 35% achieved glycemic control (i.e., HbA1c < 7%). Social support, self-efficacy, and adherence had significant correlations with each other and with glycemic control (P < 0.05). Regression analyses and structural equation modeling showed that better social support was associated to better patient self-efficacy, which, in turn, was associated with better medical adherence, which was associated with improved glycemic control, and the relationship between social support and glycemic control was sequentially and completely mediated by self-efficacy and adherence. The five goodness-of-fit indices confirmed that our data fitted the hypothesized pathway model strongly. PMID:28626769

Social support, socio-economic status, health and abuse among older people in seven European countries.

PubMed

Melchiorre, Maria Gabriella; Chiatti, Carlos; Lamura, Giovanni; Torres-Gonzales, Francisco; Stankunas, Mindaugas; Lindert, Jutta; Ioannidi-Kapolou, Elisabeth; Barros, Henrique; Macassa, Gloria; Soares, Joaquim F J

2013-01-01

Social support has a strong impact on individuals, not least on older individuals with health problems. A lack of support network and poor family or social relations may be crucial in later life, and represent risk factors for elder abuse. This study focused on the associations between social support, demographics/socio-economics, health variables and elder mistreatment. The cross-sectional data was collected by means of interviews or interviews/self-response during January-July 2009, among a sample of 4,467 not demented individuals aged 60-84 years living in seven European countries (Germany, Greece, Italy, Lithuania, Portugal, Spain, and Sweden). Multivariate analyses showed that women and persons living in large households and with a spouse/partner or other persons were more likely to experience high levels of social support. Moreover, frequent use of health care services and low scores on depression or discomfort due to physical complaints were indicators of high social support. Low levels of social support were related to older age and abuse, particularly psychological abuse. High levels of social support may represent a protective factor in reducing both the vulnerability of older people and risk of elder mistreatment. On the basis of these results, policy makers, clinicians and researchers could act by developing intervention programmes that facilitate friendships and social activities in old age.

Social Support, Socio-Economic Status, Health and Abuse among Older People in Seven European Countries

PubMed Central

Melchiorre, Maria Gabriella; Chiatti, Carlos; Lamura, Giovanni; Torres-Gonzales, Francisco; Stankunas, Mindaugas; Lindert, Jutta; Ioannidi-Kapolou, Elisabeth; Barros, Henrique; Macassa, Gloria; Soares, Joaquim F. J.

2013-01-01

Background Social support has a strong impact on individuals, not least on older individuals with health problems. A lack of support network and poor family or social relations may be crucial in later life, and represent risk factors for elder abuse. This study focused on the associations between social support, demographics/socio-economics, health variables and elder mistreatment. Methods The cross-sectional data was collected by means of interviews or interviews/self-response during January-July 2009, among a sample of 4,467 not demented individuals aged 60–84 years living in seven European countries (Germany, Greece, Italy, Lithuania, Portugal, Spain, and Sweden). Results Multivariate analyses showed that women and persons living in large households and with a spouse/partner or other persons were more likely to experience high levels of social support. Moreover, frequent use of health care services and low scores on depression or discomfort due to physical complaints were indicators of high social support. Low levels of social support were related to older age and abuse, particularly psychological abuse. Conclusions High levels of social support may represent a protective factor in reducing both the vulnerability of older people and risk of elder mistreatment. On the basis of these results, policy makers, clinicians and researchers could act by developing intervention programmes that facilitate friendships and social activities in old age. PMID:23382989

Paediatric death and dying: exploring coping strategies of health professionals and perceptions of support provision.

PubMed

Forster, Elizabeth; Hafiz, Alaa

2015-06-01

Without question a child's death is a devastating event for parents and families. Health professionals working with the dying child and family draw upon their expertise and experience to engage with children, parents and families on this painful journey. This is a delicate and sensitive area of practice and has strong and penetrating effects on health professionals. They employ physical, emotional, spiritual and problem solving strategies to continue to perform this role effectively and to protect their continued sense of wellbeing. To explore health professionals' perceptions of bereavement support surrounding the loss of a child. The research was underpinned by social constructionism. Semi-structured interviews were held with 10 health professionals including doctors, nurses and social workers who were directly involved in the care of the dying child and family in 7 cases of paediatric death. Health professional narratives were analysed consistent with Charmarz's (2006) approach. For health professionals, constructions around coping emerged as peer support, personal coping strategies, family support, physical impact of support and spiritual beliefs. Analysis of the narratives also revealed health professionals' perceptions of their support provision. Health professionals involved in caring for dying children and their families use a variety of strategies to cope with the emotional and physical toll of providing support. They also engage in self-assessment to evaluate their support provision and this highlights the need for self-evaluation tools in paediatric palliative care.

Optimism, social support, and mental health outcomes in patients with advanced cancer.

PubMed

Applebaum, Allison J; Stein, Emma M; Lord-Bessen, Jennifer; Pessin, Hayley; Rosenfeld, Barry; Breitbart, William

2014-03-01

Optimism and social support serve as protective factors against distress in medically ill patients. Very few studies have specifically explored the ways in which these variables interact to impact quality of life (QOL), particularly among patients with advanced cancer. The present study examined the role of optimism as a moderator of the relationship between social support and anxiety, depression, hopelessness, and QOL among patients with advanced cancer. Participants (N = 168) completed self-report assessments of psychosocial, spiritual, and physical well-being, including social support, optimism, hopelessness, depressive and anxious symptoms, and QOL. Hierarchical multiple regression analyses were conducted to determine the extent to which social support and optimism were associated with depressive and anxious symptomatology, hopelessness and QOL, and the potential role of optimism as a moderator of the relationship between social support and these variables. Higher levels of optimism were significantly associated with fewer anxious and depressive symptoms, less hopelessness, and better QOL. Higher levels of perceived social support were also significantly associated with better QOL. Additionally, optimism moderated the relationship between social support and anxiety, such that there was a strong negative association between social support and anxiety for participants with low optimism. This study highlights the importance of optimism and social support in the QOL of patients with advanced cancer. As such, interventions that attend to patients' expectations for positive experiences and the expansion of social support should be the focus of future clinical and research endeavors. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Optimism, Social Support, and Mental Health Outcomes in Patients with Advanced Cancer

PubMed Central

Applebaum, Allison J.; Stein, Emma M.; Lord-Bessen, Jennifer; Pessin, Hayley; Rosenfeld, Barry; Breitbart, William

2014-01-01

Objective Optimism and social support serve as protective factors against distress in medically ill patients. Very few studies have specifically explored the ways in which these variables interact to impact quality of life (QOL), particularly among patients with advanced cancer. The present study examined the role of optimism as a moderator of the relationship between social support and anxiety, depression, hopelessness, and QOL among patients with advanced cancer. Methods Participants (N = 168) completed self-report assessments of psychosocial, spiritual, and physical well-being, including social support, optimism, hopelessness, depressive and anxious symptoms, and QOL. Hierarchical multiple regression analyses were conducted to determine the extent to which social support and optimism were associated with depressive and anxious symptomatology, hopelessness and QOL, and the potential role of optimism as a moderator of the relationship between social support and these variables. Results Higher levels of optimism were significantly associated with fewer anxious and depressive symptoms, less hopelessness and better QOL. Higher levels of perceived social support were also significantly associated with better QOL. Additionally, optimism moderated the relationship between social support and anxiety, such that there was a strong negative association between social support and anxiety for participants with low optimism. Conclusions This study highlights the importance of optimism and social support in the QOL of patients with advanced cancer. As such, interventions that attend to patients’ expectations for positive experiences and the expansion of social support should be the focus of future clinical and research endeavors. PMID:24123339

Gene expression links functional networks across cortex and striatum.

PubMed

Anderson, Kevin M; Krienen, Fenna M; Choi, Eun Young; Reinen, Jenna M; Yeo, B T Thomas; Holmes, Avram J

2018-04-12

The human brain is comprised of a complex web of functional networks that link anatomically distinct regions. However, the biological mechanisms supporting network organization remain elusive, particularly across cortical and subcortical territories with vastly divergent cellular and molecular properties. Here, using human and primate brain transcriptional atlases, we demonstrate that spatial patterns of gene expression show strong correspondence with limbic and somato/motor cortico-striatal functional networks. Network-associated expression is consistent across independent human datasets and evolutionarily conserved in non-human primates. Genes preferentially expressed within the limbic network (encompassing nucleus accumbens, orbital/ventromedial prefrontal cortex, and temporal pole) relate to risk for psychiatric illness, chloride channel complexes, and markers of somatostatin neurons. Somato/motor associated genes are enriched for oligodendrocytes and markers of parvalbumin neurons. These analyses indicate that parallel cortico-striatal processing channels possess dissociable genetic signatures that recapitulate distributed functional networks, and nominate molecular mechanisms supporting cortico-striatal circuitry in health and disease.

Psychometric evaluation of the Social Interaction Phobia Scale.

PubMed

Reilly, Alison R; Carleton, R Nicholas; Weeks, Justin W

2012-01-01

The present study evaluated the psychometric properties of a novel measure of social anxiety symptoms, the Social Interaction Phobia Scale (SIPS), as a stand-alone item set, using an undergraduate sample (N=512). The 14-item SIPS has three subscales assessing Social Interaction Anxiety, Fear of Overt Evaluation, and Fear of Attracting Attention. Confirmatory factor analyses replicated the three-factor structure for the SIPS originally reported by Carleton et al. All SIPS scores demonstrated good internal consistency. The convergent validity of the SIPS was supported by strong and positive correlations between all SIPS scores and measures of social anxiety and fear of evaluation; the finding that the relationships between all SIPS scores and a social anxiety measure were stronger than relationships between all SIPS scores and measures of other constructs supported the discriminant validity of the SIPS. Results suggest that the SIPS possesses excellent psychometric properties.

Testing For Measurement Invariance of Attachment Across Chinese and American Adolescent Samples.

PubMed

Ren, Ling; Zhao, Jihong Solomon; He, Ni Phil; Marshall, Ineke Haen; Zhang, Hongwei; Zhao, Ruohui; Jin, Cheng

2016-06-01

Adolescent attachment to formal and informal institutions has emerged as a major focus of criminological theories since the publication of Hirschi's work in 1969. This study attempts to examine the psychometric equivalence of the factorial structure of attachment measures across nations reflecting Western and Eastern cultures. Twelve manifest variables are used tapping the concepts of adolescent attachment to parents, school, and neighborhood. Confirmatory factor analysis is used to conduct invariance test across approximately 3,000 Chinese and U.S. adolescents. Results provide strong support for a three-factor model; the multigroup invariance tests reveal mixed results. While the family attachment measure appears invariant between the two samples, significant differences in the coefficients of the factor loadings are detected in the school attachment and neighborhood attachment measures. The results of regression analyses lend support to the predictive validity of three types of attachment. Finally, the limitations of the study are discussed. © The Author(s) 2015.

Stigma Management Trajectories in Youth with Perinatally Acquired HIV and Their Families: A Qualitative Perspective.

PubMed

Proulx-Boucher, Karène; Fernet, Mylène; Blais, Martin; Lapointe, Normand; Samson, Johanne; Lévy, Joseph J; Otis, Joanne; Morin, Guylaine; Thériault, Jocelyne; Trottier, Germain

2017-09-01

This study explores how family, secrecy and silence contribute to the adoption of stigma management strategies among youth with perinatally acquired HIV (PAHIV). A qualitative method was used. Eighteen youths with PAHIV aged 13-22 years old took part in a semi-structured interview. An exploratory content analysis was performed. Analyses of interviews allowed identification of two HIV stigma management trajectories, both sensitive to the family context: [1] a consolidation of family ties, which contributes to solidarity in stigma management; and [2] a weakening or dissolution of family ties, which contributes to solitary stigma management strategy. Family conditions that support the children in their efforts to develop active stigma management strategies are described. Children likely to experience weakening or dissolution family ties must build strong bonds in the clinical environment and maintain these into adulthood so as to afford them the support they need.

Musculoskeletal simulation can help explain selective muscle degeneration in Duchenne muscular dystrophy.

PubMed

Hu, Xiao; Blemker, Silvia S

2015-08-01

Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is a genetic disease that occurs due to the deficiency of the dystrophin protein. Although dystrophin is deficient in all muscles, it is unclear why degeneration progresses differently across muscles in DMD. We hypothesized that each muscle undergoes a different degree of eccentric contraction during gait, which could contribute to the selective degeneration in lower limb muscle, as indicated by various amounts of fatty infiltration. By comparing eccentric contractions quantified from a previous multibody dynamic musculoskeletal gait simulation and fat fractions quantified in a recent imaging study, our preliminary analyses show a strong correlation between eccentric contractions during gait and lower limb muscle fat fractions, supporting our hypothesis. This knowledge is critical for developing safe exercise regimens for the DMD population. This study also provides supportive evidence for using multiscale modeling and simulation of the musculoskeletal system in future DMD research. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Cellulase immobilization on magnetic nanoparticles encapsulated in polymer nanospheres.

PubMed

Lima, Janaina S; Araújo, Pedro H H; Sayer, Claudia; Souza, Antonio A U; Viegas, Alexandre C; de Oliveira, Débora

2017-04-01

Immobilization of cellulases on magnetic nanoparticles, especially magnetite nanoparticles, has been the main approach studied to make this enzyme, economically and industrially, more attractive. However, magnetite nanoparticles tend to agglomerate, are very reactive and easily oxidized in air, which has strong impact on their useful life. Thus, it is very important to provide proper surface coating to avoid the mentioned problems. This study aimed to investigate the immobilization of cellulase on magnetic nanoparticles encapsulated in polymeric nanospheres. The support was characterized in terms of morphology, average diameter, magnetic behavior and thermal decomposition analyses. The polymer nanospheres containing encapsulated magnetic nanoparticles showed superparamagnetic behavior and intensity average diameter about 150 nm. Immobilized cellulase exhibited broader temperature stability than in the free form and great reusability capacity, 69% of the initial enzyme activity was maintained after eight cycles of use. The magnetic support showed potential for cellulase immobilization and allowed fast and easy biocatalyst recovery through a single magnet.

Low Self-Control and Crime in Late Adulthood.

PubMed

Wolfe, Scott E; Reisig, Michael D; Holtfreter, Kristy

2016-10-01

This study investigates whether low self-control theory explains self-reported criminal activity in late adulthood. Cross-sectional survey data from telephone interviews conducted with individuals aged 60 years and older in Arizona and Florida (N = 2,000) are used. Regression analyses show that low self-control is related to criminal offending. The relationship between low self-control and offending persists after the introduction of potential mediators (e.g., unstructured socializing, negative emotions, and familial ties) and is even observed across different stages of late adulthood (i.e., young-old, old-old, and oldest-old) characterized by declining physical and cognitive abilities. Robustness checks using alternative measurement and modeling strategies also provide empirical support. Although strong causal inferences are limited by the nature of the data, the findings generally support the notion that low self-control theory partially explains criminal offending in late adulthood. © The Author(s) 2015.

The Assessment of Emotional Reactivity Across Negative and Positive Emotions: Development and Validation of the Perth Emotional Reactivity Scale (PERS).

PubMed

Becerra, Rodrigo; Preece, David; Campitelli, Guillermo; Scott-Pillow, Glen

2017-02-01

The Perth Emotional Reactivity Scale (PERS) is a newly developed 30-item self-report measure of emotional reactivity (affective style). The PERS measures the typical ease of activation, intensity, and duration of one's emotional responses, and importantly does so for negative and positive emotions separately. We examined the psychometric properties of the PERS in an adult community sample ( N = 183). Confirmatory and exploratory factor analyses supported the capacity of the PERS to measure separate negative and positive reactivity factors, and to distinguish between the activation, intensity, and duration aspects of reactivity. All items of the PERS had strong loadings on their intended factor. Concurrent validity was supported via congruent correlations with other emotion measures, and internal reliability was good to excellent for all PERS scales and subscales. Overall, the PERS appears to have good psychometric properties, and thus has promising utility for research and clinical settings.

Two new species of Lactarius associated with Alnus acuminata subsp. arguta in Mexico.

PubMed

Montoya, Leticia; Bandala, Victor M; Garay, Edith

2014-01-01

In pure stands of Alnus acuminata subsp. arguta trees from Sierra Norte de Puebla (central Mexico) two undescribed ectomycorrhizal species of Lactarius were discovered. Distinction of the two new species is based on morphological characters and supported with phylogenetic analyses of the nuclear ribosomal DNA ITS region and part of the gene that encodes for the second largest subunit of RNA polymerase II (rpb2). The phylogenies inferred recovered the two species in different clades strongly supported by posterior probabilities and bootstrap values. The new Lactarius species are recognized as part of the assemblage of ectomycorrhizal fungi associated with Alnus acuminata. Information about these taxa includes the morphological variation achieved along 16 monitories 2010-2013. Descriptions are provided. They are accompanied by photos including SEM photomicrographs of basidiospores and information on differences between them and other related taxa from Europe and the United States. © 2014 by The Mycological Society of America.

Molecular phylogenetic and scanning electron microscopical analyses places the Choanephoraceae and the Gilbertellaceae in a monophyletic group within the Mucorales (Zygomycetes, Fungi).

PubMed

Voigt, Kerstin; Olsson, L

2008-09-01

A multi-gene genealogy based on maximum parsimony and distance analyses of the exonic genes for actin (act) and translation elongation factor 1 alpha (tef), the nuclear genes for the small (18S) and large (28S) subunit ribosomal RNA (comprising 807, 1092, 1863, 389 characters, respectively) of all 50 genera of the Mucorales (Zygomycetes) suggests that the Choanephoraceae is a monophyletic group. The monotypic Gilbertellaceae appears in close phylogenetic relatedness to the Choanephoraceae. The monophyly of the Choanephoraceae has moderate to strong support (bootstrap proportions 67% and 96% in distance and maximum parsimony analyses, respectively), whereas the monophyly of the Choanephoraceae-Gilbertellaceae clade is supported by high bootstrap values (100% and 98%). This suggests that the two families can be joined into one family, which leads to the elimination of the Gilbertellaceae as a separate family. In order to test this hypothesis single-locus neighbor-joining analyses were performed on nuclear genes of the 18S, 5.8S, 28S and internal transcribed spacer (ITS) 1 ribosomal RNA and the translation elongation factor 1 alpha (tef) and beta tubulin (betatub) nucleotide sequences. The common monophyletic origin of the Choanephoraceae-Gilbertellaceae clade could be confirmed in all gene trees and by investigation of their ultrastructure. Sporangia with persistent, sutured walls splitting in half at maturity and ellipsoidal sporangiospores with striated ornamentations and polar ciliate appendages arising from spores in persistent sporangia and dehiscent sporangiola represent synapomorphic characters of this group. We discuss our data in the context of the historical development of their taxonomy and physiology and propose a reduction of the two families to one family, the Choanephoraceae sensu lato comprising species which are facultative plant pathogens and parasites, especially in subtropical to tropical regions.

Leaf hydraulic conductance varies with vein anatomy across Arabidopsis thaliana wild-type and leaf vein mutants.

PubMed

Caringella, Marissa A; Bongers, Franca J; Sack, Lawren

2015-12-01

Leaf venation is diverse across plant species and has practical applications from paleobotany to modern agriculture. However, the impact of vein traits on plant performance has not yet been tested in a model system such as Arabidopsis thaliana. Previous studies analysed cotyledons of A. thaliana vein mutants and identified visible differences in their vein systems from the wild type (WT). We measured leaf hydraulic conductance (Kleaf ), vein traits, and xylem and mesophyll anatomy for A. thaliana WT (Col-0) and four vein mutants (dot3-111 and dot3-134, and cvp1-3 and cvp2-1). Mutant true leaves did not possess the qualitative venation anomalies previously shown in the cotyledons, but varied quantitatively in vein traits and leaf anatomy across genotypes. The WT had significantly higher mean Kleaf . Across all genotypes, there was a strong correlation of Kleaf with traits related to hydraulic conductance across the bundle sheath, as influenced by the number and radial diameter of bundle sheath cells and vein length per area. These findings support the hypothesis that vein traits influence Kleaf , indicating the usefulness of this mutant system for testing theory that was primarily established comparatively across species, and supports a strong role for the bundle sheath in influencing Kleaf . © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Species Pool Functional Diversity Plays a Hidden Role in Generating β-Diversity.

PubMed

Patrick, Christopher J; Brown, Bryan L

2018-05-01

Functional trait diversity is used as a way to infer mechanistic processes that drive community assembly. While functional diversity within communities is often viewed as a response variable, here we present and test a framework for how functional diversity among taxa in the regional species pool drives the assembly of communities among habitats. We predicted that species pool functional diversity should work with environmental heterogeneity to drive β-diversity. We tested these predictions by modeling empirical patterns in invertebrate communities from 570 streams in 52 watersheds. Our analysis of the field data provided strong support for the inclusion of both functional diversity and environmental heterogeneity in the models, and our predictions were supported when the community was analyzed all together. However, analyses within individual functional feeding guilds revealed strong context dependency in the relative importance of functional diversity, γ-richness, and environmental heterogeneity to β-diversity. We interpret the results to mean that functional diversity can play an important role in driving β-diversity; however, within guilds the nature of interspecific interactions and species pool size complicate the relationship. Future research should test this conceptual model across different ecosystems and in experimental settings using metacommunity mesocosms to enhance our understanding of the role that functional variation plays in generating spatial biodiversity patterns.

Diversification of Rosaceae since the Late Cretaceous based on plastid phylogenomics.

PubMed

Zhang, Shu-Dong; Jin, Jian-Jun; Chen, Si-Yun; Chase, Mark W; Soltis, Douglas E; Li, Hong-Tao; Yang, Jun-Bo; Li, De-Zhu; Yi, Ting-Shuang

2017-05-01

Phylogenetic relationships in Rosaceae have long been problematic because of frequent hybridisation, apomixis and presumed rapid radiation, and their historical diversification has not been clarified. With 87 genera representing all subfamilies and tribes of Rosaceae and six of the other eight families of Rosales (outgroups), we analysed 130 newly sequenced plastomes together with 12 from GenBank in an attempt to reconstruct deep relationships and reveal temporal diversification of this family. Our results highlight the importance of improving sequence alignment and the use of appropriate substitution models in plastid phylogenomics. Three subfamilies and 16 tribes (as previously delimited) were strongly supported as monophyletic, and their relationships were fully resolved and strongly supported at most nodes. Rosaceae were estimated to have originated during the Late Cretaceous with evidence for rapid diversification events during several geological periods. The major lineages rapidly diversified in warm and wet habits during the Late Cretaceous, and the rapid diversification of genera from the early Oligocene onwards occurred in colder and drier environments. Plastid phylogenomics offers new and important insights into deep phylogenetic relationships and the diversification history of Rosaceae. The robust phylogenetic backbone and time estimates we provide establish a framework for future comparative studies on rosaceous evolution. © 2017 The Authors. New Phytologist © 2017 New Phytologist Trust.

Advancing the pharmacy practice research agenda: views and experiences of pharmacists in Qatar.

PubMed

Elkassem, Wessam; Pallivalapila, Abdulrouf; Al Hail, Moza; McHattie, Lorna; Diack, Lesley; Stewart, Derek

2013-10-01

There is little emphasis on pharmacy practice research in Qatar, with a lack of relevant education and training and a notable lack of exposure to processes of research. To describe views and attitudes of pharmacists in Qatar to pharmacy practice research prior to and following a 2 day introductory research workshop. All pharmacists (n = 350) were invited to express interest in attending. All participants were required to complete a questionnaire covering views and attitudes relating to research. Workshop sessions were on: research questions; critically appraising literature; developing research methods; collecting and analysing data; and disseminating findings. Participants completed a post-course evaluation questionnaire. Of the ninety expressing interest, 47 were selected and participated in the first training day, with 40 of these also attending the second day. Participants expressed positive views and attitudes towards research. Most (46/47) strongly agreed/agreed that it was their professional duty to be involved; all strongly agreed/agreed with importance of an evidence base to support practice; but there were issues around time, support and training. The research workshops were positively evaluated by participants. Findings indicate pharmacists' willingness to participate in research training in Qatar. However, there is a need to ensure that views and attitudes translate into research participation thus enhancing the evidence base.

Relative roles of Neogene vicariance and Quaternary climate change on the historical diversification of bunchgrass lizards (Sceloporus scalaris group) in Mexico.

PubMed

Bryson, Robert W; García-Vázquez, Uri Omar; Riddle, Brett R

2012-01-01

Neogene vicariance during the Miocene and Pliocene and Quaternary climate change have synergistically driven diversification in Mexican highland taxa. We investigated the impacts of these processes on genetic diversification in the widely distributed bunchgrass lizards in the Sceloporus scalaris group. We searched for correlations between timing in diversification and timing of (1) a period of marked volcanism across the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt in central Mexico 3-7.5million years ago (Ma) and (2) a transition to larger glacial-interglacial cycles during the mid-Pleistocene. From our phylogenetic analyses of mitochondrial DNA we identified two major clades that contained 13 strongly supported lineages. One clade contained lineages from the two northern sierras of Mexico, and the other clade included lineages associated with the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt and Central Mexican Plateau. Results provided support for Neogene divergences within the S. scalaris group in response to uplift of the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt, a pattern observed in several co-distributed taxa, and suggested that Quaternary climate change likely had little effect on diversification between lineages. Uplift of the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt during specific time periods appears to have strongly impacted diversification in Mexican highland taxa. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Variability amongst radiographers in the categorization of clinical acceptability for digital trauma radiography

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Decoster, Robin; Toomey, Rachel; Smits, Dirk; Mol, Harrie; Verhelle, Filip; Butler, Marie-Louise

2016-03-01

Introduction: Radiographers evaluate anatomical structures to judge clinical acceptability of a radiograph. Whether a radiograph is deemed acceptable for diagnosis or not depends on the individual decision of the radiographer. Individual decisions cause variation in the accepted image quality. To minimise these variations definitions of acceptability, such as in RadLex, were developed. On which criteria radiographers attribute a RadLex categories to radiographs is unknown. Insight into these criteria helps to further optimise definitions and reduce variability in acceptance between radiographers. Therefore, this work aims the evaluation of the correlation between the RadLex classification and the evaluation of anatomical structures, using a Visual Grading Analysis (VGA) Methods: Four radiographers evaluated the visibility of five anatomical structures of 25 lateral cervical spine radiographs on a secondary class display with a VGA. They judged clinical acceptability of each radiograph using RadLex. Relations between VGAS and RadLex category were analysed with Kendall's Tau correlation and Nagelkerke pseudo-R². Results: The overall VGA score (VGAS) and the RadLex score correlate (rτ= 0.62, p<0.01, R2=0.72) strongly. The observers' evaluation of contrast between bone, air (trachea) and soft tissue has low value in predicting (rτ=0.55, p<0.01, R2=0.03) the RadLex score. The reproduction of spinous processes (rτ=0.67, p<0.01, R2=0.31) and the evaluation of the exposure (rτ=0.65, p<0.01, R2=0.56) have a strong correlation with high predictive value for the RadLex score. Conclusion: RadLex scores and VGAS correlate positively, strongly and significantly. The predictive value of bony structures may support the use of these in the judgement of clinical acceptability. Considerable inter-observer variations in the VGAS within a certain RadLex category, suggest that observers use of observer specific cut-off values.

Bayesian networks modelling in support to cross cutting analysis of water supply and sanitation in developing countries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dondeynaz, C.; López Puga, J.; Carmona Moreno, C.

2013-02-01

Despite the efforts made towards the millennium goals targets during the last decade, access to improved water supply or basic sanitation remains still not accessible for millions of people across the world. This paper proposes a set of models that use 25 key variables from the WatSan4Dev dataset and country profiles involving Water Supply and Sanitation (Dondeynaz et al., 2012). This paper proposes the use of Bayesian Network modelling methods because adapted to the management of non-normal distribution, and integrate a qualitative approach for data analysis. They also offer the advantage to integrate preliminary knowledge into the probabilistic models. The statistical performance of the proposed models ranges between 80 and 95% which is very satisfactory taking into account the strong heterogeneity of variables. Probabilistic scenarios run from the models allow a quantification of the relationships between human development, external support, governance aspects, economic activities and Water Supply and Sanitation (WSS) access. According to models proposed in this paper, a strong poverty reduction will induce an increment of the WSS access equal to 75-76% through: (1) the organisation of on-going urbanisation process to avoid slums development; and, (2) the improvement of health care for instance for children. On one side, improving governance, such as institutional efficiency, capacities to make and apply rules or control of corruption will also have a positive impact on WSS sustainable development. The first condition for an increment of the WSS access remains of course an improvement of the economic development with an increment of household income. Moreover, a significant country environmental commitment associated with civil society freedom of expression constitutes a favourable environment for sustainable WSS services delivery. Intensive agriculture through irrigation practises also appears as a mean for sustainable WSS thanks to multi-uses and complementarities. Strong and structured agriculture sector facilitates rural development in areas where WSS access often steps behind compared to urban areas1. External financial support, named Official Development Aid (ODA), plays a role in WSS improvement but comes last in the sensitivity analyses of models. This aid supports first poor countries at 47%, and is associated to governance aspects: (1) political stability and (2) country environmental commitment and civil society degree of freedom. These governance aspects constitute a good framework for aid implementation in recipient countries. Modelling is run with the five groups of countries as defined in Dondeynaz et al. (2012). Models for profile 4 (essential external support) and profile 5 (primary material consumption) are specifically detailed and analysed in this paper. For countries in profile 4, to fight against water scarcity and desertification pressure should be the priority. However, for countries in profile 5, efforts should first concentrate on political stability consolidation while supporting economic activity diversification. Nevertheless, for both profiles, reduction of poverty should remain the first priority as previously indicated. 1 JMP statistics, 2004 http://www.wssinfo.org/data-estimates/table/

Association of HLA-DQA1 and -DQB1 alleles with type I diabetes in Arabs: a meta-analyses.

PubMed

Hamzeh, A R; Nair, P; Al-Khaja, N; Al Ali, M T

2015-07-01

This study aimed at assessing the nature and significance of associations between various alleles of HLA-DQA1, HLA-DQB1, and type I diabetes (T1D) in Arab populations. Evidence from literature (published before 20 April 2015) was amassed and analysed through multiple meta-analyses, which yielded effect summary odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals for 24 alleles and 4 haplotypes. A total of 1273 cases and 1747 controls from 16 studies were analysed. High levels of significance were obtained to support higher T1D risk when harbouring DQA1*03:01. The alleles DQB1*02:01 and *03:02 and the haplotypes DR3 and DR4 were significant risk factors, albeit with high publication heterogeneity. The protective effects of DQA1*01:01, DQB1*05:03, *06:02, *06:03, and *06:04 were robustly suggested by all indicators of meta-analyses. The haplotypes DR7 and DR11 were strongly suggested to be protective in Arabs. A relatively small number of studies have emerged from Arab countries, mostly with inadequate power on an individual basis. This study fills the gap by providing significant size effect of human leukocyte antigen (HLA) alleles and completes the continuum of global ethnic differences in this context. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Individual, Social-Normative, and Policy Predictors of Smoking Cessation: A Multilevel Longitudinal Analysis

PubMed Central

Hamilton, William L.; Siegel, Michael; Sullivan, Eileen M.

2010-01-01

Objectives. We assessed the prospective impact of individual, social-normative, and policy predictors of quit attempts and smoking cessation among Massachusetts adults. Methods. We interviewed a representative sample of current and recent smokers in Massachusetts by telephone in 2001 through 2002 and then again twice at 2-year intervals. The unit of analysis was the 2-year transition from wave 1 to wave 2 and from wave 2 to wave 3. Predictors of quit attempts and abstinence of longer than 3 months were analyzed using multilevel analysis. Predictors included individual, social-normative, and policy factors. Results. Multivariate analyses of 2-year transitions showed that perceptions of strong antismoking town norms were predictive of abstinence (odds ratio = 2.06; P < .01). Household smoking bans were the only policy associated with abstinence, but smoking bans at one's worksite were significant predictors of quit attempts. Conclusions. Although previous research showed a strong relation between local policy and norms, we found no observable, prospective impact of local policy on smoking cessation over 2 years. Our findings provide clear support for the importance of strong antismoking social norms as a facilitator of smoking cessation. PMID:19696387

Bayes Factors Unmask Highly Variable Information Content, Bias, and Extreme Influence in Phylogenomic Analyses.

PubMed

Brown, Jeremy M; Thomson, Robert C

2017-07-01

As the application of genomic data in phylogenetics has become routine, a number of cases have arisen where alternative data sets strongly support conflicting conclusions. This sensitivity to analytical decisions has prevented firm resolution of some of the most recalcitrant nodes in the tree of life. To better understand the causes and nature of this sensitivity, we analyzed several phylogenomic data sets using an alternative measure of topological support (the Bayes factor) that both demonstrates and averts several limitations of more frequently employed support measures (such as Markov chain Monte Carlo estimates of posterior probabilities). Bayes factors reveal important, previously hidden, differences across six "phylogenomic" data sets collected to resolve the phylogenetic placement of turtles within Amniota. These data sets vary substantially in their support for well-established amniote relationships, particularly in the proportion of genes that contain extreme amounts of information as well as the proportion that strongly reject these uncontroversial relationships. All six data sets contain little information to resolve the phylogenetic placement of turtles relative to other amniotes. Bayes factors also reveal that a very small number of extremely influential genes (less than 1% of genes in a data set) can fundamentally change significant phylogenetic conclusions. In one example, these genes are shown to contain previously unrecognized paralogs. This study demonstrates both that the resolution of difficult phylogenomic problems remains sensitive to seemingly minor analysis details and that Bayes factors are a valuable tool for identifying and solving these challenges. © The Author(s) 2016. Published by Oxford University Press, on behalf of the Society of Systematic Biologists. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Policy content and stakeholder network analysis for infant and young child feeding in Nepal.

PubMed

Karn, Sumit; Devkota, Madhu Dixit; Uddin, Shahadat; Thow, Anne Marie

2017-06-13

Despite concerted effort from government and partners, Nepal continues to have a high burden of under nutrition among children. Identifying opportunities to strengthen policy support for infant and young child feeding (IYCF) is a key component to improve child survival, growth and development. This study aims to explore policy support for IYCF and to identify the influential stakeholders for IYCF for effective future policy development and programmatic action. Policies relevant to IYCF were identified through web searches and direct approaches to relevant government ministries. Policy content was analysed based on four key domains focussed on mothers, using a qualitative synthesis approach. Three group interviews were conducted using the participatory tool "Net-Map", to identify the influential stakeholders in IYCF policy and programming processes. Twenty-six relevant policy documents were analysed for content relating to IYCF. General support for IYCF was found in most of the development plans and high-level health sector policies. Most implementation level documents included support for provision of correct information to mothers. Capacity building of frontline workers for IYCN and system strengthening were well supported through sectoral plans and policies. However, gaps were identified regarding maternity protection, support for monitoring and evaluation, and translation of high-level policy directives into implementation level guidelines, resulting in a lack of clarity over roles and responsibilities. Both government and non-governmental stakeholders, particularly donors, emerged as influential drivers of IYCF policy decisions in Nepal, through technical assistance and funding. The Nutrition Technical Committee under the Ministry of Health, UNICEF, Suaahara, USAID and WHO were identified as key actors providing technical assistance. Key funding agencies were identified as UNICEF and USAID. This study reveals strong policy support for key dimensions of IYCF, supported by a highly networked stakeholder environment. Opportunities to further strengthen IYCF policy in Nepal include: further support for training of frontline workers and complementary feeding interventions; extending maternity leave provisions; and clarifying roles and responsibilities of actors, particularly non-governmental actors. Engaging technical and funding agencies and developing partnerships with other relevant actors will be crucial for ensuring effective policy translates into effective practice.

Breaking the vicious circle of illegal logging in Indonesia.

PubMed

Linkie, Matthew; Sloan, Sean; Kasia, Rahmad; Kiswayadi, Dedy; Azmi, Wahdi

2014-08-01

The government of Indonesia, which presides over 10% of the world's tropical forests, has set ambitious targets to cut its high deforestation rates through an REDD+ scheme (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and forest Degradation). This will require strong law enforcement to succeed. Yet, strategies that have accomplished this are rare and, along with past failures, tend not to be documented. We evaluated a multistakeholder approach that seeks to tackle illegal logging in the carbon-rich province of Aceh, Sumatra. From 2008 to 2009, Fauna & Flora International established and supported a community-based informant network for the 738,000 ha Ulu Masen ecosystem. The network reported 190 forest offenses to local law enforcement agencies, which responded with 86 field operations that confiscated illicit vehicles, equipment, and timber, and arrested 138 illegal logging suspects. From 45 cases subsequently monitored, 64.4% proceeded to court, from which 90.0% of defendants received a prison sentence or a verbal warning for a first offense. Spatial analyses of illegal logging and timber storage incidents predicted that illegal activities would be more effectively deterred by law enforcement operations that targeted the storage sites. Although numerous clusters of incidents were identified, they were still widespread reflecting the ubiquity of illegal activities. The multistakeholder results were promising, but illegal logging still persisted at apparently similar levels at the project's end, indicating that efforts need to be further strengthened. Nevertheless, several actions contributed to the law enforcement achievements: strong political will; strong stakeholder support; and funding that could be promptly accessed. These factors are highlighted as prerequisites for achieving Indonesia's ambitious REDD+ goals. © 2014 Society for Conservation Biology.

The long view: Causes of climate change over the instrumental period

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hegerl, G. C.; Schurer, A. P.; Polson, D.; Iles, C. E.; Bronnimann, S.

2016-12-01

The period of instrumentally recorded data has seen remarkable changes in climate, with periods of rapid warming, and periods of stagnation or cooling. A recent analysis of the observed temperature change from the instrumental record confirms that most of the warming recorded since the middle of the 20rst century has been caused by human influences, but shows large uncertainty in separating greenhouse gas from aerosol response if accounting for model uncertainty. The contribution by natural forcing and internal variability to the recent warming is estimated to be small, but becomes more important when analysing climate change over earlier or shorter time periods. For example, the enigmatic early 20th century warming was a period of strong climate anomalies, including the US dustbowl drought and exceptional heat waves, and pronounced Arctic warming. Attribution results suggests that about half of the global warming 1901-1950 was forced by greenhouse gases increases, with an anomalously strong contribution by climate variability, and contributions by natural forcing. Long term variations in circulation are important for some regional climate anomalies. Precipitation is important for impacts of climate change and precipitation changes are uncertain in models. Analysis of the instrumental record suggests a human influence on mean and heavy precipitation, and supports climate model estimates of the spatial pattern of precipitation sensitivity to warming. Broadly, and particularly over ocean, wet regions are getting wetter and dry regions are getting drier. In conclusion, the historical record provides evidence for a strong response to external forcings, supports climate models, and raises questions about multi-decadal variability.

Review of nutritional screening and assessment tools and clinical outcomes in heart failure.

PubMed

Lin, Hong; Zhang, Haifeng; Lin, Zheng; Li, Xinli; Kong, Xiangqin; Sun, Gouzhen

2016-09-01

Recent studies have suggested that undernutrition as defined using multidimensional nutritional evaluation tools may affect clinical outcomes in heart failure (HF). The evidence supporting this correlation is unclear. Therefore, we conducted this systematic review to critically appraise the use of multidimensional evaluation tools in the prediction of clinical outcomes in HF. We performed descriptive analyses of all identified articles involving qualitative analyses. We used STATA to conduct meta-analyses when at least three studies that tested the same type of nutritional assessment or screening tools and used the same outcome were identified. Sensitivity analyses were conducted to validate our positive results. We identified 17 articles with qualitative analyses and 11 with quantitative analysis after comprehensive literature searching and screening. We determined that the prevalence of malnutrition is high in HF (range 16-90 %), particularly in advanced and acute decompensated HF (approximate range 75-90 %). Undernutrition as identified by multidimensional evaluation tools may be significantly associated with hospitalization, length of stay and complications and is particularly strongly associated with high mortality. The meta-analysis revealed that compared with other tools, Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA) scores were the strongest predictors of mortality in HF [HR (4.32, 95 % CI 2.30-8.11)]. Our results remained reliable after conducting sensitivity analyses. The prevalence of malnutrition is high in HF, particularly in advanced and acute decompensated HF. Moreover, undernutrition as identified by multidimensional evaluation tools is significantly associated with unfavourable prognoses and high mortality in HF.

Genetic analyses of bone morphogenetic protein 2, 4 and 7 in congenital combined pituitary hormone deficiency.

PubMed

Breitfeld, Jana; Martens, Susanne; Klammt, Jürgen; Schlicke, Marina; Pfäffle, Roland; Krause, Kerstin; Weidle, Kerstin; Schleinitz, Dorit; Stumvoll, Michael; Führer, Dagmar; Kovacs, Peter; Tönjes, Anke

2013-12-01

The complex process of development of the pituitary gland is regulated by a number of signalling molecules and transcription factors. Mutations in these factors have been identified in rare cases of congenital hypopituitarism but for most subjects with combined pituitary hormone deficiency (CPHD) genetic causes are unknown. Bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs) affect induction and growth of the pituitary primordium and thus represent plausible candidates for mutational screening of patients with CPHD. We sequenced BMP2, 4 and 7 in 19 subjects with CPHD. For validation purposes, novel genetic variants were genotyped in 1046 healthy subjects. Additionally, potential functional relevance for most promising variants has been assessed by phylogenetic analyses and prediction of effects on protein structure. Sequencing revealed two novel variants and confirmed 30 previously known polymorphisms and mutations in BMP2, 4 and 7. Although phylogenetic analyses indicated that these variants map within strongly conserved gene regions, there was no direct support for their impact on protein structure when applying predictive bioinformatics tools. A mutation in the BMP4 coding region resulting in an amino acid exchange (p.Arg300Pro) appeared most interesting among the identified variants. Further functional analyses are required to ultimately map the relevance of these novel variants in CPHD.

Genetic analyses of bone morphogenetic protein 2, 4 and 7 in congenital combined pituitary hormone deficiency

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background The complex process of development of the pituitary gland is regulated by a number of signalling molecules and transcription factors. Mutations in these factors have been identified in rare cases of congenital hypopituitarism but for most subjects with combined pituitary hormone deficiency (CPHD) genetic causes are unknown. Bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs) affect induction and growth of the pituitary primordium and thus represent plausible candidates for mutational screening of patients with CPHD. Methods We sequenced BMP2, 4 and 7 in 19 subjects with CPHD. For validation purposes, novel genetic variants were genotyped in 1046 healthy subjects. Additionally, potential functional relevance for most promising variants has been assessed by phylogenetic analyses and prediction of effects on protein structure. Results Sequencing revealed two novel variants and confirmed 30 previously known polymorphisms and mutations in BMP2, 4 and 7. Although phylogenetic analyses indicated that these variants map within strongly conserved gene regions, there was no direct support for their impact on protein structure when applying predictive bioinformatics tools. Conclusions A mutation in the BMP4 coding region resulting in an amino acid exchange (p.Arg300Pro) appeared most interesting among the identified variants. Further functional analyses are required to ultimately map the relevance of these novel variants in CPHD. PMID:24289245

Capturing strain localization behind a geosynthetic-reinforced soil wall

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lai, Timothy Y.; Borja, Ronaldo I.; Duvernay, Blaise G.; Meehan, Richard L.

2003-04-01

This paper presents the results of finite element (FE) analyses of shear strain localization that occurred in cohesionless soils supported by a geosynthetic-reinforced retaining wall. The innovative aspects of the analyses include capturing of the localized deformation and the accompanying collapse mechanism using a recently developed embedded strong discontinuity model. The case study analysed, reported in previous publications, consists of a 3.5-m tall, full-scale reinforced wall model deforming in plane strain and loaded by surcharge at the surface to failure. Results of the analysis suggest strain localization developing from the toe of the wall and propagating upward to the ground surface, forming a curved failure surface. This is in agreement with a well-documented failure mechanism experienced by the physical wall model showing internal failure surfaces developing behind the wall as a result of the surface loading. Important features of the analyses include mesh sensitivity studies and a comparison of the localization properties predicted by different pre-localization constitutive models, including a family of three-invariant elastoplastic constitutive models appropriate for frictional/dilatant materials. Results of the analysis demonstrate the potential of the enhanced FE method for capturing a collapse mechanism characterized by the presence of a failure, or slip, surface through earthen materials.

Genetic variance in a component of the language acquisition device: ROBO1 polymorphisms associated with phonological buffer deficits.

PubMed

Bates, Timothy C; Luciano, Michelle; Medland, Sarah E; Montgomery, Grant W; Wright, Margaret J; Martin, Nicholas G

2011-01-01

The region containing ROBO1 (Chromosome 3p12.3) has been implicated as a susceptibility gene for reading disorder and language deficit by translocation and linkage data. No association studies have yet been reported supporting any candidate gene. Here we report the first association of this gene with language deficits, specifically with phonological buffer deficits (a phenotype implicated in language acquisition, Specific Language Impairment and Speech Sound Disorder) and dyslexia (reading and spelling ability traits) in an unselected sample of adolescent twins and their siblings. Family-based analyses were performed on 144 tag SNPs in ROBO1, typed in 538 families with up to five offspring and tested for association with a developmental marker of language impairment (phonological buffer capacity, assessed using non word repetition). A reading and spelling ability measure--based on validated measures of lexical processing (irregular word) and grapheme-phoneme decoding (pseudo word)--and measures of short-term and working memory were also analysed. Significant association for phonological buffer capacity was observed for 21 of 144 SNPs tested, peaking at 8.70 × 10(-05) and 9.30 × 10(-05) for SNPs rs6803202 and rs4535189 respectively for nonword repetition, values that survive correction for multiple testing. Twenty-two SNPs showed significant associations for verbal storage (forward digit span)--a trait linked to phonological span. By contrast, just 5 SNPs reached nominal significance for working-memory, not surviving correction, and, importantly, only one SNP in the 144 tested reached nominal significance (0.04) for association with reading and spelling ability. These results provide strong support for ROBO1 as a gene involved in a core trait underpinning language acquisition, with a specific function in supporting a short-term buffer for arbitrary phonological strings. These effects of ROBO1 appear to be unrelated to brain mechanisms underpinning reading ability, at least by adolescence. While replication will be critical, the present results strongly support ROBO1 as the first gene discovered to be associated with language deficits affecting normal variation in language ability. Its functional role in neuronal migration underlying bilateral symmetry and lateralization of neuronal function further suggests a role in the evolution of human language ability.

Measuring Critical Care Providers' Attitudes About Controlled Donation After Circulatory Death.

PubMed

Rodrigue, James R; Luskin, Richard; Nelson, Helen; Glazier, Alexandra; Henderson, Galen V; Delmonico, Francis L

2018-06-01

Unfavorable attitudes and insufficient knowledge about donation after cardiac death among critical care providers can have important consequences for the appropriate identification of potential donors, consistent implementation of donation after cardiac death policies, and relative strength of support for this type of donation. The lack of reliable and valid assessment measures has hampered research to capture providers' attitudes. Design and Research Aims: Using stakeholder engagement and an iterative process, we developed a questionnaire to measure attitudes of donation after cardiac death in critical care providers (n = 112) and examined its psychometric properties. Exploratory factor analysis, internal consistency, and validity analyses were conducted to examine the measure. A 34-item questionnaire consisting of 4 factors (Personal Comfort, Process Satisfaction, Family Comfort, and System Trust) provided the most parsimonious fit. Internal consistency was acceptable for each of the subscales and the total questionnaire (Cronbach α > .70). A strong association between more favorable attitudes overall and knowledge ( r = .43, P < .001) provides evidence of convergent validity. Multivariable regression analyses showed that white race ( P = .002) and more experience with donation after cardiac death ( P < .001) were significant predictors of more favorable attitudes. Study findings support the utility, reliability, and validity of a questionnaire for measuring attitudes in critical care providers and for isolating targets for additional education on donation after cardiac death.

XPAT: a toolkit to conduct cross-platform association studies with heterogeneous sequencing datasets.

PubMed

Yu, Yao; Hu, Hao; Bohlender, Ryan J; Hu, Fulan; Chen, Jiun-Sheng; Holt, Carson; Fowler, Jerry; Guthery, Stephen L; Scheet, Paul; Hildebrandt, Michelle A T; Yandell, Mark; Huff, Chad D

2018-04-06

High-throughput sequencing data are increasingly being made available to the research community for secondary analyses, providing new opportunities for large-scale association studies. However, heterogeneity in target capture and sequencing technologies often introduce strong technological stratification biases that overwhelm subtle signals of association in studies of complex traits. Here, we introduce the Cross-Platform Association Toolkit, XPAT, which provides a suite of tools designed to support and conduct large-scale association studies with heterogeneous sequencing datasets. XPAT includes tools to support cross-platform aware variant calling, quality control filtering, gene-based association testing and rare variant effect size estimation. To evaluate the performance of XPAT, we conducted case-control association studies for three diseases, including 783 breast cancer cases, 272 ovarian cancer cases, 205 Crohn disease cases and 3507 shared controls (including 1722 females) using sequencing data from multiple sources. XPAT greatly reduced Type I error inflation in the case-control analyses, while replicating many previously identified disease-gene associations. We also show that association tests conducted with XPAT using cross-platform data have comparable performance to tests using matched platform data. XPAT enables new association studies that combine existing sequencing datasets to identify genetic loci associated with common diseases and other complex traits.

Phytomonas (Euglenozoa: Trypanosomatidae): Phylogenetic analyses support infrageneric lineages and a new species transmitted to Solanaceae fruits by a pentatomid hemipteran.

PubMed

Zanetti, Andernice; Ferreira, Robson C; Serrano, Myrna G; Takata, Carmen S A; Campaner, Marta; Attias, Marcia; de Souza, Wanderley; Teixeira, Marta M G; Camargo, Erney P

2016-10-01

The genus Phytomonas includes trypanosomatids transmitted to the fruits, latex, and phloem of vascular plants by hemipterans. We inferred the phylogenetic relationships of plant and insect isolates assigned to the previously defined genetic groups A-F and H of Phytomonas, particularly those from groups A, C and E comprising flagellates of Solanaceae fruits. Phylogenetic analyses using glycosomal Glyceraldehyde Phosphate Dehydrogenase (gGAPDH) and Small Subunit rRNA (SSU rRNA) genes strongly supported the monophyly of the genus Phytomonas and its division into seven main infrageneric phylogenetic lineages (Phy clades). Isolates from fruit or latex do not constitute monophyletic assemblages but disperse through more than one lineages. In this study, fruit flagellates were distributed in three clades: PhyA, formed by isolates from Solanaceae and phytophagous hemipterans; PhyC comprising flagellates from four plant families; and PhyE, which contains 15 fruit isolates from seven species of Solanaceae. The flagellates of PhyE are described as Phytomonas dolleti n. sp. according to their positioning in phylogenetic trees, complemented by data about their life cycle, and developmental and morphological characteristics in cultures, fruits of Solanum spp., and salivary glands of the vector, the phytophagous hemipteran Arvelius albopunctatus (Pentatomidae). Crown Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

Current trends in multimodality treatment of esophageal and gastroesophageal junction cancer - Review article.

PubMed

Klevebro, Fredrik; Ekman, Simon; Nilsson, Magnus

2017-09-01

Multimodality treatment has now been widely introduced in the curatively intended treatment of esophageal and gastroesophageal junction cancer. We aim to give an overview of the scientific evidence for the available treatment strategies and to describe which trends that are currently developing. We conducted a review of the scientific evidence for the different curatively intended treatment strategies that are available today. Relevant articles of randomized controlled trials, cohort studies, and meta analyses were included. After a systematic search of relevant papers we have included 64 articles in the review. The results show that adenocarcinomas and squamous cell carcinomas of the esophagus and gastroesophageal junction are two separate entities and should be analysed and studied as two different diseases. Neoadjuvant treatment followed by surgical resection is the gold standard of the curatively intended treatment today. There is no scientific evidence to support the use of chemoradiotherapy over chemotherapy in the neoadjuvant setting for esophageal or junctional adenocarcinoma. There is reasonable evidence to support definitive chemoradiotherapy as a treatment option for squamous cell carcinoma of the esophagus. The evidence base for curatively intended treatments of esophageal and gastroesophageal junction cancer is not very strong. Several on-going trials have the potential to change the gold standard treatments of today. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Cumulative meta-analysis: a new tool for detection of temporal trends and publication bias in ecology.

PubMed Central

Leimu, Roosa; Koricheva, Julia

2004-01-01

Temporal changes in the magnitude of research findings have recently been recognized as a general phenomenon in ecology, and have been attributed to the delayed publication of non-significant results and disconfirming evidence. Here we introduce a method of cumulative meta-analysis which allows detection of both temporal trends and publication bias in the ecological literature. To illustrate the application of the method, we used two datasets from recently conducted meta-analyses of studies testing two plant defence theories. Our results revealed three phases in the evolution of the treatment effects. Early studies strongly supported the hypothesis tested, but the magnitude of the effect decreased considerably in later studies. In the latest studies, a trend towards an increase in effect size was observed. In one of the datasets, a cumulative meta-analysis revealed publication bias against studies reporting disconfirming evidence; such studies were published in journals with a lower impact factor compared to studies with results supporting the hypothesis tested. Correlation analysis revealed neither temporal trends nor evidence of publication bias in the datasets analysed. We thus suggest that cumulative meta-analysis should be used as a visual aid to detect temporal trends and publication bias in research findings in ecology in addition to the correlative approach. PMID:15347521

Leadership = Communication? The Relations of Leaders' Communication Styles with Leadership Styles, Knowledge Sharing and Leadership Outcomes.

PubMed

de Vries, Reinout E; Bakker-Pieper, Angelique; Oostenveld, Wyneke

2010-09-01

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to investigate the relations between leaders' communication styles and charismatic leadership, human-oriented leadership (leader's consideration), task-oriented leadership (leader's initiating structure), and leadership outcomes. METHODOLOGY: A survey was conducted among 279 employees of a governmental organization. The following six main communication styles were operationalized: verbal aggressiveness, expressiveness, preciseness, assuredness, supportiveness, and argumentativeness. Regression analyses were employed to test three main hypotheses. FINDINGS: In line with expectations, the study showed that charismatic and human-oriented leadership are mainly communicative, while task-oriented leadership is significantly less communicative. The communication styles were strongly and differentially related to knowledge sharing behaviors, perceived leader performance, satisfaction with the leader, and subordinate's team commitment. Multiple regression analyses showed that the leadership styles mediated the relations between the communication styles and leadership outcomes. However, leader's preciseness explained variance in perceived leader performance and satisfaction with the leader above and beyond the leadership style variables. IMPLICATIONS: This study offers potentially invaluable input for leadership training programs by showing the importance of leader's supportiveness, assuredness, and preciseness when communicating with subordinates. ORIGINALITY/VALUE: Although one of the core elements of leadership is interpersonal communication, this study is one of the first to use a comprehensive communication styles instrument in the study of leadership.

Social Engagement and Health in Younger, Older, and Oldest-Old Adults in the Louisiana Healthy Aging Study (LHAS)

PubMed Central

Cherry, Katie E.; Walker, Erin Jackson; Brown, Jennifer Silva; Volaufova, Julia; LaMotte, Lynn R.; Welsh, David A.; Su, L. Joseph; Jazwinski, S. Michal; Ellis, Rebecca; Wood, Robert H.; Frisard, Madlyn I.

2013-01-01

Social support has been shown to influence health outcomes in later life. In this study, we focus on social engagement as an umbrella construct that covers select social behaviors in a lifespan sample that included oldest-old adults, a segment of the adult population for whom very little data currently exist. We examined relationships among social engagement, positive health behaviors, and physical health to provide new evidence that addresses gaps in the extant literature concerning social engagement and healthy aging in very old adults. Participants were younger (21–59 years), older (60–89 years), and oldest-old (90–97 years) adults (N = 364) in the Louisiana Healthy Aging Study (LHAS). Linear regression analyses indicated that age, gender, and hours spent outside of the house were significantly associated with self-reported health. The number of clubs and hours outside of home were more important factors in the analyses of objective health status than positive health behaviors, after considering age group and education level. These data strongly suggest that social engagement remains an important determinant of physical health into very late adulthood. The discussion focuses on practical applications of these results including social support interventions to maintain or improve late life health. PMID:23526628

Multilocus phylogeny of the avian family Alaudidae (larks) reveals complex morphological evolution, non-monophyletic genera and hidden species diversity.

PubMed

Alström, Per; Barnes, Keith N; Olsson, Urban; Barker, F Keith; Bloomer, Paulette; Khan, Aleem Ahmed; Qureshi, Masood Ahmed; Guillaumet, Alban; Crochet, Pierre-André; Ryan, Peter G

2013-12-01

The Alaudidae (larks) is a large family of songbirds in the superfamily Sylvioidea. Larks are cosmopolitan, although species-level diversity is by far largest in Africa, followed by Eurasia, whereas Australasia and the New World have only one species each. The present study is the first comprehensive phylogeny of the Alaudidae. It includes 83.5% of all species and representatives from all recognised genera, and was based on two mitochondrial and three nuclear loci (in total 6.4 kbp, although not all loci were available for all species). In addition, a larger sample, comprising several subspecies of some polytypic species was analysed for one of the mitochondrial loci. There was generally good agreement in trees inferred from different loci, although some strongly supported incongruences were noted. The tree based on the concatenated multilocus data was overall well resolved and well supported by the data. We stress the importance of performing single gene as well as combined data analyses, as the latter may obscure significant incongruence behind strong nodal support values. The multilocus tree revealed many unpredicted relationships, including some non-monophyletic genera (Calandrella, Mirafra, Melanocorypha, Spizocorys). The tree based on the extended mitochondrial data set revealed several unexpected deep divergences between taxa presently treated as conspecific (e.g. within Ammomanes cinctura, Ammomanes deserti, Calandrella brachydactyla, Eremophila alpestris), as well as some shallow splits between currently recognised species (e.g. Certhilauda brevirostris-C. semitorquata-C. curvirostris; Calendulauda barlowi-C. erythrochlamys; Mirafra cantillans-M. javanica). Based on our results, we propose a revised generic classification, and comment on some species limits. We also comment on the extraordinary morphological adaptability in larks, which has resulted in numerous examples of parallel evolution (e.g. in Melanocorypha mongolica and Alauda leucoptera [both usually placed in Melanocorypha]; Ammomanopsis grayi and Ammomanes cinctura/deserti [former traditionally placed in Ammomanes]; Chersophilus duponti and Certhilauda spp.; Eremopterix hova [usually placed in Mirafra] and several Mirafra spp.), as well as both highly conserved plumages (e.g. within Mirafra) and strongly divergent lineages (e.g. Eremopterix hova vs. other Eremopterix spp.; Calandrella cinerea complex vs. Eremophila spp.; Eremalauda dunni vs. Chersophilus duponti; Melanocorypha mongolica and male M. yeltoniensis vs. other Melanocorypha spp. and female M. yeltoniensis). Sexual plumage dimorphism has evolved multiple times. Few groups of birds show the same level of disagreement between taxonomy based on morphology and phylogenetic relationships as inferred from DNA sequences. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The generality of working memory capacity: a latent-variable approach to verbal and visuospatial memory span and reasoning.

PubMed

Kane, Michael J; Hambrick, David Z; Tuholski, Stephen W; Wilhelm, Oliver; Payne, Tabitha W; Engle, Randall W

2004-06-01

A latent-variable study examined whether verbal and visuospatial working memory (WM) capacity measures reflect a primarily domain-general construct by testing 236 participants in 3 span tests each of verbal WM. visuospatial WM, verbal short-term memory (STM), and visuospatial STM. as well as in tests of verbal and spatial reasoning and general fluid intelligence (Gf). Confirmatory' factor analyses and structural equation models indicated that the WM tasks largely reflected a domain-general factor, whereas STM tasks, based on the same stimuli as the WM tasks, were much more domain specific. The WM construct was a strong predictor of Gf and a weaker predictor of domain-specific reasoning, and the reverse was true for the STM construct. The findings support a domain-general view of WM capacity, in which executive-attention processes drive the broad predictive utility of WM span measures, and domain-specific storage and rehearsal processes relate more strongly to domain-specific aspects of complex cognition. ((c) 2004 APA, all rights reserved)

The biotech equipment and supplies sector in Europe-is it European?

PubMed

Reiss, Thomas; Woerner, Stefan

2002-09-11

Socio-economic research on biotechnology is dealing mainly with the sectors of biopharmaceuticals, agro-food or environmental technologies. In contrast, the equipment and supplies sector seems to be largely ignored. This is surprising because this sector provides important input in terms of technology and material for the development of biotechnology in general. Our comparative analysis of the sector in eight countries indicates that there exists no specific science base for the sector and that it is largely neglected by public research funding. Commercial activities are concentrated in countries with a large general science base in biotechnology and strong multinational pharmaceutical or chemical companies. There is a rather broad diversity in the way the sector has developed in the eight countries. Our data support the notion that national peculiarities seem dominant for explaining this picture. We anticipate growing business opportunities for European firms to step into large markets of equipment and supplies for functional genomics and protein analyses where Europe maintains a strong science base.

Using Directional Emissivity as a Probe of Particle Microphysical Properties

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pitman, K. M.; Wolff, M. J.; Bandfield, J. L.; Clayton, G. C.

2002-09-01

Real surfaces are not expected to be diffuse emitters, thus observed emissivity values are a function of viewing geometry. This fact has strong implications for analyses of the MGS/TES emission phase function (EPF) sequences and the upcoming Mars Exploration Rover mini-TES dataset. As reviewed previously [1], in the absence of strong thermal gradients, directional emissivity may be obtained via a combination of reciprocity and Kirchhoff's Law. Here we focus on the potential utility of directional emissivity as a direct probe of surface particle microphysical properties. We explore the effects of particle size and composition on observed radiances in the TES spectral regime using a combination of multiple scattering radiative transfer and Mie scattering algorithms. Comparisons of these simulated spectra to TES EPF observations of typical surface units (e.g., high and low albedo regions) will also be made. This work is supported through NASA grant NAGS-9820 (MJW) and LSU Board of Regents (KMP). [1] Pitman, K.M., et al. (2001), AAS-DPS meeting # 33, # 36.01.

The evolution of sex roles in birds is related to adult sex ratio.

PubMed

Liker, András; Freckleton, Robert P; Székely, Tamás

2013-01-01

Sex-role reversal represents a formidable challenge for evolutionary biologists, since it is not clear which ecological, life-history or social factors facilitated conventional sex roles (female care and male-male competition for mates) to be reversed (male care and female-female competition). Classic theories suggested ecological or life-history predictors of role reversal, but most studies failed to support these hypotheses. Recent theory however predicts that sex-role reversal should be driven by male-biased adult sex ratio (ASR). Here we test this prediction for the first time using phylogenetic comparative analyses. Consistent with theory, both mating system and parental care are strongly related to ASR in shorebirds: conventional sex roles are exhibited by species with female-biased ASR, whereas sex-role reversal is associated with male-biased ASR. These results suggest that social environment has a strong influence on breeding systems and therefore revealing the causes of ASR variation in wild populations is essential for understanding sex role evolution.

A screen for constituents of motor control and decision making in Drosophila reveals visual distance-estimation neurons

PubMed Central

Triphan, Tilman; Nern, Aljoscha; Roberts, Sonia F.; Korff, Wyatt; Naiman, Daniel Q.; Strauss, Roland

2016-01-01

Climbing over chasms larger than step size is vital to fruit flies, since foraging and mating are achieved while walking. Flies avoid futile climbing attempts by processing parallax-motion vision to estimate gap width. To identify neuronal substrates of climbing control, we screened a large collection of fly lines with temporarily inactivated neuronal populations in a novel high-throughput assay described here. The observed climbing phenotypes were classified; lines in each group are reported. Selected lines were further analysed by high-resolution video cinematography. One striking class of flies attempts to climb chasms of unsurmountable width; expression analysis guided us to C2 optic-lobe interneurons. Inactivation of C2 or the closely related C3 neurons with highly specific intersectional driver lines consistently reproduced hyperactive climbing whereas strong or weak artificial depolarization of C2/C3 neurons strongly or mildly decreased climbing frequency. Contrast-manipulation experiments support our conclusion that C2/C3 neurons are part of the distance-evaluation system. PMID:27255169

A soft pillow for hard times? Economic insecurity, food intake and body weight in Russia.

PubMed

Staudigel, Matthias

2016-12-01

This study investigates causal effects of economic insecurity on subjective anxiety, food intake, and weight outcomes. A review of psychological and nutrition studies highlights the complexity of processes at work on each stage of this causal chain. Econometric analyses trace the effects along the hypothesized pathway using detailed household panel data from the Russia Longitudinal Monitoring Survey from 1994 to 2005. Economic insecurity measures serve as key explanatory variables in regressions and are instrumented by exogenous regional indicators. Results support a causal chain from economic insecurity to weight outcomes for some population subgroups. In contrast to the leading hypothesis that economic insecurity increases body weight, I find strong evidence of a decreasing effect among women. Results suggest further that consumption of foods rich in sugar responds strongly to higher levels of economic insecurity. Heterogeneous impacts of economic insecurity on body weight call for individual-level interventions rather than large-scale action. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Stroop interference associated with efficient reading fluency and prelexical orthographic processing.

PubMed

Mano, Quintino R; Williamson, Brady J; Pae, Hye K; Osmon, David C

2016-01-01

The Stroop Color-Word Test involves a dynamic interplay between reading and executive functioning that elicits intuitions of word reading automaticity. One such intuition is that strong reading skills (i.e., more automatized word reading) play a disruptive role within the test, contributing to Stroop interference. However, evidence has accumulated that challenges this intuition. The present study examined associations among Stroop interference, reading skills (i.e., isolated word identification, grapheme-to-phoneme mapping, phonemic awareness, reading fluency) measured on standardized tests, and orthographic skills measured on experimental computerized tasks. Among university students (N = 152), correlational analyses showed greater Stroop interference to be associated with (a) relatively low scores on all standardized reading tests, and (b) longer response latencies on orthographic tasks. Hierarchical regression demonstrated that reading fluency and prelexical orthographic processing predicted unique and significant variance in Stroop interference beyond baseline rapid naming. Results suggest that strong reading skills, including orthographic processing, play a supportive role in resolving Stroop interference.

Bidirectional Associations between Parenting Practices and Conduct Problems in Boys from Childhood to Adolescence: The Moderating Effect of Age and African-American Ethnicity

PubMed Central

Fite, Paula J.; Burke, Jeffrey D.

2010-01-01

This study examined the bidirectional relationship between parent and teacher reported conduct problems in youth and parenting practices using a longitudinal sample of boys assessed from 6 to 16 years of age. Analyses tested whether these bidirectional associations changed across development and whether the nature of these associations varied across African-American and Caucasian families. Overall, the results supported a bidirectional relationship between conduct problems and all parenting practices examined from childhood to adolescence. The influence of conduct problems on changes in parenting behaviors was as strong as the influence of parenting behaviors on changes in conduct problems across development. Changes in the bidirectional relationship across development were found in some, but not all, models. While corporal punishment was more strongly related to changes in teacher-reported conduct problems for African-American boys compared to Caucasian boys, more similarities than differences were found between the ethnic groups in terms of the bidirectional associations examined. PMID:17899362

The rise of army ants and their relatives: diversification of specialized predatory doryline ants

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background Army ants are dominant invertebrate predators in tropical and subtropical terrestrial ecosystems. Their close relatives within the dorylomorph group of ants are also highly specialized predators, although much less is known about their biology. We analyzed molecular data generated from 11 nuclear genes to infer a phylogeny for the major dorylomorph lineages, and incorporated fossil evidence to infer divergence times under a relaxed molecular clock. Results Because our results indicate that one subfamily and several genera of dorylomorphs are non-monophyletic, we propose to subsume the six previous dorylomorph subfamilies into a single subfamily, Dorylinae. We find the monophyly of Dorylinae to be strongly supported and estimate the crown age of the group at 87 (74–101) million years. Our phylogenetic analyses provide only weak support for army ant monophyly and also call into question a previous hypothesis that army ants underwent a fundamental split into New World and Old World lineages. Outside the army ants, our phylogeny reveals for the first time many old, distinct lineages in the Dorylinae. The genus Cerapachys is shown to be non-monophyletic and comprised of multiple lineages scattered across the Dorylinae tree. We recover, with strong support, novel relationships among these Cerapachys-like clades and other doryline genera, but divergences in the deepest parts of the tree are not well resolved. We find the genus Sphinctomyrmex, characterized by distinctive abdominal constrictions, to consist of two separate lineages with convergent morphologies, one inhabiting the Old World and the other the New World tropics. Conclusions While we obtain good resolution in many parts of the Dorylinae phylogeny, relationships deep in the tree remain unresolved, with major lineages joining each other in various ways depending upon the analytical method employed, but always with short internodes. This may be indicative of rapid radiation in the early history of the Dorylinae, but additional molecular data and more complete species sampling are needed for confirmation. Our phylogeny now provides a basic framework for comparative biological analyses, but much additional study on the behavior and morphology of doryline species is needed, especially investigations directed at the non-army ant taxa. PMID:24886136

Combining phylogenomics and fossils in higher-level squamate reptile phylogeny: molecular data change the placement of fossil taxa.

PubMed

Wiens, John J; Kuczynski, Caitlin A; Townsend, Ted; Reeder, Tod W; Mulcahy, Daniel G; Sites, Jack W

2010-12-01

Molecular data offer great potential to resolve the phylogeny of living taxa but can molecular data improve our understanding of relationships of fossil taxa? Simulations suggest that this is possible, but few empirical examples have demonstrated the ability of molecular data to change the placement of fossil taxa. We offer such an example here. We analyze the placement of snakes among squamate reptiles, combining published morphological data (363 characters) and new DNA sequence data (15,794 characters, 22 nuclear loci) for 45 living and 19 fossil taxa. We find several intriguing results. First, some fossil taxa undergo major changes in their phylogenetic position when molecular data are added. Second, most fossil taxa are placed with strong support in the expected clades by the combined data Bayesian analyses, despite each having >98% missing cells and despite recent suggestions that extensive missing data are problematic for Bayesian phylogenetics. Third, morphological data can change the placement of living taxa in combined analyses, even when there is an overwhelming majority of molecular characters. Finally, we find strong but apparently misleading signal in the morphological data, seemingly associated with a burrowing lifestyle in snakes, amphisbaenians, and dibamids. Overall, our results suggest promise for an integrated and comprehensive Tree of Life by combining molecular and morphological data for living and fossil taxa.

Virulence determinants associated with the Asian community-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus lineage ST59

PubMed Central

Li, Min; Dai, Yingxin; Zhu, Yuanjun; Fu, Chih-Lung; Tan, Vee Y.; Wang, Yanan; Wang, Xing; Hong, Xufen; Liu, Qian; Li, Tianming; Qin, Juanxiu; Ma, Xiaowei; Fang, Jingyuan; Otto, Michael

2016-01-01

Understanding virulence is vital for the development of novel therapeutics to target infections with community-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (CA-MRSA), which cause an ongoing epidemic in the United States and are on a global rise. However, what defines virulence particularly of global CA-MRSA lineages is poorly understood. Threatening a vast population, the predominant Asian CA-MRSA lineage ST59 is of major epidemiological importance. However, there have been no molecular analyses using defined virulence gene deletion mutants in that lineage as of yet. Here, we compared virulence in skin, lung, and blood infection models of ST59 CA-MRSA isolates with geographically matched hospital-associated MRSA isolates. We selected a representative ST59 CA-MRSA isolate based on toxin expression and virulence characteristics, and produced isogenic gene deletion mutants of important CA-MRSA virulence determinants (α-toxin, PSM α, Agr) in that isolate for in-vitro and in-vivo analyses. Our results demonstrate strongly enhanced virulence of ST59 CA-MRSA over hospital-associated lineages, supporting the notion that enhanced virulence is characteristic for CA-MRSA. Furthermore, they show strong and significant contribution of Agr, α-toxin, and PSMα to pathogenesis of ST59 CA-MRSA skin, lung, and blood infection, emphasizing the value of drug development efforts targeted toward those virulence determinants. PMID:27296890

Mental Health and Psychosocial Adjustment of Cuban Immigrants in South Florida

PubMed Central

Cislo, Andrew M.; Spence, Naomi J; Gayman, Mathew D

2010-01-01

Given documented variation in pre-migration and migration-related experiences, Cuban immigrants in the U.S. who arrived during or subsequent to 1980 may be disadvantaged in mental health and psychosocial adjustment relative to earlier arrivals. Using wave 1 of the Physical Challenge and Health study, we compare earlier and later arriving immigrants in levels of depression, anxiety, and self-esteem and test whether adversity and social support, acculturation-related factors, or pre-migration conditions account for any differences observed among a sample of adults living in South Florida (N=191). Bivariate analyses reveal that later arrivals are relatively disadvantaged in anxiety and self-esteem and marginally so in depression. While later arrivals do not report more adversity in the U.S., they have lower levels of family support to cope with any adversity experienced. Later arrivals are also less likely to interview in English or to have a strong American identity, and they were more likely to have arrived as adults. Relative disadvantages in anxiety and self-esteem are best explained by indicators of acculturation and family support. Policies and programs that address acculturation difficulties and increase family support could improve the health and adjustment of these and similar immigrants. PMID:20643498

Morphology and phylogeny of Bryophryoides ocellatus n. g., n. sp. (Ciliophora, Colpodea) from in situ soil percolates of Idaho, U.S.A.

PubMed

Bourland, William A; Wendell, Laura; Hampikian, Greg; Vďačný, Peter

2014-02-01

We describe the morphology and 18S rDNA phylogeny of Bryophryoides ocellatus n. g., n. sp., a bryophryid ciliate inhabiting in situ soil percolates from Idaho, U.S.A. The new genus is distinguished from other bryophryid genera by a combination of the following features: (1) kreyellid (irregularly meshed) silverline pattern, (2) polymorphic adoral organelles in the preoral suture, (3) absence of vestibular kineties. In phylogenetic analyses, Bryophryoides ocellatus is most closely related to Bryophrya gemmea. The 18S rDNA sequence pairwise distance of 2% between these genera, while similar to that between many colpodidan species, exceeds that between some colpodidan genera (e.g. Mykophagophrys and Pseudoplatyophrya, 1.1%), further supporting establishment of the new genus. Topology hypothesis testing strongly supports the monophyly of the Colpodida including the bryophryids. Despite weak nodal support, tests of topology constraints narrowly reject the non-monophyly of the sequenced Bryophryidae (Bryophrya+Bryophryoides+Notoxoma). Likewise, the monophyletic origin of the sequenced Bryophryidae is indicated in the phylogenetic networks though with low support. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

Workplace, psychosocial factors, and depressive symptoms among working people with arthritis: a longitudinal study.

PubMed

Li, Xin; Gignac, Monique A M; Anis, Aslam H

2006-09-01

To examine the role of demographic, illness-related, workplace support, workplace activity limitations, arthritis-related work changes, and psychosocial factors in predicting subsequent depressive symptoms among employed people with arthritis. In a prospective study, 366 employed individuals with arthritis were recruited from Toronto, Canada. Respondents completed a structured questionnaire assessing demographic, disease-related factors, workplace support, and employment-related transitions, as well as psychosocial variables at 2 timepoints 18 months apart. Depression was assessed using the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale. Hierarchical multiple regression was used for analyses. Individuals with greater education reported significantly less depression. Lower workplace support and greater workplace activity limitations were significantly associated with future depressive symptoms. No relationship was found between work transitions and later depression, but more work changes were strongly associated with concurrent depressive symptoms. An association was also found between greater pain catastrophizing and future depressive symptoms. Our results highlight the need to assess the influence of work-related changes, workplace support, and psychosocial variables on depressive symptoms among people with arthritis. These findings suggest that workplace interventions should address not only ways to reduce workplace activity limitations, but also ways to better manage emotional distress related to working with arthritis.

The evolution and biogeography of the austral horse fly tribe Scionini (Diptera: Tabanidae: Pangoniinae) inferred from multiple mitochondrial and nuclear genes.

PubMed

Lessard, B D; Cameron, S L; Bayless, K M; Wiegmann, B M; Yeates, D K

2013-09-01

Phylogenetic relationships within the Tabanidae are largely unknown, despite their considerable medical and ecological importance. The first robust phylogenetic hypothesis for the horse fly tribe Scionini is provided, completing the systematic placement of all tribes in the subfamily Pangoniinae. The Scionini consists of seven mostly southern hemisphere genera distributed in Australia, New Guinea, New Zealand and South America. A 5757 bp alignment of 6 genes, including mitochondrial (COI and COII), ribosomal (28S) and nuclear (AATS and CAD regions 1, 3 and 4) genes, was analysed for 176 taxa using both Bayesian and maximum likelihood approaches. Results indicate the Scionini are strongly monophyletic, with the exclusion of the only northern hemisphere genus Goniops. The South American genera Fidena, Pityocera and Scione were strongly monophyletic, corresponding to current morphology-based classification schemes. The most widespread genus Scaptia was paraphyletic and formed nine strongly supported monophyletic clades, each corresponding to either the current subgenera or several previously synonymised genera that should be formally resurrected. Molecular results also reveal a newly recognised genus endemic to New Zealand, formerly placed within Scaptia. Divergence time estimation was employed to assess the global biogeographical patterns in the Pangoniinae. These analyses demonstrated that the Scionini are a typical Gondwanan group whose diversification was influenced by the fragmentation of that ancient land mass. Furthermore, results indicate that the Scionini most likely originated in Australia and subsequently radiated to New Zealand and South American by both long distance dispersal and vicariance. The phylogenetic framework of the Scionini provided herein will be valuable for taxonomic revisions of the Tabanidae. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Estimating historical groundwater levels based on relations with hydrologic and meteorological variables in the U.S. glacial aquifer system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dudley, R. W.; Hodgkins, G. A.; Nielsen, M. G.; Qi, S. L.

2018-07-01

A number of previous studies have examined relations between groundwater levels and hydrologic and meteorological variables over parts of the glacial aquifer system, but systematic analyses across the entire U.S. glacial aquifer system are lacking. We tested correlations between monthly groundwater levels measured at 1043 wells in the U.S. glacial aquifer system considered to be minimally influenced by human disturbance and selected hydrologic and meteorological variables with the goal of extending historical groundwater records where there were strong correlations. Groundwater levels in the East region correlated most strongly with short-term (1 and 3 month) averages of hydrologic and meteorological variables, while those in the Central and West Central regions yielded stronger correlations with hydrologic and meteorological variables averaged over longer time intervals (6-12 months). Variables strongly correlated with high and low annual groundwater levels were identified as candidate records for use in statistical linear models as a means to fill in and extend historical high and low groundwater levels respectively. Overall, 37.4% of study wells meeting data criteria had successful models for high and (or) low groundwater levels; these wells shared characteristics of relatively higher local precipitation, higher local land-surface slope, lower amounts of clay within the surficial sediments, and higher base-flow index. Streamflow and base flow served as explanatory variables in about two thirds of both high- and low-groundwater-level models in all three regions, and generally yielded more and better models compared to precipitation and Palmer Drought Severity Index. The use of variables such as streamflow with substantially longer and more complete records than those of groundwater wells provide a means for placing contemporary groundwater levels in a longer historical context and can support site-specific analyses such as groundwater modeling.

Provenance Representation in the Global Change Information System (GCIS)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tilmes, Curt

2012-01-01

Global climate change is a topic that has become very controversial despite strong support within the scientific community. It is common for agencies releasing information about climate change to be served with Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests for everything that led to that conclusion. Capturing and presenting the provenance, linking to the research papers, data sets, models, analyses, observation instruments and satellites, etc. supporting key findings has the potential to mitigate skepticism in this domain. The U.S. Global Change Research Program (USGCRP) is now coordinating the production of a National Climate Assessment (NCA) that presents our best understanding of global change. We are now developing a Global Change Information System (GCIS) that will present the content of that report and its provenance, including the scientific support for the findings of the assessment. We are using an approach that will present this information both through a human accessible web site as well as a machine readable interface for automated mining of the provenance graph. We plan to use the developing W3C PROV Data Model and Ontology for this system.

Managing complex workplace stress in health care organizations: leaders' perceived legitimacy conflicts.

PubMed

Dellve, Lotta; Wikström, Ewa

2009-12-01

To conceptualize how health care leaders' strategies to increase their influence in their psychosocial work environment are experienced and handled, and may be supported. The complex nature of the psychosocial work environment with increased stress creates significant challenges for leaders in today's health care organizations. Interviews with health care leaders (n = 39) were analysed in accordance with constructivist grounded theory. Compound identities, loyalty commitments and professional interests shape conditions for leaders' influence. Strategies to achieve legitimacy were either to retain clinical skills and a strong occupational identity or to take a full leadership role. Ethical stress was experienced when organizational procedural or consequential legitimacy norms were in conflict with the leaders' own values. Leadership support through socializing processes and strategic support structures may be complementary or counteractive. Support programmes need to have a clear message related to decision-making processes and should facilitate communication between top management, human resource departments and subordinate leaders. Ethical stress from conflicting legitimacy principles may be moderated by clear policies for decision-making processes, strengthened sound networks and improved communication. Supportive programmes should include: (1) sequential and strategic systems for introducing new leaders and mentoring; (2) reflective dialogue and feedback; (3) team development; and (4) decision-making policies and processes.

Depressive mood mediates the influence of social support on health-related quality of life in elderly, multimorbid patients

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background It is not well established how psychosocial factors like social support and depression affect health-related quality of life in multimorbid and elderly patients. We investigated whether depressive mood mediates the influence of social support on health-related quality of life. Methods Cross-sectional data of 3,189 multimorbid patients from the baseline assessment of the German MultiCare cohort study were used. Mediation was tested using the approach described by Baron and Kenny based on multiple linear regression, and controlling for socioeconomic variables and burden of multimorbidity. Results Mediation analyses confirmed that depressive mood mediates the influence of social support on health-related quality of life (Sobel’s p < 0.001). Multiple linear regression showed that the influence of depressive mood (β = −0.341, p < 0.01) on health-related quality of life is greater than the influence of multimorbidity (β = −0.234, p < 0.01). Conclusion Social support influences health-related quality of life, but this association is strongly mediated by depressive mood. Depression should be taken into consideration in research on multimorbidity, and clinicians should be aware of its importance when caring for multimorbid patients. Trial registration ISRCTN89818205 PMID:24708815

The influence of non-clinical patient factors on medical oncologists' decisions to recommend breast cancer adjuvant chemotherapy.

PubMed

Pini, T May; Hawley, Sarah T; Li, Yun; Katz, Steven J; Griggs, Jennifer J

2012-07-01

The extent to which medical oncologists consider non-clinical patient factors when deciding to recommend adjuvant chemotherapy is unknown. Medical oncologists who treated a population-based sample of early stage breast cancer patients reported to the Los Angeles and Detroit Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results registries 2005-2007 were asked how strongly they consider a patient's ability to follow instructions, level of social support, and level of work support/flexibility in decisions to recommend adjuvant chemotherapy. Responses of 4 (Quite strongly) or 5 (Very strongly) on a five-point Likert scale defined strong consideration. Associations between oncologist/practice characteristics and strong consideration of each non-clinical factor were examined. 134 oncologists (66 %) reported strong consideration of one or more factor. Ability to follow instructions was strongly considered by 120 oncologists (59 %), social support by 78 (38 %), and work support/flexibility by 73 (36 %). Larger percent of practice devoted to breast cancer was associated with lower likelihood of strongly considering ability to follow instructions [odds ratio (OR) 0.98, 95 % confidence interval (CI) 0.97-0.99; P = 0.04]. Increased years in practice was associated with lower likelihood of strongly considering social support (OR 0.96, CI 0.93-0.99; P = 0.011), while non-white race (OR 2.1, CI 1.03-4.26; P = 0.041) and tumor board access (OR 2.04, CI 1.01-4.12; P = 0.048) were associated with higher likelihood. Non-white race was associated with strongly considering work support/flexibility (OR 2.44, CI 1.21-4.92; P = 0.013). Tumor board access (OR 2, CI 1.00-4.02; P = 0.051) was borderline significant. Non-clinical patient factors play a role in medical oncologist decision-making for breast cancer adjuvant chemotherapy recommendations.

Using Co-authorship Networks to Map and Analyse Global Neglected Tropical Disease Research with an Affiliation to Germany

PubMed Central

Bender, Max Ernst; Edwards, Suzanne; von Philipsborn, Peter; Steinbeis, Fridolin; Keil, Thomas; Tinnemann, Peter

2015-01-01

Background Research on Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) has increased in recent decades, and significant need-gaps in diagnostic and treatment tools remain. Analysing bibliometric data from published research is a powerful method for revealing research efforts, partnerships and expertise. We aim to identify and map NTD research networks in Germany and their partners abroad to enable an informed and transparent evaluation of German contributions to NTD research. Methodology/Principal Findings A SCOPUS database search for articles with German author affiliations that were published between 2002 and 2012 was conducted for kinetoplastid and helminth diseases. Open-access tools were used for data cleaning and scientometrics (OpenRefine), geocoding (OpenStreetMaps) and to create (Table2Net), visualise and analyse co-authorship networks (Gephi). From 26,833 publications from around the world that addressed 11 diseases, we identified 1,187 (4.4%) with at least one German author affiliation, and we processed 972 publications for the five most published-about diseases. Of those, we extracted 4,007 individual authors and 863 research institutions to construct co-author networks. The majority of co-authors outside Germany were from high-income countries and Brazil. Collaborations with partners on the African continent remain scattered. NTD research within Germany was distributed among 220 research institutions. We identified strong performers on an individual level by using classic parameters (number of publications, h-index) and social network analysis parameters (betweenness centrality). The research network characteristics varied strongly between diseases. Conclusions/Significance The share of NTD publications with German affiliations is approximately half of its share in other fields of medical research. This finding underlines the need to identify barriers and expand Germany’s otherwise strong research activities towards NTDs. A geospatial analysis of research collaborations with partners abroad can support decisions to strengthen research capacity, particularly in low- and middle-income countries, which were less involved in collaborations than high-income countries. Identifying knowledge hubs within individual researcher networks complements traditional scientometric indicators that are used to identify opportunities for collaboration. Using free tools to analyse research processes and output could facilitate data-driven health policies. Our findings contribute to the prioritisation of efforts in German NTD research at a time of impending local and global policy decisions. PMID:26719978

Phylogenetic position of the bee genera Ancyla and Tarsalia (Hymenoptera: Apidae): a remarkable base compositional bias and an early Paleogene geodispersal from North America to the Old World.

PubMed

Praz, Christophe J; Packer, Laurence

2014-12-01

We address the phylogenetic position of the bee genera Tarsalia and Ancyla (currently forming the tribe Ancylaini) on the basis of morphological, molecular and combined data. We assembled a matrix of 309 morphological characters and 5246 aligned nucleotide positions from six nuclear genes (28S, EF-1a, wingless, POL2, LW-Rhodopsin, NAK). In addition to both constituent genera of Ancylaini, we include all three subtribes of the Eucerini as well as a large number of other tribes from the "eucerine line". The morphological data suggest Ancyla to be sister to Tarsalia+Eucerini and analyses of the entire molecular dataset suggest Tarsalia to be sister to Ancyla+Eucerini. However, analyses of the combined dataset suggests the Ancylaini to be monophyletic. We address possible bias within the molecular data and show that the base composition of two markers (EF-1a and NAK) is significantly heterogeneous among taxa and that this heterogeneity is strong enough to overcome the phylogenetic signal from the other markers. Analyses of a molecular matrix where the heterogeneous partitions have been RY-recoded yield trees that are better resolved and have higher nodal support values than those recovered in analyses of the non-recoded matrix, and strongly suggest the Ancylaini to be a monophyletic sister group to the Eucerini. A dated phylogeny and ancestral range reconstructions suggest that the common ancestor of the Ancylaini reached the Old World from the New World most probably via the Thulean Land Bridge in a time window between 69 and 47 mya, a period that includes the Early Eocene Climatic Optimum. No further exchanges between the New World and the Old World are implied by our data until the period between 22 mya and 13.9 mya. These more recent faunal exchanges probably involved geodispersal over the Bering Land Bridge by less thermophilic lineages. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Factors influencing healthy eating habits among college students: an application of the health belief model.

PubMed

Deshpande, Sameer; Basil, Michael D; Basil, Debra Z

2009-01-01

Poor eating habits are an important public health issue that has large health and economic implications. Many food preferences are established early, but because people make more and more independent eating decisions as they move through adolescence, the transition to independent living during the university days is an important event. To study the phenomenon of food selection, the heath belief model was applied to predict the likelihood of healthy eating among university students. Structural equation modeling was used to investigate the validity of the health belief model (HBM) among 194 students, followed by gender-based analyses. The data strongly supported the HBM. Social change campaign implications are discussed.

Calculating the costs of an 8-week, physiotherapy-led exercise intervention in deconditioned cancer survivors in the early survivorship period (the PEACH trial).

PubMed

Broderick, J M; Guinan, E; O' Donnell, D M; Hussey, J; Tyrrell, E; Normand, C

2014-06-01

Strong evidence exists for rehabilitation programmes following a cancer diagnosis, although little is known about their cost. The effects of an 8-week, physiotherapy-led, structured group intervention during the early survivorship phase were evaluated. Significant changes in quality of life and fatigue, and promising changes in fitness were found. The overall cost for this programme was €196 per participant, including the salaries of the clinicians, overheads and equipment costs. The modest costs associated with this programme may support more routine 'cancer rehabilitation', although more robust analyses are required. Copyright © 2014 Chartered Society of Physiotherapy. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

On the relationships of 'Marmosa' formosa Shamel, 1930 (Marsupialia: Didelphidae), a phylogenetic puzzle from the Chaco of northern Argentina

USGS Publications Warehouse

Voss, Robert S.; Gardner, Afred L.; Jansa, Sharon A.

2004-01-01

The holotype and only known specimen of Marmosa formosa Shamel, a nominal species currently synonymized with Gracilinanus agilis Burmeister, is strikingly unlike any other known didelphid marsupial. Phylogenetic analyses based on nonmolecular characters and IRBP sequences suggest that formosa is either the sister-taxon of Thylamys (including Lestodelphys) or Monodelphis. Because neither alternative is strongly supported by the data at hand, and because including formosa in Thylamys or in Monodelphis would compromise the diagnosability of those taxa, a new genus?Chacodelphys?is proposed to contain it. Currently known only from northern Argentina, Chacodelphys formosa may be widely distributed in the Chaco and other adjacent Neotropical biomes.

The moderating effect of teamwork perceptions on the organizational politics--job satisfaction relationship.

PubMed

Valle, M; Witt, L A

2001-06-01

By using regression analyses on data from 355 full-time employees of a customer-service organization in the eastern United States, the authors tested the hypothesis that perceptions of organizational politics are more strongly related to job dissatisfaction among individuals who perceive low levels of teamwork importance than among those who perceive high levels of teamwork importance. Hierarchical moderated regression analysis of the data revealed that the moderating effect of teamwork importance was most relevant at average-to-high levels of perceived politics. That finding supports the assertion that one way to address the negative impact of organizational politics is to try to ensure that employees value teamwork.

Data mining analysis of factors influencing children's blood pressure in a nation-wide health survey

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wasiewicz, Piotr; Kulaga, Zbigniew; Litwin, Mieczyslaw

2009-06-01

Blood pressure in childhood and adolescents is important indicator of good health and strong predictor of BP in adulthood. Genetic susceptibility, environmental and socioeconomic factors are related both with life style, obesity and cardiovascular risk including elevated BP. Increased body mass index is strictly correlated with BP, and obesity and overweight is main intermediate phenotype of childhood hypertension. However, despite current obesity epidemic available data do not fully support the hypothesis that it has resulted in increase of BP in children. We analysed data obtained from 7591 children participating in nation-wide health survey using data mining methodology. Results reveal relationships of obesity and high blood pressure with school environment characteristics.

Gratifications, collective self-esteem, online emotional openness, and traitlike communication apprehension as predictors of Facebook uses.

PubMed

Zhang, Yin; Tang, Leo Shing-Tung; Leung, Louis

2011-12-01

This study explores whether and how gratifications and psychological traits impact people's Facebook use. First, a factor analysis of an online survey (N= 437) outlined a unique set of gratifications obtained from the use of Facebook. Six aspects of gratifications (i.e., social surveillance, entertainment, recognition, emotional support, network extension, and maintenance) were identified. Results from regression analyses showed that psychological traits (i.e., collective self-esteem, online emotional openness, and traitlike communication apprehension) were strong predictors of most Facebook gratifications. Additionally, gratifications and, to a lesser extent, psychological traits significantly predicted Facebook usage, both in perceived importance and different indicators in the level of Facebook use.

Testing if Social Services Prevent Fatal Child Maltreatment Among a Sample of Children Previously Known to Child Protective Services.

PubMed

Douglas, Emily M

2016-08-01

The purpose of this article was to examine the potential impact of child welfare services on the risk for fatal child maltreatment. This was conducted using a subsample of children who were identified as "prior victims" in the National Child Abuse and Neglect Data System from 2008 to 2012. At the multivariate level, the analyses show that case management services act to protect children from death as do family support services, family preservation services, and foster care, but that the results vary by type of maltreatment experienced. The author recommends that before strong conclusions are drawn, additional research in this area is warranted. © The Author(s) 2016.

Intrinsic and extrinsic motives for originally following a sport team and team identification.

PubMed

Wann, D L; Ensor, C L; Bilyeu, J K

2001-10-01

Research indicates that both highly and lowly identified fans are more likely to be intrinsically than extrinsically motivated and that highly identified fans have a particularly strong inclination for intrinsic motivation. The current investigation was designed to extend this work by examining the relationship between level of identification and one's intrinsic and extrinsic motives for originally following a sport team. Preference for intrinsic motives for originally following a team should be highest among those high on team identification. 88 participants completed questionnaires containing the Sport Spectator Identification Scale and items assessing their intrinsic and extrinsic motives for originally identifying with a team. Analyses provided clear support for the hypotheses.

[Reflections on prehospitalisation deaths].

PubMed

Hugenschmitt, Delphine; Allonneau, Alexandre; Cesareo, Éric; Gueugniaud, Pierre-Yves; Lefort, Hugues

2017-12-01

In the past, death was a family and community affair, but today it is institutional and entrusted to healthcare personnel. Thanks to a questionnaire on their feelings about prehospitalisation deaths, the experience and training needs for healthcare personnel at a mobile emergency and intensive care service were analysed. The majority of these professionals had been confronted with difficulties when faced with prehospitalisation deaths. There is little understanding of religious rites, even though this is an important point in dealing with the situation. There is a strong desire for training. The pedagogical support offered in response to the needs expressed was recognised as being useful and should be more widespread. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Bifurcation analysis of nephron pressure and flow regulation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barfred, Mikael; Mosekilde, Erik; Holstein-Rathlou, Niels-Henrik

1996-09-01

One- and two-dimensional continuation techniques are applied to study the bifurcation structure of a model of renal flow and pressure control. Integrating the main physiological mechanisms by which the individual nephron regulates the incoming blood flow, the model describes the interaction between the tubuloglomerular feedback and the response of the afferent arteriole. It is shown how a Hopf bifurcation leads the system to perform self-sustained oscillations if the feedback gain becomes sufficiently strong, and how a further increase of this parameter produces a folded structure of overlapping period-doubling cascades. Similar phenomena arise in response to increasing blood pressure. The numerical analyses are supported by existing experimental results on anesthetized rats.

Burnout and Depression: Two Entities or One?

PubMed

Schonfeld, Irvin Sam; Bianchi, Renzo

2016-01-01

The purpose of this study was to examine the overlap in burnout and depression. The sample comprised 1,386 schoolteachers (mean [M]age = 43; Myears taught = 15; 77% women) from 18 different U.S. states. We assessed burnout, using the Shirom-Melamed Burnout Measure, and depression, using the depression module of the Patient Health Questionnaire. Treated dimensionally, burnout and depressive symptoms were strongly correlated (.77; disattenuated correlation, .84). Burnout and depressive symptoms were similarly correlated with each of 3 stress-related factors, stressful life events, job adversity, and workplace support. In categorical analyses, 86% of the teachers identified as burned out met criteria for a provisional diagnosis of depression. Exploratory analyses revealed a link between burnout and anxiety. This study provides evidence that past research has underestimated burnout-depression overlap. The state of burnout is likely to be a form of depression. Given the magnitude of burnout-depression overlap, treatments for depression may help workers identified as "burned out." © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Genetic diversity and population structure in contemporary house sparrow populations along an urbanization gradient

PubMed Central

Vangestel, C; Mergeay, J; Dawson, D A; Callens, T; Vandomme, V; Lens, L

2012-01-01

House sparrow (Passer domesticus) populations have suffered major declines in urban as well as rural areas, while remaining relatively stable in suburban ones. Yet, to date no exhaustive attempt has been made to examine how, and to what extent, spatial variation in population demography is reflected in genetic population structuring along contemporary urbanization gradients. Here we use putatively neutral microsatellite loci to study if and how genetic variation can be partitioned in a hierarchical way among different urbanization classes. Principal coordinate analyses did not support the hypothesis that urban/suburban and rural populations comprise two distinct genetic clusters. Comparison of FST values at different hierarchical scales revealed drift as an important force of population differentiation. Redundancy analyses revealed that genetic structure was strongly affected by both spatial variation and level of urbanization. The results shown here can be used as baseline information for future genetic monitoring programmes and provide additional insights into contemporary house sparrow dynamics along urbanization gradients. PMID:22588131

Genetic diversity and population structure in contemporary house sparrow populations along an urbanization gradient.

PubMed

Vangestel, C; Mergeay, J; Dawson, D A; Callens, T; Vandomme, V; Lens, L

2012-09-01

House sparrow (Passer domesticus) populations have suffered major declines in urban as well as rural areas, while remaining relatively stable in suburban ones. Yet, to date no exhaustive attempt has been made to examine how, and to what extent, spatial variation in population demography is reflected in genetic population structuring along contemporary urbanization gradients. Here we use putatively neutral microsatellite loci to study if and how genetic variation can be partitioned in a hierarchical way among different urbanization classes. Principal coordinate analyses did not support the hypothesis that urban/suburban and rural populations comprise two distinct genetic clusters. Comparison of FST values at different hierarchical scales revealed drift as an important force of population differentiation. Redundancy analyses revealed that genetic structure was strongly affected by both spatial variation and level of urbanization. The results shown here can be used as baseline information for future genetic monitoring programmes and provide additional insights into contemporary house sparrow dynamics along urbanization gradients.

Burnout in the working population: relations to psychosocial work factors.

PubMed

Lindblom, Karin M; Linton, Steven J; Fedeli, Cecilia; Bryngelsson, Ing-Liss

2006-01-01

This study investigated levels of burnout in the general population irrespective of occupation and relations between burnout and psychosocial work factors. A cross-sectional survey featuring sleep problems, psychological distress, burnout (Maslach Burnout Inventory-General Survey), and psychosocial factors at work, was mailed to a random sample of 3,000 participants, aged 20-60. Response rate was 61%. A high level (18%), a low level (19%), and an intermediate group (63%) for burnout were constructed. The high level group was associated with those who were > 50 years old, women, those experiencing psychological distress, and those with a poor psychosocial work climate. The analyses on variables significant in previous analyses showed that the high level group was strongly related to high demands, low control, lack of social support, and disagreeing about values at the workplace even when accounting for age, gender, and psychological distress. We conclude that psychosocial work factors are important in association to burnout regardless of occupation.

Alcohol Use and Crime: Findings from a Longitudinal Sample of U.S. Adolescents and Young Adults

PubMed Central

Popovici, Ioana; Homer, Jenny F.; Fang, Hai; French, Michael T.

2011-01-01

Background A positive relationship between alcohol use and criminal activity has been well documented among adults, but fewer studies explore this relationship among adolescents. Methods Using data from four waves of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health), we examine alcohol use patterns and criminal activity from adolescence to young adulthood. Fixed-effects models partially address the potential endogeneity of alcohol use, and, because numerous studies indicate that males are more likely than females to engage in drinking and criminal activity, the analyses are segmented by gender. Results We find a strong positive relationship between alcohol consumption, the commission of crimes, and criminal victimization for both genders. Various sensitivity analyses and robustness checks support this core finding. Conclusions Our results have important policy implications, as public policy tools that aim to reduce drinking among adolescents could also reduce criminal activity. Moreover, effective alcohol abuse treatment may indirectly reduce delinquency and thus have greater long-term economic benefits than previously estimated. PMID:22168924

Alcohol use and crime: findings from a longitudinal sample of U.S. adolescents and young adults.

PubMed

Popovici, Ioana; Homer, Jenny F; Fang, Hai; French, Michael T

2012-03-01

A positive relationship between alcohol use and criminal activity has been well documented among adults, but fewer studies explore this relationship among adolescents. Using data from 4 waves of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health), we examine alcohol use patterns and criminal activity from adolescence to young adulthood. Fixed-effects models partially address the potential endogeneity of alcohol use, and, because numerous studies indicate that males are more likely than females to engage in drinking and criminal activity, the analyses are segmented by gender. We find a strong positive relationship between alcohol consumption, the commission of crimes, and criminal victimization for both genders. Various sensitivity analyses and robustness checks support this core finding. Our results have important policy implications, as public policy tools that aim to reduce drinking among adolescents could also reduce criminal activity. Moreover, effective alcohol abuse treatment may indirectly reduce delinquency and thus have greater long-term economic benefits than previously estimated. Copyright © 2011 by the Research Society on Alcoholism.

Analyses of historical and projected climates to support climate adaptation in the northern Rocky Mountains: Chapter 4

USGS Publications Warehouse

Gross, John E.; Tercek, Michael; Guay, Kevin; Chang, Tony; Talbert, Marian; Rodman, Ann; Thoma, David; Jantz, Patrick; Morisette, Jeffrey T.

2016-01-01

Most of the western United States is experiencing the effects of rapid and directional climate change (Garfin et al. 2013). These effects, along with forecasts of profound changes in the future, provide strong motivation for resource managers to learn about and prepare for future changes. Climate adaptation plans are based on an understanding of historic climate variation and their effects on ecosystems and on forecasts of future climate trends. Frameworks for climate adaptation thus universally identify the importance of a summary of historical, current, and projected climates (Glick, Stein, and Edelson 2011; Cross et al. 2013; Stein et al. 2014). Trends in physical climate variables are usually the basis for evaluating the exposure component in vulnerability assessments. Thus, this chapter focuses on step 2 of the Climate-Smart Conservation framework (chap. 2): vulnerability assessment. We present analyses of historical and current observations of temperature, precipitation, and other key climate measurements to provide context and a baseline for interpreting the ecological impacts of projected climate changes.

The relationship between motor competence and health-related fitness in children and adolescents.

PubMed

Luz, Carlos; Rodrigues, Luís P; Meester, An De; Cordovil, Rita

2017-01-01

In the last twenty years, there has been increasing evidence that Motor Competence (MC) is vital for developing an active and healthy lifestyle. This study analyses the associations between motor competence and its components, with health-related fitness (HRF). A random sample of 546 children (278 males, mean = 10.77 years) divided into four age groups (7-8; 9-10; 11-12; 13-14 years old) was evaluated. A quantitative MC instrument (evaluating stability, locomotor and manipulative skills), a maximal multistage 20-m shuttle-run test and the handgrip test, height and BMI were used in the analyses. Pearson correlations and standard regression modelling were performed to explore the associations between variables. Moderate to strong significant correlations (0.49 < r < 0.73) were found between MC and HRF, for both sexes, and correlation values were stable across the age groups. The MC model explained 74% of the HRF variance, with the locomotor component being the highest predictor for the entire sample (β = .302; p < .001). Gender-related differences were found when boys and girls were analysed at each age group. Locomotor MC for girls was the most consistent significant predictor of HRF across all age groups (0.47 < β < 0.65; all p≤.001). For boys, significant predictors were locomotor and manipulative MC (0.21 < β < 0.49; all p < .05) in the two younger age groups (7-8 and 9-10 years) and stability (0.50 < β < 0.54; all p≤.001) for the older two age groups (11-12 and 13-14 years). These results support the idea that: (1) the relationship between overall MC and HRF is strong and stable across childhood and early adolescence; (2) when accounting for the different MC components, boys and girls show different relationship patterns with HFR across age.

A single-gene explanation for the probability of having idiopathic talipes equinovarus

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Rebbeck, T.R.; Buetow, K.H.; Dietz, F.R.

1993-11-01

It has been hypothesized that the pathogenesis of idiopathic talipes equinovarus (ITEV, or clubfoot) is explained by genetic regulation of development and growth. The objective of the present study was to determine whether a single Mendelian gene explains the probability of having ITEV in a sample of 143 Caucasian pedigrees from Iowa. These pedigrees were ascertained through probands with ITEV. Complex segregation analyses were undertaken using a regressive logistic model. The results of these analyses strongly rejected the hypotheses that the probability of having ITEV in these pedigrees was explained by a non-Mendelian pattern of transmission with residual sibling correlation,more » a nontransmitted (environmental) factor with residual sibling correlation, or residual sibling correlation alone. These results were consistent with the hypothesis that the probability of having ITEV was explained by the Mendelian segregation of a single gene with two alleles plus the effects of some unmeasured factor(s) shared among siblings. The segregation of alleles at this single Mendelian gene indicated that the disease allele A was incompletely dominant to the nondisease allele B. The disease allele A, associated with ITEV affection, was estimated to occur in the population of inference with a frequency of .007. After adjusting for sex-specific population incidences of ITEV, the conditional probability (penetrance) of ITEV affection given the AA, AB, and BB genotypes was computed to be 1.0, 0.039, and .0006, respectively. Individual pedigrees in this sample that most strongly supported the single Mendelian gene hypothesis were identified. These pedigrees are candidates for genetic linkage analyses or DNA association studies. 35 refs., 2 figs., 7 tabs.« less

Broca Pars Triangularis Constitutes a "Hub" of the Language-Control Network during Simultaneous Language Translation.

PubMed

Elmer, Stefan

2016-01-01

Until now, several branches of research have fundamentally contributed to a better understanding of the ramifications of bilingualism, multilingualism, and language expertise on psycholinguistic-, cognitive-, and neural implications. In this context, it is noteworthy to mention that from a cognitive perspective, there is a strong convergence of data pointing to an influence of multilingual speech competence on a variety of cognitive functions, including attention, short-term- and working memory, set shifting, switching, and inhibition. In addition, complementary neuroimaging findings have highlighted a specific set of cortical and subcortical brain regions which fundamentally contribute to administrate cognitive control in the multilingual brain, namely Broca's area, the middle-anterior cingulate cortex, the inferior parietal lobe, and the basal ganglia. However, a disadvantage of focusing on group analyses is that this procedure only enables an approximation of the neural networks shared within a population while at the same time smoothing inter-individual differences. In order to address both commonalities (i.e., within group analyses) and inter-individual variability (i.e., single-subject analyses) in language control mechanisms, here I measured five professional simultaneous interpreters while the participants overtly translated or repeated sentences with a simple subject-verb-object structure. Results demonstrated that pars triangularis was commonly activated across participants during backward translation (i.e., from L2 to L1), whereas the other brain regions of the "control network" showed a strong inter-individual variability during both backward and forward (i.e., from L1 to L2) translation. Thus, I propose that pars triangularis plays a crucial role within the language-control network and behaves as a fundamental processing entity supporting simultaneous language translation.

Targeted Enrichment of Large Gene Families for Phylogenetic Inference: Phylogeny and Molecular Evolution of Photosynthesis Genes in the Portullugo Clade (Caryophyllales).

PubMed

Moore, Abigail J; Vos, Jurriaan M De; Hancock, Lillian P; Goolsby, Eric; Edwards, Erika J

2018-05-01

Hybrid enrichment is an increasingly popular approach for obtaining hundreds of loci for phylogenetic analysis across many taxa quickly and cheaply. The genes targeted for sequencing are typically single-copy loci, which facilitate a more straightforward sequence assembly and homology assignment process. However, this approach limits the inclusion of most genes of functional interest, which often belong to multi-gene families. Here, we demonstrate the feasibility of including large gene families in hybrid enrichment protocols for phylogeny reconstruction and subsequent analyses of molecular evolution, using a new set of bait sequences designed for the "portullugo" (Caryophyllales), a moderately sized lineage of flowering plants (~ 2200 species) that includes the cacti and harbors many evolutionary transitions to C$_{\\mathrm{4}}$ and CAM photosynthesis. Including multi-gene families allowed us to simultaneously infer a robust phylogeny and construct a dense sampling of sequences for a major enzyme of C$_{\\mathrm{4}}$ and CAM photosynthesis, which revealed the accumulation of adaptive amino acid substitutions associated with C$_{\\mathrm{4}}$ and CAM origins in particular paralogs. Our final set of matrices for phylogenetic analyses included 75-218 loci across 74 taxa, with ~ 50% matrix completeness across data sets. Phylogenetic resolution was greatly improved across the tree, at both shallow and deep levels. Concatenation and coalescent-based approaches both resolve the sister lineage of the cacti with strong support: Anacampserotaceae $+$ Portulacaceae, two lineages of mostly diminutive succulent herbs of warm, arid regions. In spite of this congruence, BUCKy concordance analyses demonstrated strong and conflicting signals across gene trees. Our results add to the growing number of examples illustrating the complexity of phylogenetic signals in genomic-scale data.

A comprehensive framework for functional diversity patterns of marine chromophytic phytoplankton using rbcL phylogeny

PubMed Central

Samanta, Brajogopal; Bhadury, Punyasloke

2016-01-01

Marine chromophytes are taxonomically diverse group of algae and contribute approximately half of the total oceanic primary production. To understand the global patterns of functional diversity of chromophytic phytoplankton, robust bioinformatics and statistical analyses including deep phylogeny based on 2476 form ID rbcL gene sequences representing seven ecologically significant oceanographic ecoregions were undertaken. In addition, 12 form ID rbcL clone libraries were generated and analyzed (148 sequences) from Sundarbans Biosphere Reserve representing the world’s largest mangrove ecosystem as part of this study. Global phylogenetic analyses recovered 11 major clades of chromophytic phytoplankton in varying proportions with several novel rbcL sequences in each of the seven targeted ecoregions. Majority of OTUs was found to be exclusive to each ecoregion, whereas some were shared by two or more ecoregions based on beta-diversity analysis. Present phylogenetic and bioinformatics analyses provide a strong statistical support for the hypothesis that different oceanographic regimes harbor distinct and coherent groups of chromophytic phytoplankton. It has been also shown as part of this study that varying natural selection pressure on form ID rbcL gene under different environmental conditions could lead to functional differences and overall fitness of chromophytic phytoplankton populations. PMID:26861415

Detailed thermodynamic analyses of high-speed compressible turbulence

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Towery, Colin; Darragh, Ryan; Poludnenko, Alexei; Hamlington, Peter

2016-11-01

Interactions between high-speed turbulence and flames (or chemical reactions) are important in the dynamics and description of many different combustion phenomena, including autoignition and deflagration-to-detonation transition. The probability of these phenomena to occur depends on the magnitude and spectral content of turbulence fluctuations, which can impact a wide range of science and engineering problems, from the hypersonic scramjet engine to the onset of Type Ia supernovae. In this talk, we present results from new direct numerical simulations (DNS) of homogeneous isotropic turbulence with turbulence Mach numbers ranging from 0 . 05 to 1 . 0 and Taylor-scale Reynolds numbers as high as 700. A set of detailed analyses are described in both Eulerian and Lagrangian reference frames in order to assess coherent (structural) and incoherent (stochastic) thermodynamic flow features. These analyses provide direct insights into the thermodynamics of strongly compressible turbulence. Furthermore, presented results provide a non-reacting baseline for future studies of turbulence-chemistry interactions in DNS with complex chemistry mechanisms. This work was supported by the Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR) under Award No. FA9550-14-1-0273, and the Department of Defense (DoD) High Performance Computing Modernization Program (HPCMP) under a Frontier project award.

[Infection control and safety culture in German hospitals].

PubMed

Hansen, Sonja; Schwab, Frank; Gropmann, Alexander; Behnke, Michael; Gastmeier, Petra

2016-07-01

Healthcare-associated infections (HAI) are the most frequent adverse events in the healthcare setting and their prevention is an important contribution to patient safety in hospitals. To analyse to what extent safety cultural aspects with relevance to infection control are implemented in German hospitals. Safety cultural aspects of infection control were surveyed with an online questionnaire; data were analysed descriptively. Data from 543 hospitals with a median of [IQR] 275 [157; 453] beds were analysed. Almost all hospitals (96.6 %) had internal guidelines for infection control (IC) in place; 82 % defined IC objectives, most often regarding hand hygiene (HH) (93 %) and multidrug resistant organisms (72 %) and less frequently for antibiotic stewardship (48 %) or prevention of specific HAI. In 94 % of hospitals, a reporting system for adverse events was in place, which was also used to report low compliance with HH, outbreaks and Clostridium difficile-associated infections. Members of the IC team were most often seen to hold daily responsibility for IC in the hospital, but rarely other hospital staff (94 versus 19 %). Safety cultural aspects are not fully implemented in German hospitals. IC should be more strongly implemented in healthcare workers' daily routine and more visibly supported by hospital management.

A duplicate gene rooting of seed plants and the phylogenetic position of flowering plants

PubMed Central

Mathews, Sarah; Clements, Mark D.; Beilstein, Mark A.

2010-01-01

Flowering plants represent the most significant branch in the tree of land plants, with respect to the number of extant species, their impact on the shaping of modern ecosystems and their economic importance. However, unlike so many persistent phylogenetic problems that have yielded to insights from DNA sequence data, the mystery surrounding the origin of angiosperms has deepened with the advent and advance of molecular systematics. Strong statistical support for competing hypotheses and recent novel trees from molecular data suggest that the accuracy of current molecular trees requires further testing. Analyses of phytochrome amino acids using a duplicate gene-rooting approach yield trees that unite cycads and angiosperms in a clade that is sister to a clade in which Gingko and Cupressophyta are successive sister taxa to gnetophytes plus Pinaceae. Application of a cycads + angiosperms backbone constraint in analyses of a morphological dataset yields better resolved trees than do analyses in which extant gymnosperms are forced to be monophyletic. The results have implications both for our assessment of uncertainty in trees from sequence data and for our use of molecular constraints as a way to integrate insights from morphological and molecular evidence. PMID:20047866

Reassessment of the taxonomic position of Burkholderia andropogonis and description of Robbsia andropogonis gen. nov., comb. nov.

PubMed

Lopes-Santos, Lucilene; Castro, Daniel Bedo Assumpção; Ferreira-Tonin, Mariana; Corrêa, Daniele Bussioli Alves; Weir, Bevan Simon; Park, Duckchul; Ottoboni, Laura Maria Mariscal; Neto, Júlio Rodrigues; Destéfano, Suzete Aparecida Lanza

2017-06-01

The phylogenetic classification of the species Burkholderia andropogonis within the Burkholderia genus was reassessed using 16S rRNA gene phylogenetic analysis and multilocus sequence analysis (MLSA). Both phylogenetic trees revealed two main groups, named A and B, strongly supported by high bootstrap values (100%). Group A encompassed all of the Burkholderia species complex, whi.le Group B only comprised B. andropogonis species, with low percentage similarities with other species of the genus, from 92 to 95% for 16S rRNA gene sequences and 83% for conserved gene sequences. Average nucleotide identity (ANI), tetranucleotide signature frequency, and percentage of conserved proteins POCP analyses were also carried out, and in the three analyses B. andropogonis showed lower values when compared to the other Burkholderia species complex, near 71% for ANI, from 0.484 to 0.724 for tetranucleotide signature frequency, and around 50% for POCP, reinforcing the distance observed in the phylogenetic analyses. Our findings provide an important insight into the taxonomy of B. andropogonis. It is clear from the results that this bacterial species exhibits genotypic differences and represents a new genus described herein as Robbsia andropogonis gen. nov., comb. nov.

Phylotranscriptomic analysis of the origin and early diversification of land plants

PubMed Central

Wickett, Norman J.; Mirarab, Siavash; Nguyen, Nam; Warnow, Tandy; Carpenter, Eric; Matasci, Naim; Ayyampalayam, Saravanaraj; Barker, Michael S.; Burleigh, J. Gordon; Gitzendanner, Matthew A.; Ruhfel, Brad R.; Wafula, Eric; Graham, Sean W.; Mathews, Sarah; Melkonian, Michael; Soltis, Douglas E.; Soltis, Pamela S.; Miles, Nicholas W.; Rothfels, Carl J.; Pokorny, Lisa; Shaw, A. Jonathan; DeGironimo, Lisa; Stevenson, Dennis W.; Surek, Barbara; Villarreal, Juan Carlos; Roure, Béatrice; Philippe, Hervé; dePamphilis, Claude W.; Chen, Tao; Deyholos, Michael K.; Baucom, Regina S.; Kutchan, Toni M.; Augustin, Megan M.; Wang, Jun; Zhang, Yong; Tian, Zhijian; Yan, Zhixiang; Wu, Xiaolei; Sun, Xiao; Wong, Gane Ka-Shu; Leebens-Mack, James

2014-01-01

Reconstructing the origin and evolution of land plants and their algal relatives is a fundamental problem in plant phylogenetics, and is essential for understanding how critical adaptations arose, including the embryo, vascular tissue, seeds, and flowers. Despite advances in molecular systematics, some hypotheses of relationships remain weakly resolved. Inferring deep phylogenies with bouts of rapid diversification can be problematic; however, genome-scale data should significantly increase the number of informative characters for analyses. Recent phylogenomic reconstructions focused on the major divergences of plants have resulted in promising but inconsistent results. One limitation is sparse taxon sampling, likely resulting from the difficulty and cost of data generation. To address this limitation, transcriptome data for 92 streptophyte taxa were generated and analyzed along with 11 published plant genome sequences. Phylogenetic reconstructions were conducted using up to 852 nuclear genes and 1,701,170 aligned sites. Sixty-nine analyses were performed to test the robustness of phylogenetic inferences to permutations of the data matrix or to phylogenetic method, including supermatrix, supertree, and coalescent-based approaches, maximum-likelihood and Bayesian methods, partitioned and unpartitioned analyses, and amino acid versus DNA alignments. Among other results, we find robust support for a sister-group relationship between land plants and one group of streptophyte green algae, the Zygnematophyceae. Strong and robust support for a clade comprising liverworts and mosses is inconsistent with a widely accepted view of early land plant evolution, and suggests that phylogenetic hypotheses used to understand the evolution of fundamental plant traits should be reevaluated. PMID:25355905

Algorithmic analysis of relational learning processes in instructional technology: Some implications for basic, translational, and applied research.

PubMed

McIlvane, William J; Kledaras, Joanne B; Gerard, Christophe J; Wilde, Lorin; Smelson, David

2018-07-01

A few noteworthy exceptions notwithstanding, quantitative analyses of relational learning are most often simple descriptive measures of study outcomes. For example, studies of stimulus equivalence have made much progress using measures such as percentage consistent with equivalence relations, discrimination ratio, and response latency. Although procedures may have ad hoc variations, they remain fairly similar across studies. Comparison studies of training variables that lead to different outcomes are few. Yet to be developed are tools designed specifically for dynamic and/or parametric analyses of relational learning processes. This paper will focus on recent studies to develop (1) quality computer-based programmed instruction for supporting relational learning in children with autism spectrum disorders and intellectual disabilities and (2) formal algorithms that permit ongoing, dynamic assessment of learner performance and procedure changes to optimize instructional efficacy and efficiency. Because these algorithms have a strong basis in evidence and in theories of stimulus control, they may have utility also for basic and translational research. We present an overview of the research program, details of algorithm features, and summary results that illustrate their possible benefits. It also presents arguments that such algorithm development may encourage parametric research, help in integrating new research findings, and support in-depth quantitative analyses of stimulus control processes in relational learning. Such algorithms may also serve to model control of basic behavioral processes that is important to the design of effective programmed instruction for human learners with and without functional disabilities. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A validity and reliability study of the coping self-efficacy scale

PubMed Central

Chesney, Margaret A.; Neilands, Torsten B.; Chambers, Donald B.; Taylor, Jonelle M.; Folkman, Susan

2006-01-01

Objectives Investigate the psychometric characteristics of the coping self-efficacy (CSE) scale, a 26-item measure of one’s confidence in performing coping behaviors when faced with life challenges. Design Data came from two randomized clinical trials (N1 = 149, N2 = 199) evaluating a theory-based Coping Effectiveness Training (CET) intervention in reducing psychological distress and increasing positive mood in persons coping with chronic illness. Methods The 348 participants were HIV-seropositive men with depressed mood who have sex with men. Participants were randomly assigned to intervention and comparison conditions and assessed pre- and post-intervention. Outcome variables included the CSE scale, ways of coping, and measures of social support and psychological distress and well-being. Results Exploratory (EFA) and confirmatory factor analyses (CFA) revealed a 13-item reduced form of the CSE scale with three factors: Use problem-focused coping (6 items, α = .91), stop unpleasant emotions and thoughts (4 items, α = .91), and get support from friends and family (3 items, α = .80). Internal consistency and test–retest reliability are strong for all three factors. Concurrent validity analyses showed these factors assess self-efficacy for different types of coping. Predictive validity analyses showed that residualized change scores in using problem- and emotion-focused coping skills were predictive of reduced psychological distress and increased psychological well-being over time. Conclusions The CSE scale provides a measure of a person’s perceived ability to cope effectively with life challenges, as well as a way to assess changes in CSE over time in intervention research. PMID:16870053

Living network meta-analysis compared with pairwise meta-analysis in comparative effectiveness research: empirical study.

PubMed

Nikolakopoulou, Adriani; Mavridis, Dimitris; Furukawa, Toshi A; Cipriani, Andrea; Tricco, Andrea C; Straus, Sharon E; Siontis, George C M; Egger, Matthias; Salanti, Georgia

2018-02-28

To examine whether the continuous updating of networks of prospectively planned randomised controlled trials (RCTs) ("living" network meta-analysis) provides strong evidence against the null hypothesis in comparative effectiveness of medical interventions earlier than the updating of conventional, pairwise meta-analysis. Empirical study of the accumulating evidence about the comparative effectiveness of clinical interventions. Database of network meta-analyses of RCTs identified through searches of Medline, Embase, and the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews until 14 April 2015. Network meta-analyses published after January 2012 that compared at least five treatments and included at least 20 RCTs. Clinical experts were asked to identify in each network the treatment comparison of greatest clinical interest. Comparisons were excluded for which direct and indirect evidence disagreed, based on side, or node, splitting test (P<0.10). Cumulative pairwise and network meta-analyses were performed for each selected comparison. Monitoring boundaries of statistical significance were constructed and the evidence against the null hypothesis was considered to be strong when the monitoring boundaries were crossed. A significance level was defined as α=5%, power of 90% (β=10%), and an anticipated treatment effect to detect equal to the final estimate from the network meta-analysis. The frequency and time to strong evidence was compared against the null hypothesis between pairwise and network meta-analyses. 49 comparisons of interest from 44 networks were included; most (n=39, 80%) were between active drugs, mainly from the specialties of cardiology, endocrinology, psychiatry, and rheumatology. 29 comparisons were informed by both direct and indirect evidence (59%), 13 by indirect evidence (27%), and 7 by direct evidence (14%). Both network and pairwise meta-analysis provided strong evidence against the null hypothesis for seven comparisons, but for an additional 10 comparisons only network meta-analysis provided strong evidence against the null hypothesis (P=0.002). The median time to strong evidence against the null hypothesis was 19 years with living network meta-analysis and 23 years with living pairwise meta-analysis (hazard ratio 2.78, 95% confidence interval 1.00 to 7.72, P=0.05). Studies directly comparing the treatments of interest continued to be published for eight comparisons after strong evidence had become evident in network meta-analysis. In comparative effectiveness research, prospectively planned living network meta-analyses produced strong evidence against the null hypothesis more often and earlier than conventional, pairwise meta-analyses. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.

Living network meta-analysis compared with pairwise meta-analysis in comparative effectiveness research: empirical study

PubMed Central

Nikolakopoulou, Adriani; Mavridis, Dimitris; Furukawa, Toshi A; Cipriani, Andrea; Tricco, Andrea C; Straus, Sharon E; Siontis, George C M; Egger, Matthias

2018-01-01

Abstract Objective To examine whether the continuous updating of networks of prospectively planned randomised controlled trials (RCTs) (“living” network meta-analysis) provides strong evidence against the null hypothesis in comparative effectiveness of medical interventions earlier than the updating of conventional, pairwise meta-analysis. Design Empirical study of the accumulating evidence about the comparative effectiveness of clinical interventions. Data sources Database of network meta-analyses of RCTs identified through searches of Medline, Embase, and the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews until 14 April 2015. Eligibility criteria for study selection Network meta-analyses published after January 2012 that compared at least five treatments and included at least 20 RCTs. Clinical experts were asked to identify in each network the treatment comparison of greatest clinical interest. Comparisons were excluded for which direct and indirect evidence disagreed, based on side, or node, splitting test (P<0.10). Outcomes and analysis Cumulative pairwise and network meta-analyses were performed for each selected comparison. Monitoring boundaries of statistical significance were constructed and the evidence against the null hypothesis was considered to be strong when the monitoring boundaries were crossed. A significance level was defined as α=5%, power of 90% (β=10%), and an anticipated treatment effect to detect equal to the final estimate from the network meta-analysis. The frequency and time to strong evidence was compared against the null hypothesis between pairwise and network meta-analyses. Results 49 comparisons of interest from 44 networks were included; most (n=39, 80%) were between active drugs, mainly from the specialties of cardiology, endocrinology, psychiatry, and rheumatology. 29 comparisons were informed by both direct and indirect evidence (59%), 13 by indirect evidence (27%), and 7 by direct evidence (14%). Both network and pairwise meta-analysis provided strong evidence against the null hypothesis for seven comparisons, but for an additional 10 comparisons only network meta-analysis provided strong evidence against the null hypothesis (P=0.002). The median time to strong evidence against the null hypothesis was 19 years with living network meta-analysis and 23 years with living pairwise meta-analysis (hazard ratio 2.78, 95% confidence interval 1.00 to 7.72, P=0.05). Studies directly comparing the treatments of interest continued to be published for eight comparisons after strong evidence had become evident in network meta-analysis. Conclusions In comparative effectiveness research, prospectively planned living network meta-analyses produced strong evidence against the null hypothesis more often and earlier than conventional, pairwise meta-analyses. PMID:29490922

Phylogenetic relationships within the Alcidae (Charadriiformes: Aves) inferred from total molecular evidence

USGS Publications Warehouse

Friesen, Vicki L.; Baker, Allan J.; Piatt, John F.

1996-01-01

The Alcidae is a unique assemblage of Northern Hemisphere seabirds that forage by "flying" underwater. Despite obvious affinities among the species, their evolutionary relationships are unclear. We analyzed nucleotide sequences of 1,045 base pairs of the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene and allelic profiles for 37 allozyme loci in all 22 extant species. Trees were constructed on independent and combined data sets using maximum parsimony and distance methods that correct for superimposed changes. Alternative methods of analysis produced only minor differences in relationships that were supported strongly by bootstrapping or standard error tests. Combining sequence and allozyme data into a single analysis provided the greatest number of relationships receiving strong support. Addition of published morphological and ecological data did not improve support for any additional relationship. All analyses grouped species into six distinct lineages: (1) the dovekie (Alle alle) and auks, (2) guillemots, (3) brachyramphine murrelets, (4) synthliboramphine murrelets, (5) true auklets, and (6) the rhinoceros auklet (Cerorhinca monocerata) and puffins. The two murres (genus Uria) were sister taxa, and the black guillemot (Cepphus grylle) was basal to the other guillemots. The Asian subspecies of the marbled murrelet (Brachyramphus marmoratus perdix) was the most divergent brachyramphine murrelet, and two distinct lineages occurred within the synthliboramphine murrelets. Cassin's auklet (Ptychoramphus aleuticus) and the rhinoceros auklet were basal to the other auklets and puffins, respectively, and the Atlantic (Fratercula arctica) and horned (Fratercula corniculata) puffins were sister taxa. Several relationships among tribes, among the dovekie and auks, and among the auklets could not be resolved but resembled "star" phylogenies indicative of adaptive radiations at different depths within the trees.

CO adsorption on small Au{sub n} (n = 1–4) structures supported on hematite. I. Adsorption on iron terminated α-Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3} (0001) surface

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Pabisiak, Tomasz; Kiejna, Adam, E-mail: kiejna@ifd.uni.wroc.pl; Winiarski, Maciej J.

2016-01-28

This is the first of two papers dealing with the adsorption of Au and formation of Au{sub n} nanostructures (n = 1–4) on hematite (0001) surface and adsorption of CO thereon. The stoichiometric Fe-terminated (0001) surface of hematite was investigated using density functional theory in the generalized gradient approximation of Perdew-Burke-Ernzerhof (PBE) form with Hubbard correction U, accounting for strong electron correlations (PBE+U). The structural, energetic, and electronic properties of the systems studied were examined for vertical and flattened configurations of Au{sub n} nanostructures adsorbed on the hematite surfaces. The flattened ones, which can be viewed as bilayer-like structures, weremore » found energetically more favored than vertical ones. For both classes of structures the adsorption binding energy increases with the number of Au atoms in a structure. The adsorption of Au{sub n} induces charge rearrangement at the Au{sub n}/oxide contact which is reflected in work function changes. In most considered cases Au{sub n} adsorption increases the work function. A detailed analysis of the bonding electron charge is presented and the corresponding electron charge rearrangements at the contacts were quantified by a Bader charge analyses. The interaction of a CO molecule with the Au{sub n} nanostructures supported on α-Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3} (0001) and the oxide support was studied. It is found that the CO adsorption binding to the hematite supported Au{sub n} structures is more than twice as strong as to the bare hematite surface. Analysis of the Bader charges on the atoms showed that in each case CO binds to the most positively charged (cationic) atom of the Au{sub n} structure. Changes in the electronic structure of the Au{sub n} species and of the oxide support, and their consequences for the interactions with CO, are discussed.« less

A mitochondrial genome phylogeny of termites (Blattodea: Termitoidae): robust support for interfamilial relationships and molecular synapomorphies define major clades.

PubMed

Cameron, Stephen L; Lo, Nathan; Bourguignon, Thomas; Svenson, Gavin J; Evans, Theodore A

2012-10-01

Despite their ecological significance as decomposers and their evolutionary significance as the most speciose eusocial insect group outside the Hymenoptera, termite (Blattodea: Termitoidae or Isoptera) evolutionary relationships have yet to be well resolved. Previous morphological and molecular analyses strongly conflict at the family level and are marked by poor support for backbone nodes. A mitochondrial (mt) genome phylogeny of termites was produced to test relationships between the recognised termite families, improve nodal support and test the phylogenetic utility of rare genomic changes found in the termite mt genome. Complete mt genomes were sequenced for 7 of the 9 extant termite families with additional representatives of each of the two most speciose families Rhinotermitidae (3 of 7 subfamilies) and Termitidae (3 of 8 subfamilies). The mt genome of the well supported sister-group of termites, the subsocial cockroach Cryptocercus, was also sequenced. A highly supported tree of termite relationships was produced by all analytical methods and data treatment approaches, however the relationship of the termites+Cryptocercus clade to other cockroach lineages was highly affected by the strong nucleotide compositional bias found in termites relative to other dictyopterans. The phylogeny supports previously proposed suprafamilial termite lineages, the Euisoptera and Neoisoptera, a later derived Kalotermitidae as sister group of the Neoisoptera and a monophyletic clade of dampwood (Stolotermitidae, Archotermopsidae) and harvester termites (Hodotermitidae). In contrast to previous termite phylogenetic studies, nodal supports were very high for family-level relationships within termites. Two rare genomic changes in the mt genome control region were found to be molecular synapomorphies for major clades. An elongated stem-loop structure defined the clade Polyphagidae + (Cryptocercus+termites), and a further series of compensatory base changes in this stem-loop is synapomorphic for the Neoisoptera. The complicated repeat structures first identified in Reticulitermes, composed of short (A-type) and long (B-type repeats) defines the clade Heterotermitinae+Termitidae, while the secondary loss of A-type repeats is synapomorphic for the non-macrotermitine Termitidae. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Adsorbate-mediated strong metal–support interactions in oxide-supported Rh catalysts

DOE PAGES

Matsubu, John C.; Zhang, Shuyi; DeRita, Leo; ...

2016-09-19

The optimization of supported metal catalysts predominantly focuses on engineering the metal site, for which physical insights based on extensive theoretical and experimental contributions have enabled the rational design of active sites. Although it is well known that supports can influence the catalytic properties of metals, insights into how metal–support interactions can be exploited to optimize metal active-site properties are lacking. Here in this paper, we utilize in situ spectroscopy and microscopy to identify and characterize a support effect in oxide-supported heterogeneous Rh catalysts. This effect is characterized by strongly bound adsorbates (HCO x) on reducible oxide supports (TiO 2more » and Nb 2O 5) that induce oxygen-vacancy formation in the support and cause HCO x-functionalized encapsulation of Rh nanoparticles by the support. The encapsulation layer is permeable to reactants, stable under the reaction conditions and strongly influences the catalytic properties of Rh, which enables rational and dynamic tuning of CO 2-reduction selectivity.« less

Counterintuitive roles of experience and weather on migratory performance

USGS Publications Warehouse

Rus, Adrian I.; Duerr, Adam E.; Miller, Tricia A.; Belthoff, James R.; Katzner, Todd E.

2017-01-01

Migration allows animals to live in resource-rich but seasonally variable environments. Because of the costs of migration, there is selective pressure to capitalize on variation in weather to optimize migratory performance. To test the degree to which migratory performance (defined as speed of migration) of Golden Eagles (Aquila chrysaetos) was determined by age- and season-specific responses to variation in weather, we analyzed 1,863 daily tracks (n = 83 migrant eagles) and 8,047 hourly tracks (n = 83) based on 15 min GPS telemetry data from Golden Eagles and 277 hourly tracks based on 30 s data (n = 37). Spring migrant eagles traveled 139.75 ± 82.19 km day−1 (mean ± SE; n = 57) and 25.59 ± 11.75 km hr−1 (n = 55). Autumn migrant eagles traveled 99.14 ± 59.98 km day−1 (n = 26) and 22.18 ± 9.18 km hr−1 (n = 28). Weather during migration varied by season and by age class. During spring, best-supported daily and hourly models of 15 min data suggested that migratory performance was influenced most strongly by downward solar radiation and that older birds benefited less from flow assistance (tailwinds). During autumn, best-supported daily and hourly models of 15 min data suggested that migratory performance was influenced most strongly by south–north winds and by flow assistance, again less strongly for older birds. In contrast, models for hourly performance based on data collected at 30 s intervals were not well described by a single model, likely reflecting eagles' rapid responses to the many weather conditions they experienced. Although daily speed of travel was similar for all age classes, younger birds traveled at faster hourly speeds than did adults. Our analyses uncovered strong, sometimes counterintuitive, relationships among weather, experience, and migratory flight, and they illustrate the significance of factors other than age in determining migratory performance.

The evolution of body size under environmental gradients in ectotherms: why should Bergmann's rule apply to lizards?

PubMed

Pincheira-Donoso, Daniel; Hodgson, David J; Tregenza, Tom

2008-02-27

The impact of environmental gradients on the evolution of life history traits is a central issue in macroecology and evolutionary biology. A number of hypotheses have been formulated to explain factors shaping patterns of variation in animal mass. One such example is Bergmann's rule, which predicts that body size will be positively correlated with latitude and elevation, and hence, with decreasing environmental temperatures. A generally accepted explanation for this phenotypic response is that as body mass increases, body surface area gets proportionally smaller, which contributes to reduced rates of heat-loss. Phylogenetic and non-phylogenetic evidence reveals that endotherms follow Bergmann's rule. In contrast, while previous non-phylogenetic studies supported this prediction in up to 75% of ectotherms, recent phylogenetic comparative analyses suggest that its validity for these organisms is controversial and less understood. Moreover, little attention has been paid to why some ectotherms conform to this rule, while others do not. Here, we investigate Bergmann's rule in the six main clades forming the Liolaemus genus, one of the largest and most environmentally diverse genera of terrestrial vertebrates. A recent study conducted on some species belonging to four of these six clades concluded that Liolaemus species follow Bergmann's rule, representing the only known phylogenetic support for this model in lizards. However, a later reassessment of this evidence, performed on one of the four analysed clades, produced contrasting conclusions. Our results fail to support Bergmann's rule in Liolaemus lizards. Non-phylogenetic and phylogenetic analyses showed that none of the studied clades experience increasing body size with increasing latitude and elevation. Most physiological and behavioural processes in ectotherms depend directly upon their body temperature. In cold environments, adaptations to gain heat rapidly are under strong positive selection to allow optimal feeding, mating and predator avoidance. Therefore, evolution of larger body size in colder environments appears to be a disadvantageous thermoregulatory strategy. The repeated lack of support for Bergmann's rule in ectotherms suggests that this model should be recognized as a valid rule exclusively for endotherms.

The evolution of body size under environmental gradients in ectotherms: why should Bergmann's rule apply to lizards?

PubMed Central

2008-01-01

Background The impact of environmental gradients on the evolution of life history traits is a central issue in macroecology and evolutionary biology. A number of hypotheses have been formulated to explain factors shaping patterns of variation in animal mass. One such example is Bergmann's rule, which predicts that body size will be positively correlated with latitude and elevation, and hence, with decreasing environmental temperatures. A generally accepted explanation for this phenotypic response is that as body mass increases, body surface area gets proportionally smaller, which contributes to reduced rates of heat-loss. Phylogenetic and non-phylogenetic evidence reveals that endotherms follow Bergmann's rule. In contrast, while previous non-phylogenetic studies supported this prediction in up to 75% of ectotherms, recent phylogenetic comparative analyses suggest that its validity for these organisms is controversial and less understood. Moreover, little attention has been paid to why some ectotherms conform to this rule, while others do not. Here, we investigate Bergmann's rule in the six main clades forming the Liolaemus genus, one of the largest and most environmentally diverse genera of terrestrial vertebrates. A recent study conducted on some species belonging to four of these six clades concluded that Liolaemus species follow Bergmann's rule, representing the only known phylogenetic support for this model in lizards. However, a later reassessment of this evidence, performed on one of the four analysed clades, produced contrasting conclusions. Results Our results fail to support Bergmann's rule in Liolaemus lizards. Non-phylogenetic and phylogenetic analyses showed that none of the studied clades experience increasing body size with increasing latitude and elevation. Conclusion Most physiological and behavioural processes in ectotherms depend directly upon their body temperature. In cold environments, adaptations to gain heat rapidly are under strong positive selection to allow optimal feeding, mating and predator avoidance. Therefore, evolution of larger body size in colder environments appears to be a disadvantageous thermoregulatory strategy. The repeated lack of support for Bergmann's rule in ectotherms suggests that this model should be recognized as a valid rule exclusively for endotherms. PMID:18304333

Prey preference follows phylogeny: evolutionary dietary patterns within the marine gastropod group Cladobranchia (Gastropoda: Heterobranchia: Nudibranchia).

PubMed

Goodheart, Jessica A; Bazinet, Adam L; Valdés, Ángel; Collins, Allen G; Cummings, Michael P

2017-10-26

The impact of predator-prey interactions on the evolution of many marine invertebrates is poorly understood. Since barriers to genetic exchange are less obvious in the marine realm than in terrestrial or freshwater systems, non-allopatric divergence may play a fundamental role in the generation of biodiversity. In this context, shifts between major prey types could constitute important factors explaining the biodiversity of marine taxa, particularly in groups with highly specialized diets. However, the scarcity of marine specialized consumers for which reliable phylogenies exist hampers attempts to test the role of trophic specialization in evolution. In this study, RNA-Seq data is used to produce a phylogeny of Cladobranchia, a group of marine invertebrates that feed on a diverse array of prey taxa but mostly specialize on cnidarians. The broad range of prey type preferences allegedly present in two major groups within Cladobranchia suggest that prey type shifts are relatively common over evolutionary timescales. In the present study, we generated a well-supported phylogeny of the major lineages within Cladobranchia using RNA-Seq data, and used ancestral state reconstruction analyses to better understand the evolution of prey preference. These analyses answered several fundamental questions regarding the evolutionary relationships within Cladobranchia, including support for a clade of species from Arminidae as sister to Tritoniidae (which both preferentially prey on Octocorallia). Ancestral state reconstruction analyses supported a cladobranchian ancestor with a preference for Hydrozoa and show that the few transitions identified only occur from lineages that prey on Hydrozoa to those that feed on other types of prey. There is strong phylogenetic correlation with prey preference within Cladobranchia, suggesting that prey type specialization within this group has inertia. Shifts between different types of prey have occurred rarely throughout the evolution of Cladobranchia, indicating that this may not have been an important driver of the diversity within this group.

Biogeographic and diversification patterns of Neotropical Troidini butterflies (Papilionidae) support a museum model of diversity dynamics for Amazonia.

PubMed

Condamine, Fabien L; Silva-Brandão, Karina L; Kergoat, Gael J; Sperling, Felix A H

2012-06-12

The temporal and geographical diversification of Neotropical insects remains poorly understood because of the complex changes in geological and climatic conditions that occurred during the Cenozoic. To better understand extant patterns in Neotropical biodiversity, we investigated the evolutionary history of three Neotropical swallowtail Troidini genera (Papilionidae). First, DNA-based species delimitation analyses were conducted to assess species boundaries within Neotropical Troidini using an enlarged fragment of the standard barcode gene. Molecularly delineated species were then used to infer a time-calibrated species-level phylogeny based on a three-gene dataset and Bayesian dating analyses. The corresponding chronogram was used to explore their temporal and geographical diversification through distinct likelihood-based methods. The phylogeny for Neotropical Troidini was well resolved and strongly supported. Molecular dating and biogeographic analyses indicate that the extant lineages of Neotropical Troidini have a late Eocene (33-42 Ma) origin in North America. Two independent lineages (Battus and Euryades+Parides) reached South America via the GAARlandia temporary connection, and later became extinct in North America. They only began substantive diversification during the early Miocene in Amazonia. Macroevolutionary analysis supports the "museum model" of diversification, rather than Pleistocene refugia, as the best explanation for the diversification of these lineages. This study demonstrates that: (i) current Neotropical biodiversity may have originated ex situ; (ii) the GAARlandia bridge was important in facilitating invasions of South America; (iii) colonization of Amazonia initiated the crown diversification of these swallowtails; and (iv) Amazonia is not only a species-rich region but also acted as a sanctuary for the dynamics of this diversity. In particular, Amazonia probably allowed the persistence of old lineages and contributed to the steady accumulation of diversity over time with constant net diversification rates, a result that contrasts with previous studies on other South American butterflies.

Biogeographic and diversification patterns of Neotropical Troidini butterflies (Papilionidae) support a museum model of diversity dynamics for Amazonia

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background The temporal and geographical diversification of Neotropical insects remains poorly understood because of the complex changes in geological and climatic conditions that occurred during the Cenozoic. To better understand extant patterns in Neotropical biodiversity, we investigated the evolutionary history of three Neotropical swallowtail Troidini genera (Papilionidae). First, DNA-based species delimitation analyses were conducted to assess species boundaries within Neotropical Troidini using an enlarged fragment of the standard barcode gene. Molecularly delineated species were then used to infer a time-calibrated species-level phylogeny based on a three-gene dataset and Bayesian dating analyses. The corresponding chronogram was used to explore their temporal and geographical diversification through distinct likelihood-based methods. Results The phylogeny for Neotropical Troidini was well resolved and strongly supported. Molecular dating and biogeographic analyses indicate that the extant lineages of Neotropical Troidini have a late Eocene (33–42 Ma) origin in North America. Two independent lineages (Battus and Euryades + Parides) reached South America via the GAARlandia temporary connection, and later became extinct in North America. They only began substantive diversification during the early Miocene in Amazonia. Macroevolutionary analysis supports the “museum model” of diversification, rather than Pleistocene refugia, as the best explanation for the diversification of these lineages. Conclusions This study demonstrates that: (i) current Neotropical biodiversity may have originated ex situ; (ii) the GAARlandia bridge was important in facilitating invasions of South America; (iii) colonization of Amazonia initiated the crown diversification of these swallowtails; and (iv) Amazonia is not only a species-rich region but also acted as a sanctuary for the dynamics of this diversity. In particular, Amazonia probably allowed the persistence of old lineages and contributed to the steady accumulation of diversity over time with constant net diversification rates, a result that contrasts with previous studies on other South American butterflies. PMID:22690927

Characterization of a suspected terrestrial deep groundwater discharge area on the Canadian Precambrian Shield

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sheppard, Marsha I.; Thibault, D. H.; Milton, G. M.; Reid, J. A. K.; Smith, P. A.; Stevens, K.

1995-03-01

Underground storage and disposal of hazardous wastes require an understanding of groundwater flow and the ability to locate recharge and discharge. Usually, recharge and discharge occur at a transition zone where dispersion/advection, molecular diffusion and biogeochemical processes control the fate of a contaminants leaving an underground facility. Appropriate landscape modelling for risk assessment cannot proceed until this interface is well defined and groundwater discharge can be mapped. Although discharge locations have traditionally been thought of as aquatic, the presence of animal licks suggests the possibility of terrestrial discharge. We have characterized a suspected terrestrial discharge, a well-used deer lick, (1) physically, through surficial mapping, and vegetation and soil profile analyses; (2) geophysically, through magnetic and very low-frequency electromagnetic tilt-angle surveys; (3) hydrogeologically, through water-table elevation measurements; (4) geochemically, through overburden analyses for 238U, 226Ra, 210Pb, Na, tritium, Cl and 36{Cl}/{Cl} atom ratios, as well as pore-water and groundwater analyses for pH, electrical conductivity (EC) and major anions and cations; and (5) thermally, through overburden-rock interface temperatures. Halophytic plants and sedges contained more Na, Cl and 238U than averages reported in the literature. Lineament alignment, coincident with elevated groundwater EC, supported the presence and position of a subsurface fracture. Groundwater chemistry suggested that interfering runoff from a nearby ridge masked the chemical signatures expected of deep groundwater but attest to the weak and possibly ephemeral nature of this discharge. Interpretation of the geochemical data was supported by solute transport modelling. Good agreement between the predictions using an unsaturated soil model, a simple wetland compartment model and the observed profile implied that evapotranspiration, seasonal water-table fluctuations and flooding, and sorption of 238U due to anoxia deep in the overburden are major processes shaping the overburden solute profile. This evidence strongly supported the hypothesis that the site is a location where deep groundwater (groundwater from depths of 500-1000 m) discharges.

Impacts of extreme heat on emergency medical service calls in King County, Washington, 2007-2012: relative risk and time series analyses of basic and advanced life support.

PubMed

Calkins, Miriam M; Isaksen, Tania Busch; Stubbs, Benjamin A; Yost, Michael G; Fenske, Richard A

2016-01-28

Exposure to excessive heat kills more people than any other weather-related phenomenon, aggravates chronic diseases, and causes direct heat illness. Strong associations between extreme heat and health have been identified through increased mortality and hospitalizations and there is growing evidence demonstrating increased emergency department visits and demand for emergency medical services (EMS). The purpose of this study is to build on an existing regional assessment of mortality and hospitalizations by analyzing EMS demand associated with extreme heat, using calls as a health metric, in King County, Washington (WA), for a 6-year period. Relative-risk and time series analyses were used to characterize the association between heat and EMS calls for May 1 through September 30 of each year for 2007-2012. Two EMS categories, basic life support (BLS) and advanced life support (ALS), were analyzed for the effects of heat on health outcomes and transportation volume, stratified by age. Extreme heat was model-derived as the 95th (29.7 °C) and 99th (36.7 °C) percentile of average county-wide maximum daily humidex for BLS and ALS calls respectively. Relative-risk analyses revealed an 8 % (95 % CI: 6-9 %) increase in BLS calls, and a 14 % (95 % CI: 9-20 %) increase in ALS calls, on a heat day (29.7 and 36.7 °C humidex, respectively) versus a non-heat day for all ages, all causes. Time series analyses found a 6.6 % increase in BLS calls, and a 3.8 % increase in ALS calls, per unit-humidex increase above the optimum threshold, 40.7 and 39.7 °C humidex respectively. Increases in "no" and "any" transportation were found in both relative risk and time series analyses. Analysis by age category identified significant results for all age groups, with the 15-44 and 45-64 year old age groups showing some of the highest and most frequent increases across health conditions. Multiple specific health conditions were associated with increased risk of an EMS call including abdominal/genito-urinary, alcohol/drug, anaphylaxis/allergy, cardiovascular, metabolic/endocrine, diabetes, neurological, heat illness and dehydration, and psychological conditions. Extreme heat increases the risk of EMS calls in King County, WA, with effects demonstrated in relatively younger populations and more health conditions than those identified in previous analyses.

Trichloroethylene and Cancer: Systematic and Quantitative Review of Epidemiologic Evidence for Identifying Hazards

PubMed Central

Scott, Cheryl Siegel; Jinot, Jennifer

2011-01-01

We conducted a meta-analysis focusing on studies with high potential for trichloroethylene (TCE) exposure to provide quantitative evaluations of the evidence for associations between TCE exposure and kidney, liver, and non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) cancers. A systematic review documenting essential design features, exposure assessment approaches, statistical analyses, and potential sources of confounding and bias identified twenty-four cohort and case-control studies on TCE and the three cancers of interest with high potential for exposure, including five recently published case-control studies of kidney cancer or NHL. Fixed- and random-effects models were fitted to the data on overall exposure and on the highest exposure group. Sensitivity analyses examined the influence of individual studies and of alternative risk estimate selections. For overall TCE exposure and kidney cancer, the summary relative risk (RRm) estimate from the random effects model was 1.27 (95% CI: 1.13, 1.43), with a higher RRm for the highest exposure groups (1.58, 95% CI: 1.28, 1.96). The RRm estimates were not overly sensitive to alternative risk estimate selections or to removal of an individual study. There was no apparent heterogeneity or publication bias. For NHL, RRm estimates for overall exposure and for the highest exposure group, respectively, were 1.23 (95% CI: 1.07, 1.42) and 1.43 (95% CI: 1.13, 1.82) and, for liver cancer, 1.29 (95% CI: 1.07, 1.56) and 1.28 (95% CI: 0.93, 1.77). Our findings provide strong support for a causal association between TCE exposure and kidney cancer. The support is strong but less robust for NHL, where issues of study heterogeneity, potential publication bias, and weaker exposure-response results contribute uncertainty, and more limited for liver cancer, where only cohort studies with small numbers of cases were available. PMID:22163205

Evaluation of the Problem Behavior Frequency Scale-Teacher Report Form for Assessing Behavior in a Sample of Urban Adolescents.

PubMed

Farrell, Albert D; Goncy, Elizabeth A; Sullivan, Terri N; Thompson, Erin L

2018-02-01

This study evaluated the structure and validity of the Problem Behavior Frequency Scale-Teacher Report Form (PBFS-TR) for assessing students' frequency of specific forms of aggression and victimization, and positive behavior. Analyses were conducted on two waves of data from 727 students from two urban middle schools (Sample 1) who were rated by their teachers on the PBFS-TR and the Social Skills Improvement System (SSIS), and on data collected from 1,740 students from three urban middle schools (Sample 2) for whom data on both the teacher and student report version of the PBFS were obtained. Confirmatory factor analyses supported first-order factors representing 3 forms of aggression (physical, verbal, and relational), 3 forms of victimization (physical, verbal and relational), and 2 forms of positive behavior (prosocial behavior and effective nonviolent behavior), and higher-order factors representing aggression, victimization, and positive behavior. Strong measurement invariance was established over gender, grade, intervention condition, and time. Support for convergent validity was found based on correlations between corresponding scales on the PBFS-TR and teacher ratings on the SSIS in Sample 1. Significant correlations were also found between teacher ratings on the PBFS-TR and student ratings of their behavior on the Problem Behavior Frequency Scale-Adolescent Report (PBFS-AR) and a measure of nonviolent behavioral intentions in Sample 2. Overall the findings provided support for the PBFS-TR and suggested that teachers can provide useful data on students' aggressive and prosocial behavior and victimization experiences within the school setting. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).

Childhood general mental ability and midlife psychosocial work characteristics as related to mental distress, neck/shoulder pain and self-rated health in working women and men.

PubMed

Wulff, Cornelia; Lindfors, Petra; Sverke, Magnus

2011-01-01

Psychosocial work characteristics including high demands, lack of control and poor social support have consistently been linked to poor health as has poor general mental ability (GMA). However, less is known about the relationships between stable individual factors such as GMA, psychosocial work characteristics and health. The present study investigated how childhood mental ability and psychosocial work characteristics relate to health in terms of mental distress, neck/shoulder pain (NSP) and self-rated health (SRH). Data on childhood GMA, occupational level, self-reports of demands, control and social support and health (mental distress, NSP and SRH) in midlife came from working women (n=271) and men (n=291) included in a Swedish school cohort. Hierarchical regression analyses, controlling for occupational level, were used to examine associations between childhood GMA, self-reports of high demands, low control and poor social support and the three health indicators. Taking into consideration the gendered labor market and variations in health patterns between women and men, gender specific analyses were performed. There were no significant associations between childhood GMA and health indicators. Further, there were no significant interactions between GMA and psychosocial work factors. As regards the strength of the associations between GMA, psychosocial work factors and health, no consistent differences emerged between women and men. In a cohort of healthy and working middle-aged women and men, self-reports of current psychosocial work characteristics seem to be more strongly linked to health, than are stable childhood factors such as GMA.

Twitter analysis of California’s failed campaign to raise the state’s tobacco tax by popular vote in 2012

PubMed Central

Feng, Miao; Pierce, John P; Szczypka, Glen; Vera, Lisa; Emery, Sherry

2017-01-01

Background The rapid diffusion of social media in the past decade has allowed community members to sway the discourse on elections. We use analyses of social media to provide insight into why the strong public support 1 year prior to the election did not result in an increased tobacco tax from the 2012 California Proposition 29 vote. Methods Using the Twitter historical Firehose, we chose all tweets on Proposition 29 posted between 1 January and 5 June 2012 differentiating between early and late campaign periods. Tweets were coded for valence, theme and source. We analysed metadata to characterise accounts. Television ratings data in 9 major California media markets were used to show the strength of the 2 campaigns. Results ‘No on 29’ launched television advertising earlier and with much higher household gross rating points (GRPs) than the ‘Yes on 29’ campaign. Among 17 099 relevant tweets from 8769 unique accounts, 53% supported Proposition 29, 27% opposed and 20% were neutral. Just under half (43%) were from accounts affiliated with the campaigns. Two-thirds of campaign messages originated outside California. The ‘Yes’ campaign focused on simple health messages, which were equally represented in both campaign periods. However, anti-tax tweets increased at relative to pro-tax tweets in the second period. Conclusions Although the Prop 29 campaigns did not effectively engage the Californian twitter communities, analysis of tweets provided an earlier indication than public polls of the loss of public supporting this election. Prospective Twitter analysis should be added to campaign evaluation strategies. PMID:27601452

The effect of an e-learning supported Train-the-Trainer programme on implementation of suicide guidelines in mental health care.

PubMed

de Beurs, Derek P; de Groot, Marieke H; de Keijser, Jos; Mokkenstorm, Jan; van Duijn, Erik; de Winter, Remco F P; Kerkhof, Ad J F M

2015-04-01

Randomized studies examining the effect of training of mental health professionals in suicide prevention guidelines are scarce. We assessed whether professionals benefited from an e-learning supported Train-the-Trainer programme aimed at the application of the Dutch multidisciplinary suicide prevention guideline. 45 psychiatric departments from all over the Netherlands were clustered in pairs and randomized. In the experimental condition, all of the staff of psychiatric departments was trained by peers with an e-learning supported Train-the-Trainer programme. Guideline adherence of individual professionals was measured by means of the response to on-line video fragments. Multilevel analyses were used to establish whether variation between conditions was due to differences between individual professionals or departments. Multilevel analysis showed that the intervention resulted in an improvement of individual professionals. At the 3 month follow-up, professionals who received the intervention showed greater guideline adherence, improved self-perceived knowledge and improved confidence as providers of care than professionals who were only exposed to traditional guideline dissemination. Subgroup analyses showed that improved guideline adherence was found among nurses but not among psychiatrists and psychologists. No significant effect of the intervention on team performance was found. The ICT environment in departments was often technically inadequate when displaying the video clips clip of the survey. This may have caused considerable drop-out and possibly introduced selection bias, as professionals who were strongly affiliated to the theme of the study might have been more likely to finish the study. Our results support the idea that an e-learning supported Train-the-Trainer programme is an effective strategy for implementing clinical guidelines and improving care for suicidal patients. Netherlands Trial Register (NTR3092 www.trialregister.nl). Copyright © 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Daily goal progress is facilitated by spousal support and promotes psychological, physical, and relational well-being throughout adulthood

PubMed Central

Jakubiak, Brittany K.; Feeney, Brooke C.

2016-01-01

In two daily-diary studies, we tested the consequences and precursors of daily goal progress throughout the adult lifespan. Attachment theory posits that exploration—including the pursuit of autonomous goals—promotes well-being across the lifespan and is facilitated by support from close others. For both young-adult newlyweds (Study 1) and married couples in late adulthood (Study 2), daily independent goal progress predicted same-day and next-day improvements in psychological, physical, and relational well-being. Specifically, when participants made more progress on their goals than usual on one day, they reported increases in positive affect, sleep quality, and relationship quality, and decreased physical symptoms, the following day (as well as concurrently). Additionally, spousal support (i.e., availability, encouragement, and noninterference) enabled same-day and next-day goal progress. Mediational analyses showed indirect links between spousal support and well-being through goal progress. Some effects were moderated by attachment orientation in the newlywed sample; individuals with greater insecure attachment benefited most from goal progress, and spousal support enabled goal progress most strongly for individuals with less anxious attachment. Overall, these results support and extend attachment theoretical propositions regarding the importance of the exploration system across the adult lifespan. They contribute to existing literature by demonstrating wide-ranging consequences of successful exploration for well-being and by providing evidence for the importance of both exploration and support for exploration into late adulthood. PMID:27560610

Evaluation of safety climate and employee injury rates in healthcare.

PubMed

Cook, Jacqueline M; Slade, Martin D; Cantley, Linda F; Sakr, Carine J

2016-09-01

Safety climates that support safety-related behaviour are associated with fewer work-related injuries, and prior research in industry suggests that safety knowledge and motivation are strongly related to safety performance behaviours; this relationship is not well studied in healthcare settings. We performed analyses of survey results from a Veterans Health Administration (VHA) Safety Barometer employee perception survey, conducted among VHA employees in 2012. The employee perception survey assessed 6 safety programme categories, including management participation, supervisor participation, employee participation, safety support activities, safety support climate and organisational climate. We examined the relationship between safety climate from the survey results on VHA employee injury and illness rates. Among VHA facilities in the VA New England Healthcare System, work-related injury rate was significantly and inversely related to overall employee perception of safety climate, and all 6 safety programme categories, including employee perception of employee participation, management participation, organisational climate, supervisor participation, safety support activities and safety support climate. Positive employee perceptions of safety climate in VHA facilities are associated with lower work-related injury and illness rates. Employee perception of employee participation, management participation, organisational climate, supervisor participation, safety support activities and safety support climate were all associated with lower work-related injury rates. Future implications include fostering a robust safety climate for patients and healthcare workers to reduce healthcare worker injuries. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/

Static stability of a three-dimensional space truss. M.S. Thesis - Case Western Reserve Univ., 1994

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shaker, John F.

1995-01-01

In order to deploy large flexible space structures it is necessary to develop support systems that are strong and lightweight. The most recent example of this aerospace design need is vividly evident in the space station solar array assembly. In order to accommodate both weight limitations and strength performance criteria, ABLE Engineering has developed the Folding Articulating Square Truss (FASTMast) support structure. The FASTMast is a space truss/mechanism hybrid that can provide system support while adhering to stringent packaging demands. However, due to its slender nature and anticipated loading, stability characterization is a critical part of the design process. Furthermore, the dire consequences surely to result from a catastrophic instability quickly provide the motivation for careful examination of this problem. The fundamental components of the space station solar array system are the (1) solar array blanket system, (2) FASTMast support structure, and (3) mast canister assembly. The FASTMast once fully deployed from the canister will provide support to the solar array blankets. A unique feature of this structure is that the system responds linearly within a certain range of operating loads and nonlinearly when that range is exceeded. The source of nonlinear behavior in this case is due to a changing stiffness state resulting from an inability of diagonal members to resist applied loads. The principal objective of this study was to establish the failure modes involving instability of the FASTMast structure. Also of great interest during this effort was to establish a reliable analytical approach capable of effectively predicting critical values at which the mast becomes unstable. Due to the dual nature of structural response inherent to this problem, both linear and nonlinear analyses are required to characterize the mast in terms of stability. The approach employed herein is one that can be considered systematic in nature. The analysis begins with one and two-dimensional failure models of the system and its important components. From knowledge gained through preliminary analyses a foundation is developed for three-dimensional analyses of the FASTMast structure. The three-dimensional finite element (FE) analysis presented here involves a FASTMast system one-tenth the size of the actual flight unit. Although this study does not yield failure analysis results that apply directly to the flight article, it does establish a method by which the full-scale mast can be evaluated.

Static stability of a three-dimensional space truss

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shaker, John F.

1995-05-01

In order to deploy large flexible space structures it is necessary to develop support systems that are strong and lightweight. The most recent example of this aerospace design need is vividly evident in the space station solar array assembly. In order to accommodate both weight limitations and strength performance criteria, ABLE Engineering has developed the Folding Articulating Square Truss (FASTMast) support structure. The FASTMast is a space truss/mechanism hybrid that can provide system support while adhering to stringent packaging demands. However, due to its slender nature and anticipated loading, stability characterization is a critical part of the design process. Furthermore, the dire consequences surely to result from a catastrophic instability quickly provide the motivation for careful examination of this problem. The fundamental components of the space station solar array system are the (1) solar array blanket system, (2) FASTMast support structure, and (3) mast canister assembly. The FASTMast once fully deployed from the canister will provide support to the solar array blankets. A unique feature of this structure is that the system responds linearly within a certain range of operating loads and nonlinearly when that range is exceeded. The source of nonlinear behavior in this case is due to a changing stiffness state resulting from an inability of diagonal members to resist applied loads. The principal objective of this study was to establish the failure modes involving instability of the FASTMast structure. Also of great interest during this effort was to establish a reliable analytical approach capable of effectively predicting critical values at which the mast becomes unstable. Due to the dual nature of structural response inherent to this problem, both linear and nonlinear analyses are required to characterize the mast in terms of stability. The approach employed herein is one that can be considered systematic in nature. The analysis begins with one and two-dimensional failure models of the system and its important components. From knowledge gained through preliminary analyses a foundation is developed for three-dimensional analyses of the FASTMast structure. The three-dimensional finite element (FE) analysis presented here involves a FASTMast system one-tenth the size of the actual flight unit. Although this study does not yield failure analysis results that apply directly to the flight article, it does establish a method by which the full-scale mast can be evaluated.

"I didn't think we'd be dealing with stuff like this": A qualitative study of volunteer support for very disadvantaged pregnant women and new mothers.

PubMed

McLeish, Jenny; Redshaw, Maggie

2017-02-01

to identify the particular issues associated with volunteer support for very disadvantaged mothers (who were young, had insecure immigration status, were recent migrants whose English was poor,misused drugs or alcohol, or were involved in crime), from the perspective of the volunteers. a qualitative descriptive study, informed by phenomenological social psychology. Semi-structured qualitative interviews were carried out between July 2013 and March 2015. Interview transcripts were analysed using inductive thematic analysis. nine volunteer support projects for pregnant women and new mothers, run by third sector organisations in England. 38 volunteer supporters. three key themes were identified: 'Meeting challenges', 'Needing support' and 'Identifying successes'. 'Meeting challenges' contained the subthemes 'making the relationship of trust','remaining non-judgemental', 'maintaining boundaries' and 'dealing with child protection'. 'Needing support' contained the subthemes 'feeling prepared', 'feeling supported' and 'staying safe'. 'Identifying successes' contained the subthemes 'celebrating the small wins', 'validation as a mother', and 'supporting access to services'. volunteers were able to build strong, empowering relationships with some very disadvantaged women during pregnancy and afterwards, including where the mothers did not readily engage with professionals. However, supporting women with complex needs is emotionally challenging and volunteers need to be carefully selected, realistically trained and robustly supervised and supported during their volunteering. third sector organisations offering volunteer support for pregnant women and new mothers can be valuable partners in reaching very disadvantaged women who may find it difficult to engage with services. Volunteers can build up a relationship of trust with vulnerable mothers over time, but need to be well supported to do this safely and effectively. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Validating the use of intrinsic markers in body feathers to identify inter-individual differences in non-breeding areas of northern fulmars.

PubMed

Quinn, Lucy R; Meharg, Andrew A; van Franeker, Jan A; Graham, Isla M; Thompson, Paul M

Many wildlife studies use chemical analyses to explore spatio-temporal variation in diet, migratory patterns and contaminant exposure. Intrinsic markers are particularly valuable for studying non-breeding marine predators, when direct methods of investigation are rarely feasible. However, any inferences regarding foraging ecology are dependent upon the time scale over which tissues such as feathers are formed. In this study, we validate the use of body feathers for studying non-breeding foraging patterns in a pelagic seabird, the northern fulmar. Analysis of carcasses of successfully breeding adult fulmars indicated that body feathers moulted between September and March, whereas analyses of carcasses and activity patterns suggested that wing feather and tail feather moult occurred during more restricted periods (September to October and September to January, respectively). By randomly sampling relevant body feathers, average values for individual birds were shown to be consistent. We also integrated chemical analyses of body feather with geolocation tracking data to demonstrate that analyses of δ 13 C and δ 15 N values successfully assigned 88 % of birds to one of two broad wintering regions used by breeding adult fulmars from a Scottish study colony. These data provide strong support for the use of body feathers as a tool for exploring non-breeding foraging patterns and diet in wide-ranging, pelagic seabirds.

Race-related stress and hopelessness in community-based African American adults: Moderating role of social support.

PubMed

Odafe, Mary O; Salami, Temilola K; Walker, Rheeda L

2017-10-01

The mental health outcomes associated with racial discrimination are well documented in scientific literature. Despite strong links to mental illness, hopelessness is largely overlooked as a consequence of discrimination in empirical research. The current study examined the association of race-related stress and hopelessness in a community sample of African American adults. Utilizing a risk-resilience framework, we examined multiple dimensions of social support as plausible protective factors against the negative effects of race-related stress. Self-report measures of race-related stress (Index of Race Related Stress-Brief; Utsey & Ponterotto, 1996), hopelessness (Beck Hopelessness Scale; Beck, Weissman, Lester, & Trexler, 1974), and social support (Interpersonal Support Evaluation List; Cohen & Hoberman, 1983) were completed by a sample of African American adults (N = 243; mean age = 35.89 years). Multiple regression analyses were conducted to assess the main and interactive effects of race-related stress and three dimensions of social support (appraisal, belonging, and self-esteem) in relation to hopelessness ratings. All dimensions of social support were associated with self-reported hopelessness, with the self-esteem dimension emerging as the strongest predictor. Though self-esteem social support buffered the role of race-related stress on self-reported hopelessness, appraisal and belonging support did not. Individual and collective morale for one's racial group (via self-esteem social support) may be especially valuable for African Americans who face racial discrimination. Findings highlight the importance of culturally relevant factors that may ameliorate the effects of race-related stress. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

The effectiveness of self-management support interventions for men with long-term conditions: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

PubMed

Galdas, Paul; Fell, Jennifer; Bower, Peter; Kidd, Lisa; Blickem, Christian; McPherson, Kerri; Hunt, Kate; Gilbody, Simon; Richardson, Gerry

2015-03-20

To assess the effectiveness of self-management support interventions in men with long-term conditions. A quantitative systematic review with meta-analysis. The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews was searched to identify published reviews of self-management support interventions. Relevant reviews were screened to identify randomised controlled trials (RCTs) of self-management support interventions conducted in men alone, or which analysed the effects of interventions by sex. Data on relevant outcomes, patient populations, intervention type and study quality were extracted. Quality appraisal was conducted using the Cochrane Risk of Bias Tool. Meta-analysis was conducted to compare the effects of interventions in men, women, and mixed-sex sub-groups. 40 RCTs of self-management support interventions in men, and 20 eligible RCTs where an analysis by sex was reported, were included in the review. Meta-analysis suggested that physical activity, education, and peer support-based interventions have a positive impact on quality of life in men. However, there is currently insufficient evidence to make strong statements about whether self-management support interventions show larger, similar or smaller effects in men compared with women and mixed-sex groups. Clinicians may wish to consider whether certain types of self-management support (eg, physical activity, education, peer support) are particularly effective in men, although more research is needed to fully determine and explore this. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.

A Discovery of Strong Metal–Support Bonding in Nanoengineered Au–Fe 3 O 4 Dumbbell-like Nanoparticles by in Situ Transmission Electron Microscopy

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Han, Chang Wan; Choksi, Tej; Milligan, Cory

The strength of metal-support bonding in heterogeneous catalysts determines their thermal stability, therefore, a tremendous amount of effort has been expended to understand metal-support interactions. Herein, we report the discovery of an anomalous “strong metal-support bonding” between gold nanoparticles and “nano-engineered” Fe 3O 4 substrates by in-situ microscopy. During in-situ vacuum annealing of Au-Fe 3O 4 dumbbell-like nanoparticles, synthesized by the epitaxial growth of nano-Fe 3O 4 on Au nanoparticles, the gold nanoparticles transform into the monolayered gold thinfilms and wet the surface of nano-Fe 3O 4, as the surface reduction of nano-Fe 3O 4 proceeds. This phenomenon results frommore » a unique coupling of the size-and shape-dependent high surface reducibility of nano-Fe 3O 4 and the extremely strong adhesion between Au and the reduced Fe 3O 4. This strong-metal support bonding reveals the significance of controlling the metal oxide support size and morphology for optimizing metal-support bonding and, ultimately, for the development of improved catalysts and functional nanostructures.« less

A Discovery of Strong Metal-Support Bonding in Nanoengineered Au-Fe3O4 Dumbbell-like Nanoparticles by in Situ Transmission Electron Microscopy.

PubMed

Han, Chang Wan; Choksi, Tej; Milligan, Cory; Majumdar, Paulami; Manto, Michael; Cui, Yanran; Sang, Xiahan; Unocic, Raymond R; Zemlyanov, Dmitry; Wang, Chao; Ribeiro, Fabio H; Greeley, Jeffrey; Ortalan, Volkan

2017-08-09

The strength of metal-support bonding in heterogeneous catalysts determines their thermal stability, therefore, a tremendous amount of effort has been expended to understand metal-support interactions. Herein, we report the discovery of an anomalous "strong metal-support bonding" between gold nanoparticles and "nano-engineered" Fe 3 O 4 substrates by in situ microscopy. During in situ vacuum annealing of Au-Fe 3 O 4 dumbbell-like nanoparticles, synthesized by the epitaxial growth of nano-Fe 3 O 4 on Au nanoparticles, the gold nanoparticles transform into the gold thin films and wet the surface of nano-Fe 3 O 4 , as the surface reduction of nano-Fe 3 O 4 proceeds. This phenomenon results from a unique coupling of the size-and shape-dependent high surface reducibility of nano-Fe 3 O 4 and the extremely strong adhesion between Au and the reduced Fe 3 O 4 . This strong metal-support bonding reveals the significance of controlling the metal oxide support size and morphology for optimizing metal-support bonding and ultimately for the development of improved catalysts and functional nanostructures.

A Discovery of Strong Metal–Support Bonding in Nanoengineered Au–Fe 3 O 4 Dumbbell-like Nanoparticles by in Situ Transmission Electron Microscopy

DOE PAGES

Han, Chang Wan; Choksi, Tej; Milligan, Cory; ...

2017-06-26

The strength of metal-support bonding in heterogeneous catalysts determines their thermal stability, therefore, a tremendous amount of effort has been expended to understand metal-support interactions. Herein, we report the discovery of an anomalous “strong metal-support bonding” between gold nanoparticles and “nano-engineered” Fe 3O 4 substrates by in-situ microscopy. During in-situ vacuum annealing of Au-Fe 3O 4 dumbbell-like nanoparticles, synthesized by the epitaxial growth of nano-Fe 3O 4 on Au nanoparticles, the gold nanoparticles transform into the monolayered gold thinfilms and wet the surface of nano-Fe 3O 4, as the surface reduction of nano-Fe 3O 4 proceeds. This phenomenon results frommore » a unique coupling of the size-and shape-dependent high surface reducibility of nano-Fe 3O 4 and the extremely strong adhesion between Au and the reduced Fe 3O 4. This strong-metal support bonding reveals the significance of controlling the metal oxide support size and morphology for optimizing metal-support bonding and, ultimately, for the development of improved catalysts and functional nanostructures.« less

Dissociable intrinsic functional networks support noun-object and verb-action processing.

PubMed

Yang, Huichao; Lin, Qixiang; Han, Zaizhu; Li, Hongyu; Song, Luping; Chen, Lingjuan; He, Yong; Bi, Yanchao

2017-12-01

The processing mechanism of verbs-actions and nouns-objects is a central topic of language research, with robust evidence for behavioral dissociation. The neural basis for these two major word and/or conceptual classes, however, remains controversial. Two experiments were conducted to study this question from the network perspective. Experiment 1 found that nodes of the same class, obtained through task-evoked brain imaging meta-analyses, were more strongly connected with each other than nodes of different classes during resting-state, forming segregated network modules. Experiment 2 examined the behavioral relevance of these intrinsic networks using data from 88 brain-damaged patients, finding that across patients the relative strength of functional connectivity of the two networks significantly correlated with the noun-object vs. verb-action relative behavioral performances. In summary, we found that verbs-actions and nouns-objects are supported by separable intrinsic functional networks and that the integrity of such networks accounts for the relative noun-object- and verb-action-selective deficits. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Protein degradation rate is the dominant mechanism accounting for the differences in protein abundance of basal p53 in a human breast and colorectal cancer cell line.

PubMed

Lakatos, Eszter; Salehi-Reyhani, Ali; Barclay, Michael; Stumpf, Michael P H; Klug, David R

2017-01-01

We determine p53 protein abundances and cell to cell variation in two human cancer cell lines with single cell resolution, and show that the fractional width of the distributions is the same in both cases despite a large difference in average protein copy number. We developed a computational framework to identify dominant mechanisms controlling the variation of protein abundance in a simple model of gene expression from the summary statistics of single cell steady state protein expression distributions. Our results, based on single cell data analysed in a Bayesian framework, lends strong support to a model in which variation in the basal p53 protein abundance may be best explained by variations in the rate of p53 protein degradation. This is supported by measurements of the relative average levels of mRNA which are very similar despite large variation in the level of protein.

Cellular and Muscular Growth Patterns During Sipunculan Development

PubMed Central

KRISTOF, ALEN; WOLLESEN, TIM; MAIOROVA, ANASTASSYA S.; WANNINGER, ANDREAS

2015-01-01

Sipuncula is a lophotrochozoan taxon with annelid affinities, albeit lacking segmentation of the adult body. Here, we present data on cell proliferation and myogenesis during development of three sipunculan species, Phascolosoma agassizii, Thysanocardia nigra, and Themiste pyroides. The first anlagen of the circular body wall muscles appear simultaneously and not subsequently as in the annelids. At the same time, the rudiments of four longitudinal retractor muscles appear. This supports the notion that four introvert retractors were part of the ancestral sipunculan bodyplan. The longitudinal muscle fibers form a pattern of densely arranged fibers around the retractor muscles, indicating that the latter evolved from modified longitudinal body wall muscles. For a short time interval, the distribution of S-phase mitotic cells shows a metameric pattern in the developing ventral nerve cord during the pelagosphera stage. This pattern disappears close to metamorphic competence. Our findings are congruent with data on sipunculan neurogenesis, as well as with recent molecular analyses that place Sipuncula within Annelida, and thus strongly support a segmental ancestry of Sipuncula. PMID:21246707

The experience of sons caring for a parent with dementia.

PubMed

McDonnell, Eilis; Ryan, Assumpta A

2014-11-01

This study explored the experiences of sons caring for a parent with dementia. Individual, semi-structured interviews were conducted with a purposeful sample of sons (n = 13) in a rural part of Ireland. Interviews were audiotaped, transcribed verbatim and analysed for common themes. The key themes that emerged were 'the parental bond', 'a binding role', 'coordinating care and support' and a 'getting on with it' approach to care. The study highlighted the commitment of sons to their caregiving role and the strong sense of duty that motivated them to provide care. The findings suggested that while many aspects of the caregiving experience such as lack of information and support are gender neutral, there are differences in the caregiving experiences of men and women in how they view their relationship with their parent and in the management of their caregiving role that merit further investigation. © The Author(s) 2013 Reprints and permissions: sagepub.co.uk/journalsPermissions.nav.

Predicting treatment noncompliance among criminal justice-mandated clients: a theoretical and empirical exploration.

PubMed

Sung, Hung-En; Belenko, Steven; Feng, Li; Tabachnick, Carrie

2004-01-01

Compliance with therapeutic regimens constitutes an important but infrequently studied precursor of treatment engagement and is a necessary condition of successful treatment. This study builds on recent treatment process research and provides a theory-driven analysis of treatment compliance. Five hypotheses are formulated to predict treatment noncompliance among criminal justice-mandated clients. These hypotheses tap different determinants of treatment progress, including physical prime, supportive social network, conventional social involvement, treatment motivation, and risk-taking propensity. Data from 150 addicted felons participating in a diversion program are analyzed to test the hypotheses. Predictors related to these hypotheses correctly identify 58% of the fully compliant clients and 55-88% of the noncompliant clients. Most hypotheses are at least partially corroborated and a few strong correlates emerge across analyses. Clients in their physical prime, those with poorer social support, and those lacking internal desires for change were found especially likely to violate treatment program rules. Clinical implications are discussed.

A global perspective on happiness and fertility.

PubMed

Margolis, Rachel; Myrskylä, Mikko

2011-01-01

The literature on fertility and happiness has neglected comparative analysis. We investigate the fertility/happiness association using data from the world values surveys for 86 countries. We find that, globally, happiness decreases with the number of children. This association, however, is strongly modified by individual and contextual factors. Most importantly, we find that the association between happiness and fertility evolves from negative to neutral to positive above age 40, and is strongest among those who are likely to benefit most from upward intergenerational transfers. In addition, analyses by welfare regime show that the negative fertility/ happiness association for younger adults is weakest in countries with high public support for families, and the positive association above age 40 is strongest in countries where old-age support depends mostly on the family. Overall these results suggest that children are a long-term investment in well-being, and highlight the importance of the life-cycle stage and contextual factors in explaining the happiness/fertility association.

The tropopause inversion layer in models and analyses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Birner, T.; Sankey, D.; Shepherd, T. G.

2006-07-01

Recent high-resolution radiosonde climatologies have revealed a tropopause inversion layer (TIL) in the extratropics: temperature strongly increases just above a sharp local cold point tropopause. Here, it is asked to what extent a TIL exists in current general circulation models (GCMs) and meteorological analyses. Only a weak hint of a TIL exists in NCEP/NCAR reanalysis data. In contrast, the Canadian Middle Atmosphere Model (CMAM), a comprehensive GCM, exhibits a TIL of realistic strength. However, in data assimilation mode CMAM exhibits a much weaker TIL, especially in the Southern Hemisphere where only coarse satellite data are available. The discrepancy between the analyses and the GCM is thus hypothesized to be mainly due to data assimilation acting to smooth the observed strong curvature in temperature around the tropopause. This is confirmed in the reanalysis where the stratification around the tropopause exhibits a strong discontinuity at the start of the satellite era.

Phylogenetic Resolution of Deep Eukaryotic and Fungal Relationships Using Highly Conserved Low-Copy Nuclear Genes

PubMed Central

Ren, Ren; Sun, Yazhou; Zhao, Yue; Geiser, David

2016-01-01

Abstract A comprehensive and reliable eukaryotic tree of life is important for many aspects of biological studies from comparative developmental and physiological analyses to translational medicine and agriculture. Both gene-rich and taxon-rich approaches are effective strategies to improve phylogenetic accuracy and are greatly facilitated by marker genes that are universally distributed, well conserved, and orthologous among divergent eukaryotes. In this article, we report the identification of 943 low-copy eukaryotic genes and we show that many of these genes are promising tools in resolving eukaryotic phylogenies, despite the challenges of determining deep eukaryotic relationships. As a case study, we demonstrate that smaller subsets of ∼20 and 52 genes could resolve controversial relationships among widely divergent taxa and provide strong support for deep relationships such as the monophyly and branching order of several eukaryotic supergroups. In addition, the use of these genes resulted in fungal phylogenies that are congruent with previous phylogenomic studies that used much larger datasets, and successfully resolved several difficult relationships (e.g., forming a highly supported clade with Microsporidia, Mitosporidium and Rozella sister to other fungi). We propose that these genes are excellent for both gene-rich and taxon-rich analyses and can be applied at multiple taxonomic levels and facilitate a more complete understanding of the eukaryotic tree of life. PMID:27604879

Cytogenetic clonal evolution in myelodysplastic syndromes is associated with inferior prognosis.

PubMed

Neukirchen, Judith; Lauseker, Michael; Hildebrandt, Barbara; Nolting, Ann-Christin; Kaivers, Jennifer; Kobbe, Guido; Gattermann, Norbert; Haas, Rainer; Germing, Ulrich

2017-12-01

The karyotype of bone marrow cells at the time of diagnosis is a strong prognostic parameter for overall survival as well as acute myeloid leukemia (AML) progression in patients with myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS). However, to the authors' knowledge, few data exist regarding the prognostic impact of cytogenetic clonal evolution during the course of MDS. The authors evaluated follow-up karyotype analyses in 549 patients from the Dusseldorf MDS Registry. Clonal evolution was detectable in 24% of the entire cohort and in 18% of 294 patients receiving best supportive care. The authors noted a clear adverse effect of clonal evolution on the risk of leukemic transformation (hazard ratio, 2.233; P = .036) and overall survival (hazard ratio, 3.677; P<.001). The authors also analyzed the prognostic influence of subclones detectable at the time of diagnosis. Again, such a finding was associated with a significantly shorter overall survival and a higher 5-year-probability of acute myeloid leukemia progression (30% vs 22%). The results of the current study support the belief that follow-up karyotype analyses should be performed, especially in patients with lower-risk and intermediate-risk MDS, to identify those patients who are at higher risk of disease progression and therefore might benefit from earlier or more intensive treatment. Cancer 2017;123:4608-4616. © 2017 American Cancer Society. © 2017 American Cancer Society.

Hospital-physician relations: the relative importance of economic, relational and professional attributes to organizational attractiveness.

PubMed

Trybou, Jeroen; Gemmel, Paul; Van Vaerenbergh, Yves; Annemans, Lieven

2014-05-21

Belgian hospitals face a growing shortage of physicians and increasingly competitive market conditions. In this challenging environment hospitals are struggling to build effective hospital-physician relationships which are considered to be a critical determinant of organizational success. Employed physicians of a University hospital were surveyed. Organizational attributes were identified through the literature and two focus groups. Variables were measured using validated questionnaires. Descriptive analyses and linear regression were used to test the model and relative importance analyses were performed. The selected attributes predict hospital attractiveness significantly (79.3%). The relative importance analysis revealed that hospital attractiveness is most strongly predicted by professional attributes (35.3%) and relational attributes (29.7%). In particular, professional development opportunities (18.8%), hospital prestige (16.5%), organizational support (17.2%) and leader support (9.3%) were found to be most important. Besides these non-economic aspects, the employed physicians indicated pay and financial benefits (7.4%) as a significant predictor of hospital attractiveness. Work-life balance and job security were not significantly related to hospital attractiveness. This study shows that initiatives aimed at strengthening physicians' positive perceptions of professional and relational aspects of practicing medicine in hospitals, while assuring satisfactory financial conditions, may offer useful avenues for increasing the level of perceived hospital attractiveness. Overall, hospitals are advised to use a differentiated approach to increase their attractiveness to physicians.

The emergence, growth and decline of political priority for newborn survival in Bolivia.

PubMed

Smith, Stephanie L

2014-12-01

Bolivia is expected to achieve United Nations Millennium Development Goal Four, reducing under-five child mortality by two-thirds between 2021 and 2025. However, progress on child mortality reduction masks a disproportionately slow decline in newborn deaths during the 2000s. Bolivia's neonatal mortality problem emerged on the policy agenda in the mid-1990s and grew through 2004 in relationship to political commitments to international development goals and the support of a strong policy network. Network status declined later in the decade. This study draws upon a framework for analysing determinants of political priority for global health initiatives to understand the trajectory of newborn survival policy in Bolivia from the early 1990s. A process-tracing case study methodology is used, informed by interviews with 26 individuals with close knowledge of newborn survival policy in the country and extensive document analysis. The case of newborn survival in Bolivia highlights the significance of political commitments to international development goals, health policy network characteristics (cohesion, composition, status and key actor support) and political transitions and instability in shaping agenda status, especially decline-an understudied phenomenon considering the transitory nature of policy priorities. The study suggests that the sustainability of issue attention therefore become a focal point for health policy networks and analyses. Published by Oxford University Press in association with The London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine © The Author 2013; all rights reserved.

Surface functionalization of magnetite nanoparticle: A new approach using condensation of alkoxysilanes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rodriguez, A. F. R.; Costa, T. P.; Bini, R. A.; Faria, F. S. E. D. V.; Azevedo, R. B.; Jafelicci, M.; Coaquira, J. A. H.; Martínez, M. A. R.; Mantilla, J. C.; Marques, R. F. C.; Morais, P. C.

2017-09-01

In this study we report on successful production of two samples (BR15 and BR16) comprising magnetite (Fe3O4) nanoparticles ( 10 nm) surface-functionalized via hydrolysis and condensation of alkoxysilane agents, namely 3-aminopropyl-trimethoxisilane (APTS) and N-propyl-trimethoxisilane (NPTS). The as-produced samples were characterized using transmission electron microscopy (TEM), x-ray diffraction (XRD), magnetization measurements (5 K and 300 K hysteresis cycles and zero field-cooled/field-cooled measurements), and Mössbauer spectroscopy (77 and 297 K). The Mössbauer data supported the model picture of a core-shell magnetite-based system. This material system shows shell properties influenced by the surface-coating design, either APTS-coated (BR15) or APTS+NPTS-coated (sample BR16). Analyses of the Mössbauer spectra indicates that the APTS-coated sample presents Fe(III)-rich core and Fe(II)-rich shell with strong hyperfine field; whereas, the APTS+NPTS-coated sample leads to a mixture of two main nanostructures, one essentially surface-terminated with APTS whereas the other surface-terminated with NPTS, both presenting weak hyperfine fields compared with the single surface-coated sample. Magnetization measurements support the core-shell picture built from the analyses of the Mössbauer data. Our findings emphasize the capability of the Mössbauer spectroscopy in assessing subtle differences in surface-functionalized iron-based core-shell nanostructures.

Visualizing DOM super-spectrum covariance in vanKrevelen space

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fatland, D. R.; Kalawe, J.; Stubbins, A.; Spencer, R. G.; Sleighter, R. L.; Abdulla, H. A.; Dittmar, T.

2011-12-01

We investigate the fate of terrigenous organic matter, DOM exported to the coastal marine environ. Many methods (fluor., FT-ICR-MS, NMR, 13C, lignin, etc) help characterize this DOM. We define a 'super spectrum' as amalgamation of analyses to a data stack and we search for physically significant patterns therein beginning with covariance across 31 samples from six circum-Arctic rivers: The Ob, Kolyma, Mackenzie, Yukon, Lena, and Yenisey sampled five times throughout the year. A vanKrevelen diagram is convenient to view distributions of molecules provided by Fourier Transform Ion Cyclotron Resonance Mass Spectometry (FT-ICR-MS). We augment this distribution space in the vertical dimension, for example to show peak height, molecular mass, principle component weighting or covariance. We use Worldwide Telescope, a virtual globe with strong data support from Microsoft Research to explore covariance results along 3+ dimensions (adding brightness, color and a parameter slide). The results show interesting covariance e.g. between molecules and PARAFAC peaks, a step towards fluorophore and cohort identification in the terrigenous DOM spectrum. Given the geoscience explosion in data volume and data complexity we feel these results should survive beyond the end point of a journal article. We are building a cloud-based Library on the Microsoft Azure platform to support this and subsequent analyses to enable data and methods to carry over and benefit other research groups and objectives.

Cumulative exposure to traumatic events in older adults.

PubMed

Ogle, Christin M; Rubin, David C; Siegler, Ilene C

2014-01-01

The present study examined the impact of cumulative trauma exposure on current posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptom severity in a nonclinical sample of adults in their 60s. The predictive utility of cumulative trauma exposure was compared to other known predictors of PTSD, including trauma severity, personality traits, social support, and event centrality. Community-dwelling adults (n = 2515) from the crest of the Baby Boom generation completed the Traumatic Life Events Questionnaire, the PTSD Checklist, the NEO Personality Inventory, the Centrality of Event Scale, and rated their current social support. Cumulative trauma exposure predicted greater PTSD symptom severity in hierarchical regression analyses consistent with a dose-response model. Neuroticism and event centrality also emerged as robust predictors of PTSD symptom severity. In contrast, the severity of individuals' single most distressing life event, as measured by self-report ratings of the A1 PTSD diagnostic criterion, did not add explanatory variance to the model. Analyses concerning event categories revealed that cumulative exposure to childhood violence and adulthood physical assaults were most strongly associated with PTSD symptom severity in older adulthood. Moreover, cumulative self-oriented events accounted for a larger percentage of variance in symptom severity compared to events directed at others. Our findings suggest that the cumulative impact of exposure to traumatic events throughout the life course contributes significantly to posttraumatic stress in older adulthood above and beyond other known predictors of PTSD.

A Molecular Phylogeny of the Chalcidoidea (Hymenoptera)

PubMed Central

Munro, James B.; Heraty, John M.; Burks, Roger A.; Hawks, David; Mottern, Jason; Cruaud, Astrid; Rasplus, Jean-Yves; Jansta, Petr

2011-01-01

Chalcidoidea (Hymenoptera) are extremely diverse with more than 23,000 species described and over 500,000 species estimated to exist. This is the first comprehensive phylogenetic analysis of the superfamily based on a molecular analysis of 18S and 28S ribosomal gene regions for 19 families, 72 subfamilies, 343 genera and 649 species. The 56 outgroups are comprised of Ceraphronoidea and most proctotrupomorph families, including Mymarommatidae. Data alignment and the impact of ambiguous regions are explored using a secondary structure analysis and automated (MAFFT) alignments of the core and pairing regions and regions of ambiguous alignment. Both likelihood and parsimony approaches are used to analyze the data. Overall there is no impact of alignment method, and few but substantial differences between likelihood and parsimony approaches. Monophyly of Chalcidoidea and a sister group relationship between Mymaridae and the remaining Chalcidoidea is strongly supported in all analyses. Either Mymarommatoidea or Diaprioidea are the sister group of Chalcidoidea depending on the analysis. Likelihood analyses place Rotoitidae as the sister group of the remaining Chalcidoidea after Mymaridae, whereas parsimony nests them within Chalcidoidea. Some traditional family groups are supported as monophyletic (Agaonidae, Eucharitidae, Encyrtidae, Eulophidae, Leucospidae, Mymaridae, Ormyridae, Signiphoridae, Tanaostigmatidae and Trichogrammatidae). Several other families are paraphyletic (Perilampidae) or polyphyletic (Aphelinidae, Chalcididae, Eupelmidae, Eurytomidae, Pteromalidae, Tetracampidae and Torymidae). Evolutionary scenarios discussed for Chalcidoidea include the evolution of phytophagy, egg parasitism, sternorrhynchan parasitism, hypermetamorphic development and heteronomy. PMID:22087244

DNA barcoding Neotropical fishes: recent advances from the Pampa Plain, Argentina.

PubMed

Rosso, J J; Mabragaña, E; Castro, M González; de Astarloa, J M Díaz

2012-11-01

The fish fauna of the Pampa Plain, the southernmost distribution range of many Neotropical species, was barcoded in this study. COI sequences were analysed by means of distance (K2P/NJ) and character-based (ML) models, as well as the Barcode Index Number (BIN). K2P/NJ analysis was able to discriminate among all previously identified species while also revealing the likely occurrence of two cryptic species that were further supported by BIN and ML analyses. On the other hand, both BIN and ML were not able to discriminate between two species of Rineloricaria. Despite the small genetic divergence between A. cf. pampa and A. eigenmanniorum, a tight array of haplotypes was observed for each species in both the distance and character-based methods. Deep intraspecific divergences were detected in Cnesterodon decemmaculatus (5%) and Salminus brasiliensis (6%). For Salminus brasiliensis, these findings were further supported by character-based (ML) evidence and meristic and morphological data. Our results also showed that Pampa Plain representatives of Salminus brasiliensis, Rhamdia quelen, Hoplias malabaricus, Synbranchus marmoratus, Australoheros facetus, Oligosarcus jenynsii and Corydoras paleatus differed by more than 3% from their conspecifics from other parts of South America. Overall, this study was able to highlight the likely occurrence of a cryptic species in Salminus brasiliensis and also illustrate the strong geographical structure in the COI sequence composition of seven fish species from South America. © 2012 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Isolation, phylogeny and evolution of the SymRK gene in the legume genus Lupinus L.

PubMed

Mahé, Frédéric; Markova, Dragomira; Pasquet, Rémy; Misset, Marie-Thérèse; Aïnouche, Abdelkader

2011-07-01

SymRK is one of the key genes involved in initial steps of legume symbiotic association with fungi (mycorrhization) and nitrogen-fixing bacteria (nodulation). A large portion of the sequence encoding the extracellular domain of SYMRK was obtained for 38 lupine accessions and 2 outgroups in order to characterize this region, to evaluate its phylogenetic utility, and to examine whether its molecular evolutionary pattern is correlated with rhizobial diversity and specificity in Lupinus. The data suggested that, in Lupinus, SymRK is a single copy gene that shows good phylogenetic potential. Accordingly, SymRK provided additional support to previous molecular phylogenies, and shed additional light on relationships within the Old World group of Lupinus, especially among the African species. Similar to results of other studies, analyses of SymRK sequences were unable to resolve placement of the Florida unifoliolate lineage, whose relationship was weakly supported to either the Old or the New World lupines. Our data are consistent with strong purifying selection operating on SymRK in Lupinus, preserving rather than diversifying its function. Thus, although SymRK was demonstrated to be a vital gene in the early stages of the root-bacterial symbiotic associations, no evidence from present analyses indicate that this gene is involved in changes in rhizobial specificity in Lupinus. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Molecular phylogenetic, morphological, and mycotoxin data support reidentification of the Quorn mycoprotein fungus as Fusarium venenatum.

PubMed

O'Donnell, K; Cigelnik, E; Casper, H H

1998-02-01

Molecular phylogenetic, morphological, and mycotoxin data were obtained in order to investigate the relationships and identity of the Quorn mycoprotein fungus within Fusarium and to examine Quorn strains and commercial Quorn food products for trichothecene mycotoxins. Phylogenetic analyses of aligned DNA sequences obtained via the polymerase chain reaction from the nuclear 28S ribosomal DNA, nuclear ribosomal internal transcribed spacer region, and beta-tubulin gene exons and introns indicate that the Quorn fungus is Fusarium venenatum, rather than F. graminearum as previously reported. All of the Quorn strains examined were morphologically degenerate aconidial colonial mutants except for NRRL 25139, which produced chlamydospores in recurved terminal chains together with mostly 5-septate sporodochial conidia on doliform monophialides diagnostic of F. venenatum. Bootstrap and decay analyses provide strong support for a monophyletic lineage containing F. venenatum and several other type A trichothecene-producing species, while reference strains of F. graminearum were nested in a separate clade of species that produce type B trichothecenes and/or zearalenone. Analysis of mycotoxins from rice cultures inoculated with Quorn strain NRRL 25416 revealed that four type A trichothecenes are produced, but at low levels relative to strain NRRL 22198 of F. venenatum. No trichothecene mycotoxins, however, were detected from the analysis of three commercial Quorn products marketed for human consumption in England.

Hospital-physician relations: the relative importance of economic, relational and professional attributes to organizational attractiveness

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background Belgian hospitals face a growing shortage of physicians and increasingly competitive market conditions. In this challenging environment hospitals are struggling to build effective hospital-physician relationships which are considered to be a critical determinant of organizational success. Methods Employed physicians of a University hospital were surveyed. Organizational attributes were identified through the literature and two focus groups. Variables were measured using validated questionnaires. Descriptive analyses and linear regression were used to test the model and relative importance analyses were performed. Results The selected attributes predict hospital attractiveness significantly (79.3%). The relative importance analysis revealed that hospital attractiveness is most strongly predicted by professional attributes (35.3%) and relational attributes (29.7%). In particular, professional development opportunities (18.8%), hospital prestige (16.5%), organizational support (17.2%) and leader support (9.3%) were found to be most important. Besides these non-economic aspects, the employed physicians indicated pay and financial benefits (7.4%) as a significant predictor of hospital attractiveness. Work-life balance and job security were not significantly related to hospital attractiveness. Conclusions This study shows that initiatives aimed at strengthening physicians’ positive perceptions of professional and relational aspects of practicing medicine in hospitals, while assuring satisfactory financial conditions, may offer useful avenues for increasing the level of perceived hospital attractiveness. Overall, hospitals are advised to use a differentiated approach to increase their attractiveness to physicians. PMID:24884491

A simple method for purification of vestibular hair cells and non-sensory cells, and application for proteomic analysis.

PubMed

Herget, Meike; Scheibinger, Mirko; Guo, Zhaohua; Jan, Taha A; Adams, Christopher M; Cheng, Alan G; Heller, Stefan

2013-01-01

Mechanosensitive hair cells and supporting cells comprise the sensory epithelia of the inner ear. The paucity of both cell types has hampered molecular and cell biological studies, which often require large quantities of purified cells. Here, we report a strategy allowing the enrichment of relatively pure populations of vestibular hair cells and non-sensory cells including supporting cells. We utilized specific uptake of fluorescent styryl dyes for labeling of hair cells. Enzymatic isolation and flow cytometry was used to generate pure populations of sensory hair cells and non-sensory cells. We applied mass spectrometry to perform a qualitative high-resolution analysis of the proteomic makeup of both the hair cell and non-sensory cell populations. Our conservative analysis identified more than 600 proteins with a false discovery rate of <3% at the protein level and <1% at the peptide level. Analysis of proteins exclusively detected in either population revealed 64 proteins that were specific to hair cells and 103 proteins that were only detectable in non-sensory cells. Statistical analyses extended these groups by 53 proteins that are strongly upregulated in hair cells versus non-sensory cells and vice versa by 68 proteins. Our results demonstrate that enzymatic dissociation of styryl dye-labeled sensory hair cells and non-sensory cells is a valid method to generate pure enough cell populations for flow cytometry and subsequent molecular analyses.

Leadership = Communication? The Relations of Leaders’ Communication Styles with Leadership Styles, Knowledge Sharing and Leadership Outcomes

PubMed Central

Bakker-Pieper, Angelique; Oostenveld, Wyneke

2009-01-01

Purpose The purpose of this study was to investigate the relations between leaders’ communication styles and charismatic leadership, human-oriented leadership (leader’s consideration), task-oriented leadership (leader’s initiating structure), and leadership outcomes. Methodology A survey was conducted among 279 employees of a governmental organization. The following six main communication styles were operationalized: verbal aggressiveness, expressiveness, preciseness, assuredness, supportiveness, and argumentativeness. Regression analyses were employed to test three main hypotheses. Findings In line with expectations, the study showed that charismatic and human-oriented leadership are mainly communicative, while task-oriented leadership is significantly less communicative. The communication styles were strongly and differentially related to knowledge sharing behaviors, perceived leader performance, satisfaction with the leader, and subordinate’s team commitment. Multiple regression analyses showed that the leadership styles mediated the relations between the communication styles and leadership outcomes. However, leader’s preciseness explained variance in perceived leader performance and satisfaction with the leader above and beyond the leadership style variables. Implications This study offers potentially invaluable input for leadership training programs by showing the importance of leader’s supportiveness, assuredness, and preciseness when communicating with subordinates. Originality/value Although one of the core elements of leadership is interpersonal communication, this study is one of the first to use a comprehensive communication styles instrument in the study of leadership. PMID:20700375

Revisiting cognitive and learning styles in computer-assisted instruction: not so useful after all.

PubMed

Cook, David A

2012-06-01

In a previous systematic review, the author proposed that adaptation to learners' cognitive and learning styles (CLSs) could improve the efficiency of computer-assisted instruction (CAI). In the present article, he questions that proposition, arguing that CLSs do not make a substantive difference in CAI. To support this argument, the author performed an updated systematic literature search, pooled new findings with those from the previous review, and reinterpreted this evidence with a focus on aptitude-treatment interactions. (An aptitude-treatment interaction occurs when a student with attribute 1 learns better with instructional approach A than with approach B, whereas a student with attribute 2 learns better with instructional approach B).Of 65 analyses reported in 48 studies, only 9 analyses (14%) showed significant interactions between CLS and instructional approach. It seems that aptitude-treatment interactions with CLSs are at best infrequent and small in magnitude. There are several possible explanations for this lack of effect. First, the influence of strong instructional methods likely dominates the impact of CLSs. Second, current methods for assessing CLSs lack validity evidence and are inadequate to accurately characterize the individual learner. Third, theories are vague, and empiric evidence is virtually nonexistent to guide the planning of style-targeted instructional designs. Adaptation to learners' CLSs thus seems unlikely to enhance CAI. The author recommends that educators focus on employing strong instructional methods. Educators might also consider assessing and adapting to learners' prior knowledge or allowing learners to select among alternate instructional approaches.

Regular Topographic Patterning of Karst Depressions Suggests Landscape Self-Organization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Quintero, C.; Cohen, M. J.

2017-12-01

Thousands of wetland depressions that are commonly host to cypress domes dot the sub-tropical limestone landscape of South Florida. The origin of these depression features has been the topic of debate. Here we build upon the work of previous surveyors of this landscape to analyze the morphology and spatial distribution of depressions on the Big Cypress landscape. We took advantage of the emergence and availability of high resolution Light Direction and Ranging (LiDAR) technology and ArcMap GIS software to analyze the structure and regularity of landscape features with methods unavailable to past surveyors. Six 2.25 km2 LiDAR plots within the preserve were selected for remote analysis and one depression feature within each plot was selected for more intensive sediment and water depth surveying. Depression features on the Big Cypress landscape were found to show strong evidence of regular spatial patterning. Periodicity, a feature of regularly patterned landscapes, is apparent in both Variograms and Radial Spectrum Analyses. Size class distributions of the identified features indicate constrained feature sizes while Average Nearest Neighbor analyses support the inference of dispersed features with non-random spacing. The presence of regular patterning on this landscape strongly implies biotic reinforcement of spatial structure by way of the scale dependent feedback. In characterizing the structure of this wetland landscape we add to the growing body of work dedicated to documenting how water, life and geology may interact to shape the natural landscapes we see today.

Getting the Balance Right: Conceptual Considerations Concerning Legal Capacity and Supported Decision-Making.

PubMed

Parker, Malcolm

2016-09-01

The United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities urges and requires changes to how signatories discharge their duties to people with intellectual disabilities, in the direction of their greater recognition as legal persons with expanded decision-making rights. Australian jurisdictions are currently undertaking inquiries and pilot projects that explore how these imperatives should be implemented. One of the important changes advocated is to move from guardianship models to supported or assisted models of decision-making. A driving force behind these developments is a strong allegiance to the social model of disability, in the formulation of the Convention, in inquiries and pilot projects, in implementation and in the related academic literature. Many of these instances suffer from confusing and misleading statements and conceptual misinterpretations of certain elements such as legal capacity, decision-making capacity, and support for decision-making. This paper analyses some of these confusions and their possible negative implications for supported decision-making instruments and those whose interests these instruments would serve, and advises a more incremental development of existing guardianship regimes. This provides a more realistic balance between neglecting the real limits of those with mental disabilities and thereby ignoring their identity and particularity, and continuing to bring them equally and fully into society.

It still takes a village: an epidemiological study of the role of social supports in understanding unexpected health states in young people.

PubMed

Davison, Colleen; Michaelson, Valerie; Pickett, William

2015-03-27

This study of adolescent Canadians examines two groups who are anomalous in their health experiences: (1) those with perceived low affluence yet who perceive themselves to have excellent general health status; (2) those of perceived high affluence but who are reporting poor health status. Our hope was to explore the role of social supports in explaining such anomalies. We hypothesized that cumulative levels of social support available to these young people would have an influence on their perceived health status, with more support being associated with better self reported health. Young people (n = 26,078 from 436 schools) aged 11-15 years were administered a general health survey in classroom settings during the 2009-10 academic school year. Descriptive and regression-based cross-sectional analyses (with an affluence-social support interaction term) were used to relate both individual and cumulative levels of social support in homes, neighborhoods, schools, and peer groups to self-reported health status. Social supports and their cumulative availability indeed were strongly related to perceived health, with more supports being associated with better self-perceived health. Less affluent children were much more likely to report excellent health in the presence of numerous social supports. More affluent children were much more likely to report poor health in the absence of such supports. The strength and dose-dependent nature of the findings were consistent and striking. Study findings from this large, contemporary and national analysis affirm the importance of social supports as potential determinants of health for young people from both high and low affluent groups. Conceptually, findings affirm the wisdom of the ancient principle: "it takes a village to raise a child".

[The relationship between autonomous motivation and academic adjustment in junior high school students].

PubMed

Nishimura, Takuma; Sakurai, Shigeo

2013-10-01

This study investigated the relationship between autonomous motivation and academic adjustment based on the perspective of self-determination theory. It also examined motivational profiles to reveal individual differences and the characteristic of these profiles for groups with varying levels of autonomous and controlled regulation (autonomous, controlled, high motivation, and low motivation). Data were collected from 442 junior high school students for academic motivation, academic performance, academic competence, meta-cognitive strategy, academic anxiety, apathy, and stress experience. Correlation analyses generally supported the basic hypothesis of self-determination theory that a more autonomous regulation style was strongly related to academic adjustment. The results also showed that persons with a high autonomous regulation and a low controlled regulation style were the most adaptive.

Where's water? The many binding sites of hydantoin.

PubMed

Gruet, Sébastien; Pérez, Cristóbal; Steber, Amanda L; Schnell, Melanie

2018-02-21

Prebiotic hydantoin and its complexes with one and two water molecules are investigated using high-resolution broadband rotational spectroscopy in the 2-8 GHz frequency range. The hyperfine structure due to the nuclear quadrupole coupling of the two 14 N atoms is analysed for the monomer and the complexes. This characteristic hyperfine structure will support a definitive assignment from low frequency radioastronomy data. Experiments with H 2 18 O provide accurate experimental information on the preferred binding sites of water, which are compared with quantum-chemically calculated coordinates. In the 2-water complexes, the water molecules bind to hydantoin as a dimer instead of individually, indicating the strong water-water interactions. This information provides first insight on how hydantoin interacts with water on the molecular level.

Do adults with mental retardation show pictorial superiority effects in recall and recognition?

PubMed

Cherry, Katie E; Applegate, Heather; Reese, Celinda M

2002-01-01

We examined memory for pictures and words in adults with mental retardation and a control group of adults of normal intelligence. During acquisition, sets of simple line drawings and matching words were presented for study using an intentional learning procedure. The principle dependent measures were free recall and recognition. Measures of working memory span were also administered. Pictorial superiority effects occurred in free recall and recognition for both intelligence-level groups. Correlational analyses indicated that working memory span was primarily related to recall performance, irrespective of stimulus format. These data strongly suggest that persons with mental retardation can utilize nonverbal memory codes to support long-term retention as effectively as do adults of normal intelligence.

Writing Chinese and mathematics achievement: A study with Chinese-American undergraduates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Chieh; Nuttall, Ronald

2001-04-01

Two recent studies indicated that writing Chinese is correlated to Chinese-American (CA) students' spatial skills. The current study investigated whether writing Chinese would have the same relationship to mathematics skills. The Scholastic Assessment Test—Mathematics (SAT-Math) scores were analysed for 150 CA undergraduates: 42 writers of Chinese and 108 non-writers of Chinese. The results suggested a strong correlation between writing Chinese and success on SAT-Math. An underlying mechanism may be the common cognitive components that encompass writing Chinese, spatial tasks, and SAT-Math. Contrary to previous findings with other populations in the USA, CA females scored slightly higher on SAT-Math than males. The finding supports the cultural relativity theory of gender difference on SAT-Math.

Modern pollen deposition in Long Island Sound

USGS Publications Warehouse

Beuning, Kristina R.M.; Fransen, Lindsey; Nakityo, Berna; Mecray, Ellen L.; Buchholtz ten Brink, Marilyn R.

2000-01-01

Palynological analyses of 20 surface sediment samples collected from Long Island Sound show a pollen assemblage dominated by Carya, Betula, Pinus, Quercus, Tsuga, and Ambrosia, as is consistent with the regional vegetation. No trends in relative abundance of these pollen types occur either from west to east or associated with modern riverine inputs throughout the basin. Despite the large-scale, long-term removal of fine-grained sediment from winnowed portions of the eastern Sound, the composition of the pollen and spore component of the sedimentary matrix conforms to a basin-wide homogeneous signal. These results strongly support the use of select regional palynological boundaries as chronostratigraphic tools to provide a framework for interpretation of the late glacial and Holocene history of the Long Island Sound basin sediments.

AB INITIO Investigations of the Magnetism in Diluted Magnetic Semiconductor Fe-DOPED GaN

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cheng, Jie; Zhou, Jing; Xu, Wei; Dong, Peng

2014-01-01

In this paper, we present a first principle investigation on Fe-doped GaN with wurtzite and zinc-blend structure using full potential density functional calculations. Data point out that the magnetic behavior of Fe-doped GaN system is strongly dependent on Fe doping configurations. In agreement with the experimental reports, and independently by doping, antiferromagnetism occurs in the zinc-blend structure, while in the wurtzite structure ferromagnetism depends on the Fe doping configurations. Detailed analyses combined with density of state calculations support the assignment that the ferromagnetism is closely related to the impurity band at the origin of the hybridization of Fe 3d and N 2p states in the Fe-doped GaN of wurtzite phase.

Death penalty support for special offender populations of legally convicted murderers: juveniles, the mentally retarded, and the mentally incompetent.

PubMed

Boots, Denise Paquette; Heide, Kathleen M; Cochran, John K

2004-01-01

The U.S. Supreme Court recently re-examined the constitutionality of the death penalty in the context of two of three special offender populations of murderers (juveniles, mentally retarded, and mentally incompetent). The Court reaffirmed the imposition of the death penalty for juveniles 16 and 17, while reversing itself on the mentally retarded. In reaching its decision, the Court relied on society's "evolving standards of decency." Using Likert-type items, this study is the first to have prospective jurors assess support for the death penalty for these specific offender groups. The public's support for the execution of each of the groups is then compared with existing case law. Descriptive statistics and regression analyses indicate that, as expected, the levels of support for the applicability of capital punishment to the various special offender populations are much lower than that for the general adult offender. Moreover, these findings are congruent with the holdings of the Court with one notable exception: a slight majority of respondents supported executing the mentally incompetent. Reasons for the public's apparent departure from the Supreme Court holding prohibiting the execution of mentally incompetent convicted murderers are discussed. The Court's continued role in protecting marginalized populations from "cruel and unusual punishment" is explored in the context of strong public sentiment demanding justice and finality despite changes in offenders' mental capacity. Copyright 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Lineage-specific evolution of cnidarian Wnt ligands.

PubMed

Hensel, Katrin; Lotan, Tamar; Sanders, Steve M; Cartwright, Paulyn; Frank, Uri

2014-09-01

We have studied the evolution of Wnt genes in cnidarians and the expression pattern of all Wnt ligands in the hydrozoan Hydractinia echinata. Current views favor a scenario in which 12 Wnt sub-families were jointly inherited by cnidarians and bilaterians from their last common ancestor. Our phylogenetic analyses clustered all medusozoan genes in distinct, well-supported clades, but many orthologous relationships between medusozoan Wnts and anthozoan and bilaterian Wnt genes were poorly supported. Only seven anthozoan genes, Wnt2, Wnt4, Wnt5, Wnt6, Wnt 10, Wnt11, and Wnt16 were recovered with strong support with bilaterian genes and of those, only the Wnt2, Wnt5, Wnt11, and Wnt16 clades also included medusozoan genes. Although medusozoan Wnt8 genes clustered with anthozoan and bilaterian genes, this was not well supported. In situ hybridization studies revealed poor conservation of expression patterns of putative Wnt orthologs within Cnidaria. In polyps, only Wnt1, Wnt3, and Wnt7 were expressed at the same position in the studied cnidarian models Hydra, Hydractinia, and Nematostella. Different expression patterns are consistent with divergent functions. Our data do not fully support previous assertions regarding Wnt gene homology, and suggest a more complex history of Wnt family genes than previously suggested. This includes high rates of sequence divergence and lineage-specific duplications of Wnt genes within medusozoans, followed by functional divergence over evolutionary time scales. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

The Influence of Confidence on Associations Among Personal Attitudes, Perceived Injunctive Norms, and Alcohol Consumption

PubMed Central

Neighbors, Clayton; Lindgren, Kristen P.; Knee, C. Raymond; Fossos, Nicole; DiBello, Angelo

2011-01-01

Social norms theories hold that perceptions of the degree of approval for a behavior have a strong influence on one’s private attitudes and public behavior. In particular, being more approving of drinking and perceiving peers as more approving of drinking, are strongly associated with one’s own drinking. However, previous research has not considered that students may vary considerably in the confidence in their estimates of peer approval and in the confidence in their estimates of their own approval of drinking. The present research was designed to evaluate confidence as a moderator of associations among perceived injunctive norms, own attitudes, and drinking. We expected perceived injunctive norms and own attitudes would be more strongly associated with drinking among students who felt more confident in their estimates of peer approval and own attitudes. We were also interested in whether this might differ by gender. Injunctive norms and self-reported alcohol consumption were measured in a sample of 708 college students. Findings from negative binomial regression analyses supported moderation hypotheses for confidence and perceived injunction norms but not for personal attitudes. Thus, perceived injunctive norms were more strongly associated with own drinking among students who felt more confident in their estimates of friends’ approval of drinking. A three-way interaction further revealed that this was primarily true among women. Implications for norms and peer influence theories as well as interventions are discussed. PMID:21928864

Organellar phylogenomics of an emerging model system: Sphagnum (peatmoss).

PubMed

Jonathan Shaw, A; Devos, Nicolas; Liu, Yang; Cox, Cymon J; Goffinet, Bernard; Flatberg, Kjell Ivar; Shaw, Blanka

2016-08-01

Sphagnum-dominated peatlands contain approx. 30 % of the terrestrial carbon pool in the form of partially decomposed plant material (peat), and, as a consequence, Sphagnum is currently a focus of studies on biogeochemistry and control of global climate. Sphagnum species differ in ecologically important traits that scale up to impact ecosystem function, and sequencing of the genome from selected Sphagnum species is currently underway. As an emerging model system, these resources for Sphagnum will facilitate linking nucleotide variation to plant functional traits, and through those traits to ecosystem processes. A solid phylogenetic framework for Sphagnum is crucial to comparative analyses of species-specific traits, but relationships among major clades within Sphagnum have been recalcitrant to resolution because the genus underwent a rapid radiation. Herein a well-supported hypothesis for phylogenetic relationships among major clades within Sphagnum based on organellar genome sequences (plastid, mitochondrial) is provided. We obtained nucleotide sequences (273 753 nucleotides in total) from the two organellar genomes from 38 species (including three outgroups). Phylogenetic analyses were conducted using a variety of methods applied to nucleotide and amino acid sequences. The Sphagnum phylogeny was rooted with sequences from the related Sphagnopsida genera, Eosphagnum and Flatbergium Phylogenetic analyses of the data converge on the following subgeneric relationships: (Rigida (((Subsecunda) (Cuspidata)) ((Sphagnum) (Acutifolia))). All relationships were strongly supported. Species in the two major clades (i.e. Subsecunda + Cuspidata and Sphagnum + Acutifolia), which include >90 % of all Sphagnum species, differ in ecological niches and these differences correlate with other functional traits that impact biogeochemical cycling. Mitochondrial intron presence/absence are variable among species and genera of the Sphagnopsida. Two new nomenclatural combinations are made, in the genera Eosphagnum and Flatbergium Newly resolved relationships now permit phylogenetic analyses of morphological, biochemical and ecological traits among Sphagnum species. The results clarify long-standing disagreements about subgeneric relationships and intrageneric classification. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Annals of Botany Company. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Organellar phylogenomics of an emerging model system: Sphagnum (peatmoss)

PubMed Central

Jonathan Shaw, A.; Devos, Nicolas; Liu, Yang; Cox, Cymon J.; Goffinet, Bernard; Flatberg, Kjell Ivar; Shaw, Blanka

2016-01-01

Background and Aims Sphagnum-dominated peatlands contain approx. 30 % of the terrestrial carbon pool in the form of partially decomposed plant material (peat), and, as a consequence, Sphagnum is currently a focus of studies on biogeochemistry and control of global climate. Sphagnum species differ in ecologically important traits that scale up to impact ecosystem function, and sequencing of the genome from selected Sphagnum species is currently underway. As an emerging model system, these resources for Sphagnum will facilitate linking nucleotide variation to plant functional traits, and through those traits to ecosystem processes. A solid phylogenetic framework for Sphagnum is crucial to comparative analyses of species-specific traits, but relationships among major clades within Sphagnum have been recalcitrant to resolution because the genus underwent a rapid radiation. Herein a well-supported hypothesis for phylogenetic relationships among major clades within Sphagnum based on organellar genome sequences (plastid, mitochondrial) is provided. Methods We obtained nucleotide sequences (273 753 nucleotides in total) from the two organellar genomes from 38 species (including three outgroups). Phylogenetic analyses were conducted using a variety of methods applied to nucleotide and amino acid sequences. The Sphagnum phylogeny was rooted with sequences from the related Sphagnopsida genera, Eosphagnum and Flatbergium. Key Results Phylogenetic analyses of the data converge on the following subgeneric relationships: (Rigida (((Subsecunda) (Cuspidata)) ((Sphagnum) (Acutifolia))). All relationships were strongly supported. Species in the two major clades (i.e. Subsecunda + Cuspidata and Sphagnum + Acutifolia), which include >90 % of all Sphagnum species, differ in ecological niches and these differences correlate with other functional traits that impact biogeochemical cycling. Mitochondrial intron presence/absence are variable among species and genera of the Sphagnopsida. Two new nomenclatural combinations are made, in the genera Eosphagnum and Flatbergium. Conclusions Newly resolved relationships now permit phylogenetic analyses of morphological, biochemical and ecological traits among Sphagnum species. The results clarify long-standing disagreements about subgeneric relationships and intrageneric classification. PMID:27268484

Molecular phylogeny of the aquatic beetle family Noteridae (Coleoptera: Adephaga) with an emphasis on data partitioning strategies.

PubMed

Baca, Stephen M; Toussaint, Emmanuel F A; Miller, Kelly B; Short, Andrew E Z

2017-02-01

The first molecular phylogenetic hypothesis for the aquatic beetle family Noteridae is inferred using DNA sequence data from five gene fragments (mitochondrial and nuclear): COI, H3, 16S, 18S, and 28S. Our analysis is the most comprehensive phylogenetic reconstruction of Noteridae to date, and includes 53 species representing all subfamilies, tribes and 16 of the 17 genera within the family. We examine the impact of data partitioning on phylogenetic inference by comparing two different algorithm-based partitioning strategies: one using predefined subsets of the dataset, and another recently introduced method, which uses the k-means algorithm to iteratively divide the dataset into clusters of sites evolving at similar rates across sampled loci. We conducted both maximum likelihood and Bayesian inference analyses using these different partitioning schemes. Resulting trees are strongly incongruent with prior classifications of Noteridae. We recover variant tree topologies and support values among the implemented partitioning schemes. Bayes factors calculated with marginal likelihoods of Bayesian analyses support a priori partitioning over k-means and unpartitioned data strategies. Our study substantiates the importance of data partitioning in phylogenetic inference, and underscores the use of comparative analyses to determine optimal analytical strategies. Our analyses recover Noterini Thomson to be paraphyletic with respect to three other tribes. The genera Suphisellus Crotch and Hydrocanthus Say are also recovered as paraphyletic. Following the results of the preferred partitioning scheme, we here propose a revised classification of Noteridae, comprising two subfamilies, three tribes and 18 genera. The following taxonomic changes are made: Notomicrinae sensu n. (= Phreatodytinae syn. n.) is expanded to include the tribe Phreatodytini; Noterini sensu n. (= Neohydrocoptini syn. n., Pronoterini syn. n., Tonerini syn. n.) is expanded to include all genera of the Noterinae; The genus Suphisellus Crotch is expanded to include species of Pronoterus Sharp syn. n.; and the former subgenus Sternocanthus Guignot stat. rev. is resurrected from synonymy and elevated to genus rank. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Healthy Children, Strong Families 2: a randomized controlled trial of a healthy lifestyle intervention for American Indian families designed using community-based approaches

PubMed Central

Tomayko, Emily J; Prince, Ronald J; Cronin, Kate A; Parker, Tassy; Kim, KyungMann; Grant, Vernon M; Sheche, Judith N; Adams, Alexandra K

2017-01-01

Background/Aims Few obesity prevention trials have focused on young children and their families in the home environment, particularly in underserved communities. Healthy Children, Strong Families 2 (HCSF2) is a randomized controlled trial of a healthy lifestyle intervention for American Indian children and their families, a group at very high risk of obesity. The study design resulted from our long-standing engagement with American Indian communities, and few collaborations of this type resulting in the development and implementation of an RCT have been described. Methods HCSF2 is a lifestyle intervention targeting increased fruit and vegetable intake, decreased sugar intake, increased physical activity, decreased TV/screen time, and two lesser-studied risk factors: stress and sleep. Families with young children from five American Indian communities nationwide were randomly assigned to a healthy lifestyles intervention (Wellness Journey) augmented with social support (Facebook and text messaging) or a child safety control group (Safety Journey) for one year. After Year 1, families in the Safety Journey receive the Wellness Journey, and families in the Wellness Journey start the Safety Journey with continued wellness-focused social support based on communities’ request that all families receive the intervention. Primary (adult body mass index and child body mass index z-score) and secondary (health behaviors) outcomes are assessed after Year 1 with additional analyses planned after Year 2. Results To date, 450 adult/child dyads have been enrolled (100% target enrollment). Statistical analyses await trial completion in 2017. Lessons Learned Conducting a community-partnered randomized controlled trial requires significant formative work, relationship building, and ongoing flexibility. At the communities’ request, the study involved minimal exclusion criteria, focused on wellness rather than obesity, and included an active control group and a design allowing all families to receive the intervention. This collective effort took additional time but was critical to secure community engagement. Hiring and retaining qualified local site coordinators was a challenge but was strongly related to successful recruitment and retention of study families. Local infrastructure has also been critical to project success. Other challenges included geographic dispersion of study communities and providing appropriate incentives to retain families in a two-year study. Conclusions This multi-site intervention addresses key gaps regarding family/home-based approaches for obesity prevention in American Indian communities. HCSF2’s innovative aspects include substantial community input, inclusion of both traditional (diet/activity) and lesser-studied obesity risk factors (stress/sleep), measurement of both adult and child outcomes, social networking support for geographically dispersed households, and a community selected active control group. Our data will address a literature gap regarding multiple risk factors and their relationship to health outcomes in American Indian families. PMID:28064525

Support for removal of point-of-purchase tobacco advertising and displays: findings from the International Tobacco Control (ITC) Canada survey.

PubMed

Brown, Abraham; Boudreau, Christian; Moodie, Crawford; Fong, Geoffrey T; Li, Grace Y; McNeill, Ann; Thompson, Mary E; Hassan, Louise M; Hyland, Andrew; Thrasher, James F; Yong, Hua-Hie; Borland, Ron; Hastings, Gerard; Hammond, David

2012-11-01

Although most countries now have at least some restrictions on tobacco marketing, the tobacco industry meet these restrictions by re-allocating expenditure to unregulated channels, such as at point-of-purchase. Longitudinal data from 10 Canadian provinces in the International Tobacco Control Survey was analysed to examine adult smokers' support for a ban on tobacco advertising and displays in stores and whether this support is associated with noticing either advertising or displays in stores, and quit intentions, over time. In total, there were 4580 respondents in wave 5 (October 2006 to February 2007), wave 6 (September 2007 to February 2008) and wave 7 (October 2008 to June 2009). The surveys were conducted before, during and in some cases after the implementation of display bans in most Canadian provinces and territories. Smokers in all provinces showed strong support for a ban on tobacco displays over the study period. Levels of support for an advertising and display ban were comparable between Canadian provinces over time, irrespective of whether they had been banned or not. Noticing tobacco displays and signs in-store was demonstrably less likely to predict support for display (OR=0.73, p=0.005) and advertising (OR=0.78, p=0.02) ban, respectively. Smokers intending to quit were more likely to support advertising and display bans over time. This study serves as a timely reminder that the implementation of tobacco control measures, such as the removal of tobacco displays, appear to sustain support among smokers, those most likely to oppose such measures.

Support for removal of point-of-purchase tobacco advertising and displays: findings from the International Tobacco Control (ITC) Canada survey

PubMed Central

Brown, Abraham; Boudreau, Christian; Moodie, Crawford; Fong, Geoffrey T; Li, Grace Y; McNeill, Ann; Thompson, Mary E; Hassan, Louise M; Hyland, Andrew; Thrasher, James F; Yong, Hua-Hie; Borland, Ron; Hastings, Gerard; Hammond, David

2013-01-01

Background Although most countries now have at least some restrictions on tobacco marketing, the tobacco industry meet these restrictions by re-allocating expenditure to unregulated channels, such as at point-of-purchase. Methods Longitudinal data from 10 Canadian provinces in the International Tobacco Control Survey was analysed to examine adult smokers’ support for a ban on tobacco advertising and displays in stores and whether this support is associated with noticing either advertising or displays in stores, and quit intentions, over time. In total, there were 4580 respondents in wave 5 (October 2006 to February 2007), wave 6 (September 2007 to February 2008) and wave 7 (October 2008 to June 2009). The surveys were conducted before, during and in some cases after the implementation of display bans in most Canadian provinces and territories. Results Smokers in all provinces showed strong support for a ban on tobacco displays over the study period. Levels of support for an advertising and display ban were comparable between Canadian provinces over time, irrespective of whether they had been banned or not. Noticing tobacco displays and signs in-store was demonstrably less likely to predict support for displays (OR=0.73, p=0.005) and advertising (OR=0.78, p=0.02) ban, respectively. Smokers intending to quit were more likely to support advertising and display bans over time. Conclusion This study serves as a timely reminder that the implementation of tobacco control measures, such as the removal of tobacco displays, appear to sustain support among smokers, those most likely to oppose such measures. PMID:23076786

Changes in Mindfulness and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Symptoms Among Veterans Enrolled in Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction.

PubMed

Stephenson, Kyle R; Simpson, Tracy L; Martinez, Michelle E; Kearney, David J

2017-03-01

The current study assessed associations between changes in 5 facets of mindfulness (Acting With Awareness, Observing, Describing, Non-Reactivity, and Nonjudgment) and changes in 4 posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptom clusters (Re-Experiencing, Avoidance, Emotional Numbing, and Hyperarousal symptoms) among veterans participating in mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR). Secondary analyses were performed with a combined data set consisting of 2 published and 2 unpublished trials of MBSR conducted at a large Veterans Affairs hospital. The combined sample included 113 veterans enrolled in MBSR who screened positive for PTSD and completed measures of mindfulness and PTSD symptoms before and after the 8-week intervention. Increases in mindfulness were significantly associated with reduced PTSD symptoms. Increases in Acting With Awareness and Non-Reactivity were the facets of mindfulness most strongly and consistently associated with reduced PTSD symptoms. Increases in mindfulness were most strongly related to decreases in Hyperarousal and Emotional Numbing. These results extend previous research, provide preliminary support for changes in mindfulness as a viable mechanism of treatment, and have a number of potential practical and theoretical implications. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

The factor structure of the Buss and Plomin EAS Temperament Survey (parental ratings) in a Dutch sample of elementary school children.

PubMed

Boer, F; Westenberg, P M

1994-06-01

The psychometric properties of the Buss and Plomin (1984) EAS Temperament Survey for Children (Parental Ratings) were examined in a sample of Dutch children between 4 and 13 years of age. Ratings were obtained from 230 mothers and 172 fathers. The findings presented here provide the lacking cross-validation of the original analyses by Rowe and Plomin (1977): Emotionality, activity, and shyness were independent temperaments, regardless of age and gender. The factorial position of the yet experimental Sociability scale is more ambiguous: Sociability was significantly related to both shyness and activity but was more strongly associated with shyness in the youngest age cohort and most strongly with activity in the oldest cohort. This age trend, combined with a positive association with activity, supports the premise that sociability cannot be equated to nonshyness and justifies the inclusion of a separate Sociability scale in the EAS. All four EAS scales are reliable in terms of internal consistency and interrater agreement, but one modification of the Sociability scale is needed.

Depressive Symptoms, Rumination, and Emotion Reactivity Among Youth: Moderation by Gender.

PubMed

Somers, Jennifer A; Borelli, Jessica L; Hilt, Lori M

2018-06-07

The emotion context-insensitivity hypothesis (ECI; Rottenberg et al., 2005) posits that depressive symptoms are associated with blunted emotional reactivity and is supported by the results of a meta-analysis (Bylsma et al., 2008). Yet it remains unclear how strongly ECI holds across emotional response domains, whether ECI operates similarly in male and female individuals, and whether this pattern of underreactivity is observed in youth. In contrast, rumination, a cognitive style strongly associated with depressive symptoms, may be associated with heightened reactivity. We assessed the effects of youth's depressive symptoms and rumination on subjective and physiological emotion reactivity (N = 160; M age  = 12.67, SD age  = 1.12; 48% female; 94% non-Hispanic). State sadness and respiratory sinus arrhythmia were assessed during a baseline activity (nature video) and a sad mood induction. As hypothesized, depressive symptoms predicted less subjective emotional reactivity, whereas rumination predicted more subjective reactivity. Exploratory analyses revealed that associations for physiological reactivity differed by child gender. ECI may be stronger in terms of subjective rather than physiological emotional reactivity.

Refractive index tomograms and dynamic membrane fluctuations of red blood cells from patients with diabetes mellitus.

PubMed

Lee, SangYun; Park, HyunJoo; Kim, Kyoohyun; Sohn, YongHak; Jang, Seongsoo; Park, YongKeun

2017-04-21

In this paper, we present the optical characterisations of diabetic red blood cells (RBCs) in a non-invasive manner employing three-dimensional (3-D) quantitative phase imaging. By measuring 3-D refractive index tomograms and 2-D time-series phase images, the morphological (volume, surface area and sphericity), biochemical (haemoglobin concentration and content) and mechanical (membrane fluctuation) parameters were quantitatively retrieved at the individual cell level. With simultaneous measurements of individual cell properties, systematic correlative analyses on retrieved RBC parameters were also performed. Our measurements show there exist no statistically significant alterations in morphological and biochemical parameters of diabetic RBCs, compared to those of healthy (non-diabetic) RBCs. In contrast, membrane deformability of diabetic RBCs is significantly lower than that of healthy, non-diabetic RBCs. Interestingly, non-diabetic RBCs exhibit strong correlations between the elevated glycated haemoglobin in RBC cytoplasm and decreased cell deformability, whereas diabetic RBCs do not show correlations. Our observations strongly support the idea that slow and irreversible glycation of haemoglobin and membrane proteins of RBCs by hyperglycaemia significantly compromises RBC deformability in diabetic patients.

Latent trait cortisol (LTC) during pregnancy: Composition, continuity, change, and concomitants.

PubMed

Giesbrecht, Gerald F; Bryce, Crystal I; Letourneau, Nicole; Granger, Douglas A

2015-12-01

Individual differences in the activity of the hypothalamic pituitary adrenal (HPA) axis are often operationalized using summary measures of cortisol that are taken to represent stable individual differences. Here we extend our understanding of a novel latent variable approach to latent trait cortisol (LTC) as a measure of trait-like HPA axis function during pregnancy. Pregnant women (n=380) prospectively collected 8 diurnal saliva samples (4 samples/day, 2 days) within each trimester. Saliva was assayed for cortisol. Confirmatory factor analyses were used to fit LTC models to early morning and daytime cortisol. For individual trimester data, only the daytime LTC models had adequate fit. These daytime LTC models were strongly correlated between trimesters and stable over pregnancy. Daytime LTC was unrelated to the cortisol awakening response and the daytime slope but strongly correlated with the area under the curve from ground. The findings support the validity of LTC as a measure of cortisol during pregnancy and suggest that it is not affected by pregnancy-related changes in HPA axis function. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Performance of the GEOS-3/Terra Data Assimilation System in the Northern Stratospheric Winter 1999/2000

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pawson, S.; Lamich, David; Ledvina, Andrea; Conaty, Austin; Newman, Paul A.; Lait, Leslie R.; Waugh, Darryn

2000-01-01

As part of NASA's support for the Terra satellite, which became operational in January 2000, the Data Assimilation Office introduced a new version of the GEOS data assimilation system (DAS) in November 1999. This system, GEOS-3/Terra, differs from its predecessor in several ways, notably through an increase in horizontal resolution (from 2-by-2.5 degrees to 1-by-1 degree), a slightly lower upper boundary (0.1 instead of 0.01hPa) with fewer levels (48 as opposed to 70), and substantial changes to the tropospheric physics package. This paper will address the performance of the GEOS-3/Terra DAS in the stratosphere. it focusses on the analyses (produced four times daily) and the five-day forecasts (produced twice daily). These were important for the meteorological support of the SAGE-3 Ozone Loss and Validation Experiment, based in Kiruna, Northern Sweden, in the winter of 1999/2000. It is shown that the analyses of basic meteorological fields (temperature, geopotential height, and horizontal wind) are in good agreement with those from other centers. The analyses captured the cold polar vortex which persisted through most of the winter. It is shown that forecasts (up to five days) tend to have a warm bias, which is important for the prediction of polar stratospheric clouds, which are triggered by temperatures of 195K (or lower). The importance of accurate upper tropospheric forecasts in predicting the stratospheric flow is highlighted in the context of the evolution of the shape of the stratospheric polar vortex. A prominent blocking high in the Atlantic region in January was an important factor determining the shape of the distorted lower stratospheric vortex; the predictive skill of these features was strongly coupled in the GEOS-3/Terra system.

On the Evolutionary and Biogeographic History of Saxifraga sect. Trachyphyllum (Gaud.) Koch (Saxifragaceae Juss.)

PubMed Central

DeChaine, Eric G.; Anderson, Stacy A.; McNew, Jennifer M.; Wendling, Barry M.

2013-01-01

Arctic-alpine plants in the genus Saxifraga L. (Saxifragaceae Juss.) provide an excellent system for investigating the process of diversification in northern regions. Yet, sect. Trachyphyllum (Gaud.) Koch, which is comprised of about 8 to 26 species, has still not been explored by molecular systematists even though taxonomists concur that the section needs to be thoroughly re-examined. Our goals were to use chloroplast trnL-F and nuclear ITS DNA sequence data to circumscribe the section phylogenetically, test models of geographically-based population divergence, and assess the utility of morphological characters in estimating evolutionary relationships. To do so, we sequenced both genetic markers for 19 taxa within the section. The phylogenetic inferences of sect. Trachyphyllum using maximum likelihood and Bayesian analyses showed that the section is polyphyletic, with S. aspera L. and S bryoides L. falling outside the main clade. In addition, the analyses supported several taxonomic re-classifications to prior names. We used two approaches to test biogeographic hypotheses: i) a coalescent approach in Mesquite to test the fit of our reconstructed gene trees to geographically-based models of population divergence and ii) a maximum likelihood inference in Lagrange. These tests uncovered strong support for an origin of the clade in the Southern Rocky Mountains of North America followed by dispersal and divergence episodes across refugia. Finally we adopted a stochastic character mapping approach in SIMMAP to investigate the utility of morphological characters in estimating evolutionary relationships among taxa. We found that few morphological characters were phylogenetically informative and many were misleading. Our molecular analyses provide a foundation for the diversity and evolutionary relationships within sect. Trachyphyllum and hypotheses for better understanding the patterns and processes of divergence in this section, other saxifrages, and plants inhabiting the North Pacific Rim. PMID:23922810

Recent Positive Selection Drives the Expansion of a Schizophrenia Risk Nonsynonymous Variant at SLC39A8 in Europeans.

PubMed

Li, Ming; Wu, Dong-Dong; Yao, Yong-Gang; Huo, Yong-Xia; Liu, Jie-Wei; Su, Bing; Chasman, Daniel I; Chu, Audrey Y; Huang, Tao; Qi, Lu; Zheng, Yan; Luo, Xiong-Jian

2016-01-01

Natural selection has played important roles in optimizing complex human adaptations. However, schizophrenia poses an evolutionary paradox during human evolution, as the illness has strongly negative effects on fitness, but persists with a prevalence of ~0.5% across global populations. Recent studies have identified numerous risk variations in diverse populations, which might be able to explain the stable and high rate of schizophrenia morbidity in different cultures and regions, but the questions about why the risk alleles derived and maintained in human gene pool still remain unsolved. Here, we studied the evolutionary pattern of a schizophrenia risk variant rs13107325 (P < 5.0 × 10(-8) in Europeans) in the SLC39A8 gene. We found the SNP is monomorphic in Asians and Africans with risk (derived) T-allele totally absent, and further evolutionary analyses showed the T-allele has experienced recent positive selection in Europeans. Subsequent exploratory analyses implicated that the colder environment in Europe was the likely selective pressures, ie, when modern humans migrated "out of Africa" and moved to Europe mainland (a colder and cooler continent than Africa), new alleles derived due to positive selection and protected humans from risk of hypertension and also helped them adapt to the cold environment. The hypothesis was supported by our pleiotropic analyses with hypertension and energy intake as well as obesity in Europeans. Our data thus provides an intriguing example to illustrate a possible mechanism for maintaining schizophrenia risk alleles in the human gene pool, and further supported that schizophrenia is likely a product caused by pleiotropic effect during human evolution. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Maryland Psychiatric Research Center. All rights reserved. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Job stress is associated with migraine in current workers: the Brazilian Longitudinal Study of Adult Health (ELSA-Brasil).

PubMed

Santos, I S; Griep, R H; Alves, M G M; Goulart, A C; Lotufo, P A; Barreto, S M; Chor, D; Benseñor, I M

2014-10-01

Migraine is an important source of social burden and work-related costs. Studies addressing the association of migraine with job stress are rare. The aim of this paper was to study the association of job stress components and migraine using structured, validated questionnaires that were part of the Brazilian Longitudinal Study of Adult Health (ELSA-Brasil). The ELSA-Brasil is a multicentre cohort of 15,105 civil servants (12,096 current workers) in Brazil. Job strain was assessed using the 17-item Brazilian version of the Swedish Demand-Control-Support Questionnaire. Headache episodes in the preceding 12 months were assessed using a questionnaire based on the International Headache Society criteria. We analysed the association between job stress domains and migraine in men and women using adjusted logistic regression and interaction models. We included 3113 individuals without headache and 3259 migraineurs. Low job control [odds ratio (OR) 1.30; 95% confidence interval (95% CI) 1.10-1.53], high job demands (OR 1.37; 95% CI 1.18-1.59) and low social support (OR 1.49; 95% CI 1.29-1.71) were associated with migraine. Job control was more strongly associated with migraine in women (p for interaction = 0.02). High-strain (high demand and low control) jobs were associated with migraine in both men (OR 1.48; 95% CI 1.11-1.97) and women (OR 1.51; 95% CI 1.17-1.95). We observed a strong association between high-strain jobs and migraine. Job control was a stronger migraine-related factor for women. Low social support was associated with migraine in both sexes. © 2014 European Pain Federation - EFIC®

Towards resolving Lamiales relationships: insights from rapidly evolving chloroplast sequences

PubMed Central

2010-01-01

Background In the large angiosperm order Lamiales, a diverse array of highly specialized life strategies such as carnivory, parasitism, epiphytism, and desiccation tolerance occur, and some lineages possess drastically accelerated DNA substitutional rates or miniaturized genomes. However, understanding the evolution of these phenomena in the order, and clarifying borders of and relationships among lamialean families, has been hindered by largely unresolved trees in the past. Results Our analysis of the rapidly evolving trnK/matK, trnL-F and rps16 chloroplast regions enabled us to infer more precise phylogenetic hypotheses for the Lamiales. Relationships among the nine first-branching families in the Lamiales tree are now resolved with very strong support. Subsequent to Plocospermataceae, a clade consisting of Carlemanniaceae plus Oleaceae branches, followed by Tetrachondraceae and a newly inferred clade composed of Gesneriaceae plus Calceolariaceae, which is also supported by morphological characters. Plantaginaceae (incl. Gratioleae) and Scrophulariaceae are well separated in the backbone grade; Lamiaceae and Verbenaceae appear in distant clades, while the recently described Linderniaceae are confirmed to be monophyletic and in an isolated position. Conclusions Confidence about deep nodes of the Lamiales tree is an important step towards understanding the evolutionary diversification of a major clade of flowering plants. The degree of resolution obtained here now provides a first opportunity to discuss the evolution of morphological and biochemical traits in Lamiales. The multiple independent evolution of the carnivorous syndrome, once in Lentibulariaceae and a second time in Byblidaceae, is strongly supported by all analyses and topological tests. The evolution of selected morphological characters such as flower symmetry is discussed. The addition of further sequence data from introns and spacers holds promise to eventually obtain a fully resolved plastid tree of Lamiales. PMID:21073690

Marriage patterns in a Mesoamerican peasant community are biologically adaptive.

PubMed

Little, Bertis B; Malina, Robert M

2010-12-01

Differential investment in offspring by parental and progeny gender has been discussed and periodically analyzed for the past 80 years as an evolutionary adaptive strategy. Parental investment theory suggests that parents in poor condition have offspring in poor condition. Conversely, parents in good condition give rise to offspring in good condition. As formalized in the Trivers-Willard hypothesis (TWH), investment in daughters will be greater under poor conditions while sons receive greater parental investment under good conditions. Condition is ultimately equated to offspring reproductive fitness, with parents apparently using a strategy to maximize their genetic contribution to future generations. Analyses of sex ratio have been used to support parental investment theory and in many instances, though not all, results provide support for TWH. In the present investigation, economic strategies were analyzed in the context of offspring sex ratio and survival to reproductive age in a Zapotec-speaking community in the Valley of Oaxaca, southern Mexico. Growth status of children, adult stature, and agricultural resources were analyzed as proxies for parental and progeny condition in present and prior generations. Traditional marriage practice in Mesoamerican peasant communities is patrilocal postnuptial residence with investments largely favoring sons. The alternative, practiced by ∼25% of parents, is matrilocal postnuptial residence which is an investment favoring daughters. Results indicated that sex ratio of offspring survival to reproductive age was related to economic strategy and differed significantly between the patrilocal and matrilocal strategies. Variance in sex ratio was affected by condition of parents and significant differences in survival to reproductive age were strongly associated with economic strategy. While the results strongly support TWH, further studies in traditional anthropological populations are needed.

The archaebacterial origin of eukaryotes.

PubMed

Cox, Cymon J; Foster, Peter G; Hirt, Robert P; Harris, Simon R; Embley, T Martin

2008-12-23

The origin of the eukaryotic genetic apparatus is thought to be central to understanding the evolution of the eukaryotic cell. Disagreement about the source of the relevant genes has spawned competing hypotheses for the origins of the eukaryote nuclear lineage. The iconic rooted 3-domains tree of life shows eukaryotes and archaebacteria as separate groups that share a common ancestor to the exclusion of eubacteria. By contrast, the eocyte hypothesis has eukaryotes originating within the archaebacteria and sharing a common ancestor with a particular group called the Crenarchaeota or eocytes. Here, we have investigated the relative support for each hypothesis from analysis of 53 genes spanning the 3 domains, including essential components of the eukaryotic nucleic acid replication, transcription, and translation apparatus. As an important component of our analysis, we investigated the fit between model and data with respect to composition. Compositional heterogeneity is a pervasive problem for reconstruction of ancient relationships, which, if ignored, can produce an incorrect tree with strong support. To mitigate its effects, we used phylogenetic models that allow for changing nucleotide or amino acid compositions over the tree and data. Our analyses favor a topology that supports the eocyte hypothesis rather than archaebacterial monophyly and the 3-domains tree of life.

Psychological and audiological correlates of perceived tinnitus severity.

PubMed

Erlandsson, S I; Hallberg, L R; Axelsson, A

1992-01-01

Beliefs and attitudes towards tinnitus have been found to play an important role in the process of rehabilitation. The relationship between audiological, psychological and psychosomatic factors (self-assessment of vertigo and headache and the perceived severity of tinnitus) was investigated in a clinical population of 163 subjects. Audiological descriptives comprised pure-tone average (dB HL), etiology of hearing loss, duration of tinnitus and tinnitus localisation. Perceived severity of tinnitus was assessed with a questionnaire focusing on tinnitus impact on aspects of quality of life, concentration and sleep. A 28-item handicap and support questionnaire was used and factor analysed, resulting in three factors: perceived attitudes, social support and disability/handicap. Tinnitus severity was significantly related to perceived attitudes. The influence of social support on tinnitus severity did not seem to be crucial. The results showed that significantly more women than men complained about vertigo. Unilateral tinnitus localisation was also more prevalent in females. The subjects with multiple tinnitus localisations were older and had significantly more sleep disturbance than subjects with tinnitus localized to the ears only. In accordance with previously reported observations, the frequency of headaches was strongly correlated with the severity of tinnitus.

Category representations in the brain are both discretely localized and widely distributed.

PubMed

Shehzad, Zarrar; McCarthy, Gregory

2018-06-01

Whether category information is discretely localized or represented widely in the brain remains a contentious issue. Initial functional MRI studies supported the localizationist perspective that category information is represented in discrete brain regions. More recent fMRI studies using machine learning pattern classification techniques provide evidence for widespread distributed representations. However, these latter studies have not typically accounted for shared information. Here, we find strong support for distributed representations when brain regions are considered separately. However, localized representations are revealed by using analytical methods that separate unique from shared information among brain regions. The distributed nature of shared information and the localized nature of unique information suggest that brain connectivity may encourage spreading of information but category-specific computations are carried out in distinct domain-specific regions. NEW & NOTEWORTHY Whether visual category information is localized in unique domain-specific brain regions or distributed in many domain-general brain regions is hotly contested. We resolve this debate by using multivariate analyses to parse functional MRI signals from different brain regions into unique and shared variance. Our findings support elements of both models and show information is initially localized and then shared among other regions leading to distributed representations being observed.

Diverse sampling of East African haemosporidians reveals chiropteran origin of malaria parasites in primates and rodents.

PubMed

Lutz, Holly L; Patterson, Bruce D; Kerbis Peterhans, Julian C; Stanley, William T; Webala, Paul W; Gnoske, Thomas P; Hackett, Shannon J; Stanhope, Michael J

2016-06-01

Phylogenies of parasites provide hypotheses on the history of their movements between hosts, leading to important insights regarding the processes of host switching that underlie modern-day epidemics. Haemosporidian (malaria) parasites lack a well resolved phylogeny, which has impeded the study of evolutionary processes associated with host-switching in this group. Here we present a novel phylogenetic hypothesis that suggests bats served as the ancestral hosts of malaria parasites in primates and rodents. Expanding upon current taxon sampling of Afrotropical bat and bird parasites, we find strong support for all major nodes in the haemosporidian tree using both Bayesian and maximum likelihood approaches. Our analyses support a single transition of haemosporidian parasites from saurian to chiropteran hosts, and do not support a monophyletic relationship between Plasmodium parasites of birds and mammals. We find, for the first time, that Hepatocystis and Plasmodium parasites of mammals represent reciprocally monophyletic evolutionary lineages. These results highlight the importance of broad taxonomic sampling when analyzing phylogenetic relationships, and have important implications for our understanding of key host switching events in the history of malaria parasite evolution. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The association between economic recession and public support for increased tobacco taxation in 27 European countries.

PubMed

Filippidis, Filippos T; Agaku, Israel T; Vardavas, Constantine I; Majeed, Azeem

2014-11-01

Increased taxation on tobacco products is an effective method of reducing tobacco use. This study assessed population support among respondents aged ≥15 years, from 27 European Union (EU) countries for increased taxation and other tobacco control measures during the 2009-2012 period. Nationally representative data were obtained from the 2009 (n=26,788) and 2012 (n=26,751) cross-sectional Eurobarometer surveys. Estimates were compared using chi-square statistics. The effect of the relative change in gross domestic product (GDP) on the change in support for increased taxation during 2009-2012 was calculated using the Pearson correlation coefficient and linear regression models. Between 2009 and 2012, population support for increased taxes on tobacco products declined (56.1% to 53.2%; p<0.001). However, support for other tobacco control measures increased significantly. After adjusting for baseline GDP per capita (2009), a 10% increase in GDP per capita was associated with 4.5% increase in support of tax increases. When Latvia and Lithuania were excluded from the analyses (because of their marked deviation from the general trend), there was a strong correlation between the change in GDP and support for increased taxes (ρ=0.64; p<0.001). Also, after adjusting for baseline GDP, support for higher taxes on tobacco increased by 7.0% for every 10% increase in GDP between 2009 and 2012. Population support for tax increases declined in the EU between 2009 and 2012, especially in countries with declines in GDP nonetheless, public support for other tobacco control measures remains high, thus indicating a viable environment for more comprehensive tobacco control. © 2014 the Nordic Societies of Public Health.

"Meta-analyses and P-curves support robust cycle shifts in women's mate preferences: Reply to Wood and Carden (2014) and Harris, Pashler, and Mickes (2014)": Correction to Gildersleeve, Haselton, and Fales (2014).

PubMed

2017-11-01

Reports an error in "Meta-analyses and p -curves support robust cycle shifts in women's mate preferences: Reply to Wood and Carden (2014) and Harris, Pashler, and Mickes (2014)" by Kelly Gildersleeve, Martie G. Haselton and Melissa R. Fales ( Psychological Bulletin , 2014[Sep], Vol 140[5], 1272-1280). In the article, all p -curve analyses examining the Context Moderation Hypothesis Prediction mistakenly included the p-value from Little, Jones, Burt, & Perrett (2007) Study 2 for the simple effect of fertility on attraction to facial symmetry in a short-term relationship context ( p < .001). The analyses should have instead included the p -value for the fertility X relationship context interaction ( p = .011). In addition, the p -curve analyses examining exact two-tailed p -values for the Cycle Shift Prediction should have included an additional p -value from Provost et al. (2008) Study 1 for the main effect of fertility on attraction to gait masculinity. The reported p -value for this effect was .05, making it ineligible for inclusion in p -curves of reported p-values. However, the exact recalculated two-tailed p -value was .049, making it eligible for inclusion in p -curves of exact p -values. The corrected p -curve of exact two-tailed p -values evaluating the Cycle Shift Prediction and Context Moderation Prediction (displayed in Figure 2) now includes a total of 15 p -values ( N = 1442) is no longer significantly right skewed χ²(30) = 41.25, p = .08. The corrected p -curve of exact two-tailed p -values evaluating the Cycle Shift Prediction, Context Moderation Prediction, and Partner Qualities Moderation Prediction (displayed in Figure 3) now includes a total of 21 p -values ( N = 1707) and continues to be significantly right skewed Χ²(42) = 69.83, p = .004. As part of this correction, the online supplemental materials have been updated. (The following abstract of the original article appeared in record 2014-35938-003.) Two meta-analyses evaluated shifts across the ovulatory cycle in women's mate preferences but reported very different findings. In this journal, we reported robust evidence for the pattern of cycle shifts predicted by the ovulatory shift hypothesis (Gildersleeve, Haselton, & Fales, 2014). However, Wood, Kressel, Joshi, and Louie (2014) claimed an absence of compelling support for this hypothesis and asserted that the few significant cycle shifts they observed were false positives resulting from publication bias, p-hacking, or other research artifacts. How could 2 meta-analyses of the same literature reach such different conclusions? We reanalyzed the data compiled by Wood et al. These analyses revealed problems in Wood et al.'s meta-analysis-some of which are reproduced in Wood and Carden's (2014) comment in the current issue of this journal-that led them to overlook clear evidence for the ovulatory shift hypothesis in their own set of effects. In addition, we present right-skewed p-curves that directly contradict speculations by Wood et al.; Wood and Carden; and Harris, Pashler, and Mickes (2014) that supportive findings in the cycle shift literature are false positives. Therefore, evidence from both of the meta-analyses and the p-curves strongly supports genuine, robust effects consistent with the ovulatory shift hypothesis and contradicts claims that these effects merely reflect publication bias, p-hacking, or other research artifacts. Unfounded speculations about p-hacking distort the research record and risk unfairly damaging researchers' reputations; they should therefore be made only on the basis of firm evidence. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

Attitudes of students of a health sciences university towards the extension of smoke-free policies at the university campuses of Barcelona (Spain).

PubMed

Martínez, Cristina; Méndez, Carlos; Sánchez, María; Martínez-Sánchez, José María

To assess attitudes towards the extension of outdoor smoke-free areas on university campuses. Cross-sectional study (n=384) conducted using a questionnaire administered to medical and nursing students in Barcelona in 2014. Information was obtained pertaining to support for indoor and outdoor smoking bans on university campuses, and the importance of acting as role models. Logistic regression analyses were performed to examine agreement. Most of the students agreed on the importance of health professionals and students as role models (74.9% and 64.1%, respectively) although there were statistically significant differences by smoking status and age. 90% of students reported exposure to smoke on campus. Students expressed strong support for indoor smoke-free policies (97.9%). However, only 39.3% of participants supported regulation of outdoor smoking for university campuses. Non-smokers (OR=12.315; 95% CI: 5.377-28.204) and students ≥22 years old (OR=3.001; 95% CI: 1.439-6.257) were the strongest supporters. The students supported indoor smoke-free policies for universities. However, support for extending smoke-free regulations to outdoor areas of university campuses was limited. It is necessary to educate students about tobacco control and emphasise their importance as role models before extending outdoor smoke-free legislation at university campuses. Copyright © 2016 SESPAS. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

Methodological Quality of Meta-Analyses: Matched-Pairs Comparison over Time and between Industry-Sponsored and Academic-Sponsored Reports

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lane, Peter W.; Higgins, Julian P. T.; Anagnostelis, Betsy; Anzures-Cabrera, Judith; Baker, Nigel F.; Cappelleri, Joseph C.; Haughie, Scott; Hollis, Sally; Lewis, Steff C.; Moneuse, Patrick; Whitehead, Anne

2013-01-01

Context: Meta-analyses are regularly used to inform healthcare decisions. Concerns have been expressed about the quality of meta-analyses and, in particular, about those supported by the pharmaceutical industry. Objective: The objective of this study is to compare the quality of pharmaceutical-industry-supported meta-analyses with academic…

Cultural Differences in Support Provision: The Importance of Relationship Quality.

PubMed

Chen, Jacqueline M; Kim, Heejung S; Sherman, David K; Hashimoto, Takeshi

2015-11-01

Emotional expression is highly valued in individualistic cultures, whereas emotional restraint is prioritized in collectivistic cultures. We hypothesized that high-quality relationships in these cultures would exhibit the forms of support provision congruent with their respective expectations. Study 1 examined support transactions among friends in response to a laboratory stressor and found that objectively judged relationship quality (RQ) more strongly positively predicted emotion-focused support provision behaviors by European Americans than by Asian Americans. Study 2, a questionnaire study, found that self-reported RQ predicted emotion-focused support provision more strongly among European Americans than among Japanese. Study 3 investigated more indirect forms of support and found that RQ more strongly predicted worrying about and monitoring close others enduring stressors and spending time with them without talking about the stressor among Asian Americans compared with European Americans. These findings suggest that RQ is expressed in terms of support provision in culturally normative ways. © 2015 by the Society for Personality and Social Psychology, Inc.

Multilocus analyses indicate a mosaic distribution of hybrid populations in ground squirrels (genus Ictidomys)

PubMed Central

Thompson, Cody W; Anwarali Khan, Faisal Ali; Stangl, Frederick B; Baker, Robert J; Bradley, Robert D

2013-01-01

DNA sequence data from mitochondrial cytochrome-b (Cytb) and Y-linked structural maintenance of chromosomes (SmcY) genes were combined with 478 nuclear loci obtained from amplified fragment length polymorphisms (AFLP) to assess the extent of hybridization and genetic spatial structure of populations in two hybridizing species of ground squirrel (Ictidomys parvidens and Ictidomys tridecemlineatus). Based on AFLP analyses of 134 individuals from 28 populations, 10 populations were identified that possessed hybrid individuals. Overall estimates of FST values revealed strong support for population structure in the Cytb data set; however, analyses of the SmcY gene and the AFLP data indicated ongoing gene flow between species. Pairwise FST comparisons of populations were not significant for the SmcY gene; although they were significant for the Cytb gene, indicating that these populations were structured and that gene flow was minimal. Therefore, gene flow between I. parvidens and I. tridecemlineatus appeared to be restricted to populations that exhibited hybridization. In addition, the fragmented nature of the geographic landscape suggested limited gene flow between populations. As a result, the distributional pattern of interspersed parental and hybrid populations were compatible with a mosaic hybrid zone model. Because ground squirrels display female philopatry and male-biased dispersal, the ecology of these species is compatible with this hypothesis. PMID:24340186

Sequence variation in SORL1 and Dementia risk in Swedes

PubMed Central

Reynolds, Chandra A.; Hong, Mun-Gwan; Eriksson, Ulrika K.; Blennow, Kaj; Johansson, Boo; Malmberg, Bo; Berg, Stig; Gatz, Margaret; Pedersen, Nancy L.; Bennet, Anna M.; Prince, Jonathan A.

2010-01-01

The gene encoding the neuronal sortilin-related receptor SORL1 has been claimed to be associated with Alzheimer Disease by independent groups and across various human populations. We evaluated six genetic markers in SORL1 in a sample of 1558 Swedish dementia cases (including 1270 Alzheimer disease cases) and 2179 controls. For both single marker and haplotype-based analyses we found no strong support for SORL1 as a dementia- or AD-risk modifying gene in our sample in isolation, nor did we observe association with AD/dementia-related traits, including CSF β-amyloid1–42, tau levels, or age-at-onset. However, meta-analyses of markers in this study together with previously published studies on SORL1 encompassing in excess of 13,000 individuals does suggest significant association with AD (best OR 1.097; 95% CI 1.038–1.158, p = 0.001). All six markers were significant in meta-analyses and it is notable that they occur in two distinct LD blocks. These data are consistent with either allelic heterogeneity or the existence of as yet untested functional variants and these will be important considerations in further attempts to evaluate the importance of sequence variation in SORL1 with AD risk. PMID:19653016

Molecular evidence of hybrid zones of Cedrela (Meliaceae) in the Yungas of Northwestern Argentina.

PubMed

Zelener, Noga; Tosto, Daniela; de Oliveira, Luiz Orlando; Soldati, María Cristina; Inza, María Virginia; Fornes, Luis Fernando

2016-09-01

In the Yungas of Northwestern Argentina, three endangered species of Cedrela (C. angustifolia, C. saltensis, and C. balansae) follow altitudinal gradients of distribution with contact zones between them. We sampled 210 individuals from 20 populations that spanned most of Cedrela's geographical range in the Yungas, and used Amplified Fragment Length Polymorphism (AFLP) markers and DNA sequences of the nuclear Internal Transcribed Spacer (ITS) to investigate hybrid zones. Data analyses employed an array of complementary methods, including principal coordinate analyses, Bayesian clustering analyses, maximum likelihood tree-building, and network techniques. Both nuclear molecular systems - AFLP and ITS - provided insights into the evolutionary history of Cedrela in the Yungas in a congruent manner. We uncovered strong support for the occurrence of natural hybridization between C. balansae and C. saltensis. Additionally, we identified hybrid zones in areas of sympatry (at both the Calilegua National Park and the San Andrés farm) and in transition zones from 820 to 1100meters above sea level (localities of Pintascayo and Acambuco). There was no evidence for hybridization of either C. balansae or C. saltensis with C. angustifolia. The role of hybrid populations in conservation and use of genetic resources in the Yungas were discussed. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Phylogeographic analyses of the pampas cat (Leopardus colocola; Carnivora, Felidae) reveal a complex demographic history

PubMed Central

da Silva Santos, Anelisie; Trigo, Tatiane Campos; de Oliveira, Tadeu Gomes; Silveira, Leandro

2018-01-01

Abstract The pampas cat is a small felid that occurs in open habitats throughout much of South America. Previous studies have revealed intriguing patterns of morphological differentiation and genetic structure among its populations, as well as molecular evidence for hybridization with the closely related L. tigrinus. Here we report phylogeographic analyses encompassing most of its distribution (focusing particularly on Brazilian specimens, which had been poorly sampled in previous studies), using a novel dataset comprising 2,143 bp of the mitogenome, along with previously reported mtDNA sequences. Our data revealed strong population strutucture and supported a west-to-east colonization process in this species’ history. We detected two population expansion events, one older (ca. 200 thousand years ago [kya]) in western South America and another more recent (ca. 60-50 kya) in eastern areas, coinciding with the expansion of savanna environments in Brazil. Analyses including L. tigrinus individuals bearing introgressed mtDNA from L. colocola showed a complete lack of shared haplotypes between species, indicating that their hybridization was ancient. Finally, we observed a close relationship between Brazilian/Uruguayan L. colocola haplotypes and those sampled in L. tigrinus, indicating that their hybridization was likely related to the demographic expansion of L. colocola into eastern South America. PMID:29668017

Verbal and non-verbal memory and hippocampal volumes in a memory clinic population.

PubMed

Bonner-Jackson, Aaron; Mahmoud, Shamseldeen; Miller, Justin; Banks, Sarah J

2015-10-15

Better characterization of the relationship between episodic memory and hippocampal volumes is crucial in early detection of neurodegenerative disease. We examined these relationships in a memory clinic population. Participants (n = 226) underwent structural magnetic resonance imaging and tests of verbal (Hopkins Verbal Learning Test-Revised, HVLT-R) and non-verbal (Brief Visuospatial Memory Test-Revised, BVMT-R) memory. Correlational analyses were performed, and analyses on clinical subgroups (i.e., amnestic Mild Cognitive Impairment, non-amnestic Mild Cognitive Impairment, probable Alzheimer's disease, intact memory) were conducted. Positive associations were identified between bilateral hippocampal volumes and both memory measures, and BVMT-R learning slope was more strongly positively associated with hippocampal volumes than HVLT-R learning slope. Amnestic Mild Cognitive Impairment (aMCI) participants showed specific positive associations between BVMT-R performance and hippocampal volumes bilaterally. Additionally, analyses of the aMCI group showed trend-level evidence of material-specific lateralization, such that retention of verbal information was positively associated with left hippocampal volume, whereas learning curve and retention of non-verbal information was positively associated with right hippocampal volume. Findings support the link between episodic memory and hippocampal volumes in a memory clinic population. Non-verbal memory measures also may have higher diagnostic value, particularly in individuals at elevated risk for Alzheimer's disease.

The moderating effect of psychosocial factors in the relation between neighborhood walkability and children's physical activity.

PubMed

D'Haese, Sara; Gheysen, Freja; De Bourdeaudhuij, Ilse; Deforche, Benedicte; Van Dyck, Delfien; Cardon, Greet

2016-12-09

The study aimed to investigate if psychosocial factors moderate the association between objective walkability and different domains of children's physical activity (PA). A second aim of the study was to investigate the direct associations between psychosocial factors and children's PA. Based on previous literature, it was hypothesized that walkability would be more strongly related to PA among children with negative psychosocial profiles. Data were collected between December 2011 and May 2013 as part of the Belgian Environmental Physical Activity Study in children (BEPAS-child). In total, data from 494 children and one of their parents were included in the study. Children wore an accelerometer for 7 consecutive days and together with one of their parents, they completed the Flemish Physical Activity Questionnaire. Parents filled out a questionnaire concerning their child's psychosocial factors toward PA (i.e. parental attitude toward their child's PA, parental social norm toward their child's PA, parental support, friend support, children's self-efficacy, and perceived benefits and barriers toward sports and PA). Neighborhood walkability was calculated using geographical information systems (GIS). Multilevel cross-classified analyses were conducted. Of the 42 investigated interactions between neighborhood walkability and psychosocial factors in relation to PA among children, only 7 significant interactions were found of which 3 were only significant among children from low-income neighborhoods. Parental support and self-efficacy were positive correlates of children's PA in high- and low-income neighborhoods independent of the level of walkability, but effect sizes were small. The hypothesis that walkability would be more strongly related to PA among children with negative psychosocial profiles could not be confirmed and in general, psychosocial factors and objective walkability did not interact in relation to children's PA. Focusing on parental support and self-efficacy towards PA can possibly cause small effects on children's PA in both high- and low-walkable neighborhoods, as well as in high- and low-income neighborhoods.

Socioeconomic correlates of quality of life for non-Māori in advanced age: Te Puāwaitanga o Nga Tapuwae Kia ora Tonu. Life and Living in Advanced Age: a Cohort Study in New Zealand (LiLACS NZ).

PubMed

Kerse, Ngaire; Teh, Ruth; Moyes, Simon A; Dyall, Lorna; Wiles, Janine L; Kēpa, Mere; Wham, Carol; Hayman, Karen; Connolly, Martin; Wilkinson, Tim; Wright St Clair, Valerie; Keeling, Sally; Broad, Joanna; Jatrana, Santosh; Lumley, Thomas

2016-09-09

To establish socioeconomic and cultural profiles and correlates of quality of life (QoL) in non-Māori of advanced age. A cross sectional analysis of the baseline data of a cohort study of 516 non-Māori aged 85 years living in the Bay of Plenty and Rotorua areas of New Zealand. Socioeconomic and cultural characteristics were established by face-to-face interviews in 2010. Health-related QoL (HRQoL) was assessed with the SF-12. Of the 516 non-Māori participants enrolled in the study, 89% identified as New Zealand European, 10% other European, 1% were of Pacific, Asian or Middle Eastern ethnicity; 20% were born overseas and half of these identified as 'New Zealand European.' More men were married (59%) and more women lived alone (63%). While 89% owned their own home, 30% received only the New Zealand Superannuation as income and 22% reported that they had 'just enough to get along on'. More than 85% reported that they had sufficient practical and emotional support; 11% and 6% reported unmet need for practical and emotional support respectively. Multivariate analyses showed that those with unmet needs for practical and emotional support had lower mental HR QoL (p<0.005). Reporting that family were important to wellbeing was associated with higher mental HR QoL (p=0.038). Those that did not need practical help (p=0.047) and those that reported feeling comfortable with their money situation (0.0191) had higher physical HRQoL. High functional status was strongly associated with both high mental and high physical HR QoL (p<0.001). Among our sample of non-Māori people of advanced age, those with unmet support needs reported low HRQoL. Functional status was most strongly associated with mental and physical HRQoL.

Characterization and Evolution of Cell Division and Cell Wall Synthesis Genes in the Bacterial Phyla Verrucomicrobia, Lentisphaerae, Chlamydiae, and Planctomycetes and Phylogenetic Comparison with rRNA Genes▿ †

PubMed Central

Pilhofer, Martin; Rappl, Kristina; Eckl, Christina; Bauer, Andreas Peter; Ludwig, Wolfgang; Schleifer, Karl-Heinz; Petroni, Giulio

2008-01-01

In the past, studies on the relationships of the bacterial phyla Planctomycetes, Chlamydiae, Lentisphaerae, and Verrucomicrobia using different phylogenetic markers have been controversial. Investigations based on 16S rRNA sequence analyses suggested a relationship of the four phyla, showing the branching order Planctomycetes, Chlamydiae, Verrucomicrobia/Lentisphaerae. Phylogenetic analyses of 23S rRNA genes in this study also support a monophyletic grouping and their branching order—this grouping is significant for understanding cell division, since the major bacterial cell division protein FtsZ is absent from members of two of the phyla Chlamydiae and Planctomycetes. In Verrucomicrobia, knowledge about cell division is mainly restricted to the recent report of ftsZ in the closely related genera Prosthecobacter and Verrucomicrobium. In this study, genes of the conserved division and cell wall (dcw) cluster (ddl, ftsQ, ftsA, and ftsZ) were characterized in all verrucomicrobial subdivisions (1 to 4) with cultivable representatives (1 to 4). Sequence analyses and transcriptional analyses in Verrucomicrobia and genome data analyses in Lentisphaerae suggested that cell division is based on FtsZ in all verrucomicrobial subdivisions and possibly also in the sister phylum Lentisphaerae. Comprehensive sequence analyses of available genome data for representatives of Verrucomicrobia, Lentisphaerae, Chlamydiae, and Planctomycetes strongly indicate that their last common ancestor possessed a conserved, ancestral type of dcw gene cluster and an FtsZ-based cell division mechanism. This implies that Planctomycetes and Chlamydiae may have shifted independently to a non-FtsZ-based cell division mechanism after their separate branchings from their last common ancestor with Verrucomicrobia. PMID:18310338

Size and modal analyses of fines and ultrafines from some Apollo 17 samples

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Greene, G. M.; King, D. T., Jr.; Banholzer, G. S., Jr.; King, E. A.

1975-01-01

Scanning electron and optical microscopy techniques have been used to determine the grain-size frequency distributions and morphology-based modal analyses of fine and ultrafine fractions of some Apollo 17 regolith samples. There are significant and large differences between the grain-size frequency distributions of the less than 10-micron size fraction of Apollo 17 samples, but there are no clear relations to the local geologic setting from which individual samples have been collected. This may be due to effective lateral mixing of regolith particles in this size range by micrometeoroid impacts. None of the properties of the frequency distributions support the idea of selective transport of any fine grain-size fraction, as has been proposed by other workers. All of the particle types found in the coarser size fractions also occur in the less than 10-micron particles. In the size range from 105 to 10 microns there is a strong tendency for the percentage of regularly shaped glass to increase as the graphic mean grain size of the less than 1-mm size fraction decreases, both probably being controlled by exposure age.

Concurrent validation of CHIRP, a new instrument for measuring healthcare student attitudes towards interdisciplinary teamwork.

PubMed

Hollar, David; Hobgood, Cherri; Foster, Beverly; Aleman, Marco; Sawning, Susan

2012-01-01

Positive attitudes towards teamwork among health care professionals are critical to patient safety. The purpose of this study is to describe the development and concurrent validation of a new instrument to measure attitudes towards healthcare teamwork that is generalizable across various populations of healthcare students. The Collaborative Healthcare Interdisciplinary Planning (CHIRP) scale was validated against the Readiness for Inter-Professional Learning Scale (RIPLS). Analyses included student (n = 266) demographics, ANOVA, internal consistency, factor analysis, and Rasch analysis. The two instruments correlated at r = .582. The CHIRP showed a multifactorial structure having excellent internal consistency (alpha = .850), with 25 of the 36 scale items loading onto a single Teamwork Attitudes factor. The RIPLS likewise had strong internal consistency (alpha = .796) and a three-factor structure, supporting previous studies of the instrument. However, Rasch analyses showed 14 (38.9%) of the 36 CHIRP items, but only four (21.1%) of the 19 RIPLS items remaining within the satisfactory standardized OUTFIT zone of 2.0 standard deviation units. We propose the 14 fitting items as a new, validated teamwork attitudes scale.

Design, analysis, and test verification of advanced encapsulation systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Garcia, A.; Minning, C.

1981-01-01

Thermal, optical, structural, and electrical isolation analyses are decribed. Major factors in the design of terrestrial photovoltaic modules are discussed. Mechanical defects in the different layers of an encapsulation system, it was found, would strongly influence the minimum pottant thickness required for electrical isolation. Structural, optical, and electrical properties, a literature survey indicated, are hevily influenced by the presence of moisture. These items, identified as technology voids, are discussed. Analyses were based upon a 1.2 meter square module using 10.2 cm (4-inch) square cells placed 1.3 mm apart as shown in Figure 2-2. Sizing of the structural support member of a module was determined for a uniform, normal pressure load of 50 psf, corresponding to the pressure difference generated between the front and back surface of a module by a 100 mph wind. Thermal and optical calculations were performed for a wind velocity of 1 meter/sec parallel to the ground and for module tilt (relative to the local horizontal) of 37 deg. Placement of a module in a typical array field is illustrated.

Design, analysis, and test verification of advanced encapsulation systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Garcia, A.; Minning, C.

1981-11-01

Thermal, optical, structural, and electrical isolation analyses are decribed. Major factors in the design of terrestrial photovoltaic modules are discussed. Mechanical defects in the different layers of an encapsulation system, it was found, would strongly influence the minimum pottant thickness required for electrical isolation. Structural, optical, and electrical properties, a literature survey indicated, are hevily influenced by the presence of moisture. These items, identified as technology voids, are discussed. Analyses were based upon a 1.2 meter square module using 10.2 cm (4-inch) square cells placed 1.3 mm apart as shown in Figure 2-2. Sizing of the structural support member of a module was determined for a uniform, normal pressure load of 50 psf, corresponding to the pressure difference generated between the front and back surface of a module by a 100 mph wind. Thermal and optical calculations were performed for a wind velocity of 1 meter/sec parallel to the ground and for module tilt (relative to the local horizontal) of 37 deg. Placement of a module in a typical array field is illustrated.

Respiratory morbidity of pattern and model makers exposed to wood, plastic, and metal products

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Robins, T.G.; Haboubi, G.; Demers, R.Y.

Pattern and model makers are skilled tradespersons who may be exposed to hardwoods, softwoods, phenol-formaldehyde resin-impregnated woods, epoxy and polyester/styrene resin systems, and welding and metal-casting fumes. The relationship of respiratory symptoms (wheezing, chronic bronchitis, dyspnea) and pulmonary function (FVC% predicted, FEV1% predicted, FEV1/FVC% predicted) with interview-derived cumulative exposure estimates to specific workplace agents and to all work with wood, plastic, or metal products was investigated in 751 pattern and model makers in southeast Michigan. In stratified analyses and age- and smoking-adjusted linear and logistic regression models, measures of cumulative wood exposures were associated with decrements in pulmonary function andmore » dyspnea, but not with other symptoms. In similar analyses, measures of cumulative plastic exposures were associated with wheezing, chronic bronchitis, and dyspnea, but not with decrements in pulmonary function. Prior studies of exposure levels among pattern and model makers and of respiratory health effects of specific agents among other occupational groups support the plausibility of wood-related effects more strongly than that of plastic-related effects.« less

A new Cretaceous-Tertiary boundary locality in the western powder River basin, Wyoming: biological and geological implications

USGS Publications Warehouse

Nichols, D.J.; Brown, J.L.; Attrep, M.; Orth, C.J.

1992-01-01

A newly discovered Cretaceous-Tertiary (K-T) boundary locality in the western Powder River basin, Wyoming, is characterized by a palynologically defined extinction horizon, a fern-spore abundance anomaly, a strong iridium anomaly, and shock-metamorphosed quartz grains. Detailed microstratigraphic analyses show that about one third of the palynoflora (mostly angiosperm pollen) disappeared abruptly, placing the K-T boundary within a distinctive, 1- to 2-cm-thick claystone layer. Shocked quartz grains are concentrated at the top of this layer, and although fern-spore and iridium concentrations are high in this layer, they reach their maximum concentrations in a 2-cm-thick carbonaceous claystone that overlies the boundary claystone layer. The evidence supports the theory that the K-T boundary event was associated with the impact of an extraterrestrial body or bodies. Palynological analyses of samples from the K-T boundary interval document extensive changes in the flora that resulted from the boundary event. The palynologically and geochemically defined K-T boundary provides a unique time-line of use in regional basin analysis. ?? 1992.

A modifier of Huntington's disease onset at the MLH1 locus.

PubMed

Lee, Jong-Min; Chao, Michael J; Harold, Denise; Abu Elneel, Kawther; Gillis, Tammy; Holmans, Peter; Jones, Lesley; Orth, Michael; Myers, Richard H; Kwak, Seung; Wheeler, Vanessa C; MacDonald, Marcy E; Gusella, James F

2017-10-01

Huntington's disease (HD) is a dominantly inherited neurodegenerative disease caused by an expanded CAG repeat in HTT. Many clinical characteristics of HD such as age at motor onset are determined largely by the size of HTT CAG repeat. However, emerging evidence strongly supports a role for other genetic factors in modifying the disease pathogenesis driven by mutant huntingtin. A recent genome-wide association analysis to discover genetic modifiers of HD onset age provided initial evidence for modifier loci on chromosomes 8 and 15 and suggestive evidence for a locus on chromosome 3. Here, genotyping of candidate single nucleotide polymorphisms in a cohort of 3,314 additional HD subjects yields independent confirmation of the former two loci and moves the third to genome-wide significance at MLH1, a locus whose mouse orthologue modifies CAG length-dependent phenotypes in a Htt-knock-in mouse model of HD. Both quantitative and dichotomous association analyses implicate a functional variant on ∼32% of chromosomes with the beneficial modifier effect that delays HD motor onset by 0.7 years/allele. Genomic DNA capture and sequencing of a modifier haplotype localize the functional variation to a 78 kb region spanning the 3'end of MLH1 and the 5'end of the neighboring LRRFIP2, and marked by an isoleucine-valine missense variant in MLH1. Analysis of expression Quantitative Trait Loci (eQTLs) provides modest support for altered regulation of MLH1 and LRRFIP2, raising the possibility that the modifier affects regulation of both genes. Finally, polygenic modification score and heritability analyses suggest the existence of additional genetic modifiers, supporting expanded, comprehensive genetic analysis of larger HD datasets. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Mediolateral force distribution at the knee joint shifts across activities and is driven by tibiofemoral alignment.

PubMed

Kutzner, I; Bender, A; Dymke, J; Duda, G; von Roth, P; Bergmann, G

2017-06-01

Tibiofemoral alignment is important to determine the rate of progression of osteoarthritis and implant survival after total knee arthroplasty (TKA). Normally, surgeons aim for neutral tibiofemoral alignment following TKA, but this has been questioned in recent years. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether varus or valgus alignment indeed leads to increased medial or lateral tibiofemoral forces during static and dynamic weight-bearing activities. Tibiofemoral contact forces and moments were measured in nine patients with instrumented knee implants. Medial force ratios were analysed during nine daily activities, including activities with single-limb support (e.g. walking) and double-limb support (e.g. knee bend). Hip-knee-ankle angles in the frontal plane were analysed using full-leg coronal radiographs. The medial force ratio strongly correlated with the tibiofemoral alignment in the static condition of one-legged stance (R² = 0.88) and dynamic single-limb loading (R² = 0.59) with varus malalignment leading to increased medial force ratios of up to 88%. In contrast, the correlation between leg alignment and magnitude of medial compartment force was much less pronounced. A lateral shift of force occurred during activities with double-limb support and higher knee flexion angles. The medial force ratio depends on both the tibiofemoral alignment and the nature of the activity involved. It cannot be generalised to a single value. Higher medial ratios during single-limb loading are associated with varus malalignment in TKA. The current trend towards a 'constitutional varus' after joint replacement, in terms of overall tibiofemoral alignment, should be considered carefully with respect to the increased medial force ratio. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2017;99-B:779-87. ©2017 The British Editorial Society of Bone & Joint Surgery.

Assessing Species Boundaries Using Multilocus Species Delimitation in a Morphologically Conserved Group of Neotropical Freshwater Fishes, the Poecilia sphenops Species Complex (Poeciliidae)

PubMed Central

Bagley, Justin C.; Alda, Fernando; Breitman, M. Florencia; Bermingham, Eldredge; van den Berghe, Eric P.; Johnson, Jerald B.

2015-01-01

Accurately delimiting species is fundamentally important for understanding species diversity and distributions and devising effective strategies to conserve biodiversity. However, species delimitation is problematic in many taxa, including ‘non-adaptive radiations’ containing morphologically cryptic lineages. Fortunately, coalescent-based species delimitation methods hold promise for objectively estimating species limits in such radiations, using multilocus genetic data. Using coalescent-based approaches, we delimit species and infer evolutionary relationships in a morphologically conserved group of Central American freshwater fishes, the Poecilia sphenops species complex. Phylogenetic analyses of multiple genetic markers (sequences of two mitochondrial DNA genes and five nuclear loci) from 10/15 species and genetic lineages recognized in the group support the P. sphenops species complex as monophyletic with respect to outgroups, with eight mitochondrial ‘major-lineages’ diverged by ≥2% pairwise genetic distances. From general mixed Yule-coalescent models, we discovered (conservatively) 10 species within our concatenated mitochondrial DNA dataset, 9 of which were strongly supported by subsequent multilocus Bayesian species delimitation and species tree analyses. Results suggested species-level diversity is underestimated or overestimated by at least ~15% in different lineages in the complex. Nonparametric statistics and coalescent simulations indicate genealogical discordance among our gene tree results has mainly derived from interspecific hybridization in the nuclear genome. However, mitochondrial DNA show little evidence for introgression, and our species delimitation results appear robust to effects of this process. Overall, our findings support the utility of combining multiple lines of genetic evidence and broad phylogeographical sampling to discover and validate species using coalescent-based methods. Our study also highlights the importance of testing for hybridization versus incomplete lineage sorting, which aids inference of not only species limits but also evolutionary processes influencing genetic diversity. PMID:25849959

Laboratory simulation to support the search for organic molecules at the surface of Mars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Poch, Olivier; Szopa, Cyril; Coll, Patrice; Jaber, Maguy; Georgelin, Thomas; Lambert, Jean-Francois; Stalport, Fabien

The search for organic carbon at the surface of Mars, as clues of past habitability or remnants of life, is a major science goal of Mars’ exploration. Understanding the chemical evolution of organic molecules under current Martian environmental conditions is essential to support the analyses performed in situ. What molecule can be preserved? What is the timescale of organic evolution at the surface? Here we present results of laboratory investigations dedicated to monitor qualitative and quantitative evolutions of several organic molecules under simulated Martian surface ultraviolet incident light, mean ground temperature and pressure, using the Mars Organic Molecules Irradiation and Evolution setup (1) . For each organic molecule studied, the nature of the evolution products (solid or gaseous) and the kinetic parameters (extrapolated half-life at Mars, quantum yields) were experimentally determined. The results show that when exposed to UV radiation, specific organic molecules lead to the formation of solid residues, probably of macromolecular nature, which could reach long term stability. On the other hand, the study of the evolution of molecules in presence of nontronite, a clay mineral detected at the surface of Mars, highlights a strong protective effect of the clay reducing dissociation rates for some molecules, whereas a possible catalytic effect is tentatively observed for one studied molecule. These results are essential to support the analyses performed in situ during the past, current and future exploration missions. Moreover, the experimentally determined kinetic parameters provide new inputs for numerical modeling of current reservoirs of organic molecules on Mars. (1) O. Poch et al., Planetary and Space Science 85, 188-197, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.pss.2013.06.013

Twitter analysis of California's failed campaign to raise the state's tobacco tax by popular vote in 2012.

PubMed

Feng, Miao; Pierce, John P; Szczypka, Glen; Vera, Lisa; Emery, Sherry

2017-07-01

The rapid diffusion of social media in the past decade has allowed community members to sway the discourse on elections. We use analyses of social media to provide insight into why the strong public support 1 year prior to the election did not result in an increased tobacco tax from the 2012 California Proposition 29 vote. Using the Twitter historical Firehose, we chose all tweets on Proposition 29 posted between 1 January and 5 June 2012 differentiating between early and late campaign periods. Tweets were coded for valence, theme and source. We analysed metadata to characterise accounts. Television ratings data in 9 major California media markets were used to show the strength of the 2 campaigns. 'No on 29' launched television advertising earlier and with much higher household gross rating points (GRPs) than the 'Yes on 29' campaign. Among 17 099 relevant tweets from 8769 unique accounts, 53% supported Proposition 29, 27% opposed and 20% were neutral. Just under half (43%) were from accounts affiliated with the campaigns. Two-thirds of campaign messages originated outside California. The 'Yes' campaign focused on simple health messages, which were equally represented in both campaign periods. However, anti-tax tweets increased at relative to pro-tax tweets in the second period. Although the Prop 29 campaigns did not effectively engage the Californian twitter communities, analysis of tweets provided an earlier indication than public polls of the loss of public supporting this election. Prospective Twitter analysis should be added to campaign evaluation strategies. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/.

Assessing species boundaries using multilocus species delimitation in a morphologically conserved group of neotropical freshwater fishes, the Poecilia sphenops species complex (Poeciliidae).

PubMed

Bagley, Justin C; Alda, Fernando; Breitman, M Florencia; Bermingham, Eldredge; van den Berghe, Eric P; Johnson, Jerald B

2015-01-01

Accurately delimiting species is fundamentally important for understanding species diversity and distributions and devising effective strategies to conserve biodiversity. However, species delimitation is problematic in many taxa, including 'non-adaptive radiations' containing morphologically cryptic lineages. Fortunately, coalescent-based species delimitation methods hold promise for objectively estimating species limits in such radiations, using multilocus genetic data. Using coalescent-based approaches, we delimit species and infer evolutionary relationships in a morphologically conserved group of Central American freshwater fishes, the Poecilia sphenops species complex. Phylogenetic analyses of multiple genetic markers (sequences of two mitochondrial DNA genes and five nuclear loci) from 10/15 species and genetic lineages recognized in the group support the P. sphenops species complex as monophyletic with respect to outgroups, with eight mitochondrial 'major-lineages' diverged by ≥2% pairwise genetic distances. From general mixed Yule-coalescent models, we discovered (conservatively) 10 species within our concatenated mitochondrial DNA dataset, 9 of which were strongly supported by subsequent multilocus Bayesian species delimitation and species tree analyses. Results suggested species-level diversity is underestimated or overestimated by at least ~15% in different lineages in the complex. Nonparametric statistics and coalescent simulations indicate genealogical discordance among our gene tree results has mainly derived from interspecific hybridization in the nuclear genome. However, mitochondrial DNA show little evidence for introgression, and our species delimitation results appear robust to effects of this process. Overall, our findings support the utility of combining multiple lines of genetic evidence and broad phylogeographical sampling to discover and validate species using coalescent-based methods. Our study also highlights the importance of testing for hybridization versus incomplete lineage sorting, which aids inference of not only species limits but also evolutionary processes influencing genetic diversity.

Longitudinal relationships between individual and class norms supporting dating violence and perpetration of dating violence.

PubMed

Taylor, Katherine A; Sullivan, Terri N; Farrell, Albert D

2015-03-01

Dating violence is commonly perpetrated in adolescence, making it imperative to understand risk factors in order to inform prevention efforts. Although individual norms supporting dating violence are strongly related to its perpetration, few studies have examined their longitudinal impact. Moreover, the influence of class norms (i.e., norms for students in the same grade, cohort, and school) supporting dating violence on perpetration has rarely been studied. The current study examined longitudinal relationships between individual and class norms supporting dating violence and perpetration of physical and psychological dating violence. Participants were two cohorts of sixth graders from 37 schools who were in dating relationships at Wave 1 and 6 months later at Wave 2 (N = 2,022; 43% female; 52% African American, 21% Latino/a, 20% White, and 7% other). The analyses used a multilevel approach, with students represented at Level 1 and classes (n = 74) at Level 2. The models tested direct effects of Wave 1 individual and class norms supporting dating violence on subsequent changes in perpetration of dating violence at Wave 2 and the extent to which gender moderated these relationships. The findings indicated that greater individual norms supporting male dating violence predicted greater change in perpetration of physical and psychological dating violence and greater individual norms supporting female dating violence predicted greater change in perpetration of psychological dating violence. Greater class norms supporting male dating violence predicted greater change in perpetration of physical dating violence; whereas greater class norms supporting female dating violence predicted less change in perpetration of physical dating violence. These findings highlight the need to address norms in early adolescence.

BcXYG1, a Secreted Xyloglucanase from Botrytis cinerea, Triggers Both Cell Death and Plant Immune Responses.

PubMed

Zhu, Wenjun; Ronen, Mordechi; Gur, Yonatan; Minz-Dub, Anna; Masrati, Gal; Ben-Tal, Nir; Savidor, Alon; Sharon, Itai; Eizner, Elad; Valerius, Oliver; Braus, Gerhard H; Bowler, Kyle; Bar-Peled, Maor; Sharon, Amir

2017-09-01

In search of Botrytis cinerea cell death-inducing proteins, we found a xyloglucanase (BcXYG1) that induced strong necrosis and a resistance response in dicot plants. Expression of the BcXYG1 gene was strongly induced during the first 12 h post inoculation, and analysis of disease dynamics using PathTrack showed that a B. cinerea strain overexpressing BcXYG1 produced early local necrosis, supporting a role of BcXYG1 as an early cell death-inducing factor. The xyloglucanase activity of BcXYG1 was not necessary for the induction of necrosis and plant resistance, as a mutant of BcXYG1 lacking the xyloglucanase enzymatic activity retained both functions. Residues in two exposed loops on the surface of BcXYG1 were found to be necessary for the induction of cell death but not to induce plant resistance. Further analyses showed that BcXYG1 is apoplastic and possibly interacts with the proteins of the plant cell membrane and also that the BcXYG1 cell death-promoting signal is mediated by the leucine-rich repeat receptor-like kinases BAK1 and SOBIR1. Our findings support the role of cell death-inducing proteins in establishing the infection of necrotrophic pathogens and highlight the recognition of fungal apoplastic proteins by the plant immune system as an important mechanism of resistance against this class of pathogens. © 2017 American Society of Plant Biologists. All Rights Reserved.

Development and validation of Big Four personality scales for the Schedule for Nonadaptive and Adaptive Personality--Second Edition (SNAP-2).

PubMed

Calabrese, William R; Rudick, Monica M; Simms, Leonard J; Clark, Lee Anna

2012-09-01

Recently, integrative, hierarchical models of personality and personality disorder (PD)--such as the Big Three, Big Four, and Big Five trait models--have gained support as a unifying dimensional framework for describing PD. However, no measures to date can simultaneously represent each of these potentially interesting levels of the personality hierarchy. To unify these measurement models psychometrically, we sought to develop Big Five trait scales within the Schedule for Nonadaptive and Adaptive Personality--Second Edition (SNAP-2). Through structural and content analyses, we examined relations between the SNAP-2, the Big Five Inventory (BFI), and the NEO Five-Factor Inventory (NEO-FFI) ratings in a large data set (N = 8,690), including clinical, military, college, and community participants. Results yielded scales consistent with the Big Four model of personality (i.e., Neuroticism, Conscientiousness, Introversion, and Antagonism) and not the Big Five, as there were insufficient items related to Openness. Resulting scale scores demonstrated strong internal consistency and temporal stability. Structural validity and external validity were supported by strong convergent and discriminant validity patterns between Big Four scale scores and other personality trait scores and expectable patterns of self-peer agreement. Descriptive statistics and community-based norms are provided. The SNAP-2 Big Four Scales enable researchers and clinicians to assess personality at multiple levels of the trait hierarchy and facilitate comparisons among competing big-trait models. PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved.

Analysis of a Modern Hybrid and an Ancient Sugarcane Implicates a Complex Interplay of Factors in Affecting Recalcitrance to Cellulosic Ethanol Production

PubMed Central

Ricci-Silva, Maria Esther; Rhys Williams, Thomas Christopher; Alves Peçanha, Diego; Contin Ventrella, Marília; Rencoret, Jorge; Ralph, John; Pereira Barbosa, Márcio Henrique; Loureiro, Marcelo

2015-01-01

Abundant evidence exists to support a role for lignin as an important element in biomass recalcitrance. However, several independent studies have also shown that factors apart from lignin are also relevant and overall, the relative importance of different recalcitrance traits remains in dispute. In this study we used two genetically distant sugarcane genotypes, and performed a correlational study with the variation in anatomical parameters, cell wall composition, and recalcitrance factors between these genotypes. In addition we also tracked alterations in these characteristics in internodes at different stages of development. Significant differences in the development of the culm between the genotypes were associated with clear differential distributions of lignin content and composition that were not correlated with saccharification and fermentation yield. Given the strong influence of the environment on lignin content and composition, we hypothesized that sampling within a single plant could allow us to more easily interpret recalcitrance and changes in lignin biosynthesis than analysing variations between different genotypes with extensive changes in plant morphology and culm anatomy. The syringyl/guaiacyl (S/G) ratio was higher in the oldest internode of the modern genotype, but S/G ratio was not correlated with enzymatic hydrolysis yield nor fermentation efficiency. Curiously we observed a strong positive correlation between ferulate ester level and cellulose conversion efficiency. Together, these data support the hypothesis that biomass enzymatic hydrolysis recalcitrance is governed by a quantitative heritage rather than a single trait. PMID:26252208

Development and Validation of Big Four Personality Scales for the Schedule for Nonadaptive and Adaptive Personality-2nd Edition (SNAP-2)

PubMed Central

Calabrese, William R.; Rudick, Monica M.; Simms, Leonard J.; Clark, Lee Anna

2012-01-01

Recently, integrative, hierarchical models of personality and personality disorder (PD)—such as the Big Three, Big Four and Big Five trait models—have gained support as a unifying dimensional framework for describing PD. However, no measures to date can simultaneously represent each of these potentially interesting levels of the personality hierarchy. To unify these measurement models psychometrically, we sought to develop Big Five trait scales within the Schedule for Adaptive and Nonadaptive Personality–2nd Edition (SNAP-2). Through structural and content analyses, we examined relations between the SNAP-2, Big Five Inventory (BFI), and NEO-Five Factor Inventory (NEO-FFI) ratings in a large data set (N = 8,690), including clinical, military, college, and community participants. Results yielded scales consistent with the Big Four model of personality (i.e., Neuroticism, Conscientiousness, Introversion, and Antagonism) and not the Big Five as there were insufficient items related to Openness. Resulting scale scores demonstrated strong internal consistency and temporal stability. Structural and external validity was supported by strong convergent and discriminant validity patterns between Big Four scale scores and other personality trait scores and expectable patterns of self-peer agreement. Descriptive statistics and community-based norms are provided. The SNAP-2 Big Four Scales enable researchers and clinicians to assess personality at multiple levels of the trait hierarchy and facilitate comparisons among competing “Big Trait” models. PMID:22250598

Combination Social Protection for Reducing HIV-Risk Behavior Among Adolescents in South Africa.

PubMed

Cluver, Lucie D; Orkin, F Mark; Yakubovich, Alexa R; Sherr, Lorraine

2016-05-01

Social protection (ie, cash transfers, free schools, parental support) has potential for adolescent HIV prevention. We aimed to identify which social protection interventions are most effective and whether combined social protection has greater effects in South Africa. In this prospective longitudinal study, we interviewed 3516 adolescents aged 10-18 between 2009 and 2012. We sampled all homes with a resident adolescent in randomly selected census areas in 4 urban and rural sites in 2 South African provinces. We measured household receipt of 14 social protection interventions and incidence of HIV-risk behaviors. Using gender-disaggregated multivariate logistic regression and marginal effects analyses, we assessed respective contributions of interventions and potential combination effects. Child-focused grants, free schooling, school feeding, teacher support, and parental monitoring were independently associated with reduced HIV-risk behavior incidence (odds ratio: 0.10-0.69). Strong effects of combination social protection were shown, with cumulative reductions in HIV-risk behaviors. For example, girls' predicted past-year incidence of economically driven sex dropped from 11% with no interventions to 2% among those with a child grant, free school, and good parental monitoring. Similarly, girls' incidence of unprotected/casual sex or multiple partners dropped from 15% with no interventions to 10% with either parental monitoring or school feeding, and to 7% with both interventions. In real world, high-epidemic conditions, "combination social protection," shows strong HIV prevention effects for adolescents and may maximize prevention efforts.

Attractive Interactions between Heteroallenes and the Cucurbituril Portal.

PubMed

Reany, Ofer; Li, Amanda; Yefet, Maayan; Gilson, Michael K; Keinan, Ehud

2017-06-21

In this paper, we report on the noteworthy attractive interaction between organic azides and the portal carbonyls of cucurbiturils. Five homologous bis-α,ω-azidoethylammonium alkanes were prepared, where the number of methylene groups between the ammonium groups ranges from 4 to 8. Their interactions with cucurbit[6]uril were studied by NMR spectroscopy, IR spectroscopy, X-ray crystallography, and computational methods. Remarkably, while the distance between the portal plane and most atoms at the guest end groups increases progressively with the molecular size, the β-nitrogen atoms maintain a constant distance from the portal plane in all homologues, pointing at a strong attractive interaction between the azide group and the portal. Both crystallography and NMR support a specific electrostatic interaction between the carbonyl and the azide β-nitrogen, which stabilizes the canonical resonance form with positive charge on the β-nitrogen and negative charge on the γ-nitrogen. Quantum computational analyses strongly support electrostatics, in the form of orthogonal dipole-dipole interaction, as the main driver for this attraction. The alternative mechanism of n → π* orbital delocalization does not seem to play a significant role in this interaction. The computational studies also indicate that the interaction is not limited to azides, but generalizes to other isoelectronic heteroallene functions, such as isocyanate and isothiocyanate. This essentially unexploited attractive interaction could be more broadly utilized as a tool not only in relation to cucurbituril chemistry, but also for the design of novel supramolecular architectures.

The lived experiences of autonomous Angolan midwives working in midwifery-led, maternity units.

PubMed

Pettersson, K O; Svensson, M L; Christensson, K

2001-06-01

to describe the lived experiences of autonomous midwives working in Angolan midwifery-led maternity units. a qualitative approach using semi-structured, audiotaped interviews, in Portugese. Data were analysed in a six-step process. three midwifery-led maternity units in the most densely populated suburbs in the capital of Angola, Luanda. The average number of deliveries per unit was 2500 per year. 11 midwives from the three maternity units. four main areas emerged: society/culture, significant others, personal self and professional self. Sub-areas, concepts and supporting statements were defined in each area. the midwives served within a population living in rough circumstances but which maintained strong traditional roots. The midwives did not support homebirths, but did assist when needed. The midwives described their professional role as a 'calling', which was very independent. Cure, was considered more important than care, and strong emotions were expressed when discussing cases of failure. The partograph was viewed as an important instrument and continuous learning as crucial in their role as autonomous midwives. the model of a midwifery-led delivery unit described in this study may be used in other countries facing the same problems as Angola. Difficulties concerning transfer should be seriously considered as well as adequate education for the midwives. A pre-requisite in order for peripheral maternity units to have any impact on maternal morbidity and mortality, is a well-organised first-referral level. Copyright 2001 Harcourt Publishers Ltd.

The need to know: The information needs of parents of infants with an intellectual disability-a qualitative study.

PubMed

Douglas, Tracy; Redley, Bernice; Ottmann, Goetz

2017-11-01

The aim of this study was to explore the information needs of parents of infants with an intellectual disability in the first year of life. Parents whose infant has an intellectual disability need access to information if they are to facilitate optimal care for their child. A lack of timely, accurate information provision by health professionals, particularly nurses and midwives, can increase parental stress and hinder access to the supports they and their infant require. A qualitative descriptive methodology was used for the study. Qualitative interviews were undertaken with parents of 11 children with intellectual disabilities in Victoria, Australia in 2014. Data were analysed using descriptive thematic analysis. Parents experienced challenges accessing quality information during the first year of their child's life. Parents required incremental information provision to build a strong knowledge base to facilitate optimal care for their infants. Three types of knowledge were identified as crucial for parents: knowledge about (1) the infant's condition; (2) the infant's specific needs and (3) available supports and services. Health professionals were the key resource to access this information. Health professionals' responsibilities include providing relevant, timely information to parents of infants with intellectual disabilities. This study conceptualises three types of information parents need to develop a strong knowledge base to guide their infant's care and provides guidance concerning the optimal timing for the delivery of information. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Efficacy of prone position in acute respiratory distress syndrome patients: A pathophysiology-based review

PubMed Central

Koulouras, Vasilios; Papathanakos, Georgios; Papathanasiou, Athanasios; Nakos, Georgios

2016-01-01

Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is a syndrome with heterogeneous underlying pathological processes. It represents a common clinical problem in intensive care unit patients and it is characterized by high mortality. The mainstay of treatment for ARDS is lung protective ventilation with low tidal volumes and positive end-expiratory pressure sufficient for alveolar recruitment. Prone positioning is a supplementary strategy available in managing patients with ARDS. It was first described 40 years ago and it proves to be in alignment with two major ARDS pathophysiological lung models; the “sponge lung” - and the “shape matching” -model. Current evidence strongly supports that prone positioning has beneficial effects on gas exchange, respiratory mechanics, lung protection and hemodynamics as it redistributes transpulmonary pressure, stress and strain throughout the lung and unloads the right ventricle. The factors that individually influence the time course of alveolar recruitment and the improvement in oxygenation during prone positioning have not been well characterized. Although patients’ response to prone positioning is quite variable and hard to predict, large randomized trials and recent meta-analyses show that prone position in conjunction with a lung-protective strategy, when performed early and in sufficient duration, may improve survival in patients with ARDS. This pathophysiology-based review and recent clinical evidence strongly support the use of prone positioning in the early management of severe ARDS systematically and not as a rescue maneuver or a last-ditch effort. PMID:27152255

Are Tobacco Dependence and Withdrawal Related Amongst Heavy Smokers? Relevance to Conceptualizations of Dependence

PubMed Central

Baker, Timothy B.; Piper, Megan E.; Schlam, Tanya R.; Cook, Jessica W.; Smith, Stevens S.; Loh, Wei-Yin; Bolt, Daniel

2013-01-01

Measured tobacco dependence is typically only modestly related to tobacco withdrawal severity amongst regular smokers making a quit attempt. The weak association between dependence and withdrawal is notable because it conflicts with core theories of dependence and because both measures predict cessation outcomes, suggesting they both index a common dependence construct. This study used data from a smoking cessation comparative effectiveness trial (N = 1504) to characterize relations of tobacco dependence with craving and negative affect withdrawal symptoms using multiple dependence measures and analytic methods to detect both additive and interactive effects and to determine whether withdrawal meaningfully mediates the influence of dependence on smoking cessation. We conclude: (1) while univariate analyses suggest dependence and withdrawal measures are only modestly interrelated, more powerful analytic techniques show they are, in fact, meaningfully related and their shared variance is associated with cessation likelihood; (2) there are clear differences between craving and negative affective withdrawal symptoms, with the former more related to smoking heaviness and the latter related to trait measures of negative affect; moreover, craving more strongly mediates dependence effects on cessation; (3) both craving and negative affect withdrawal symptoms are strongly related to a pattern of regular smoking that is sensitive to the passage of time and powerfully affected by smoking cues. These findings support models that accord an important role for associative processes and withdrawal symptoms, especially craving, in drug dependence. The findings also support the use of withdrawal variables as criteria for the evaluation of dependence measures. PMID:22642839

Phylogenomics of Phrynosomatid Lizards: Conflicting Signals from Sequence Capture versus Restriction Site Associated DNA Sequencing

PubMed Central

Leaché, Adam D.; Chavez, Andreas S.; Jones, Leonard N.; Grummer, Jared A.; Gottscho, Andrew D.; Linkem, Charles W.

2015-01-01

Sequence capture and restriction site associated DNA sequencing (RADseq) are popular methods for obtaining large numbers of loci for phylogenetic analysis. These methods are typically used to collect data at different evolutionary timescales; sequence capture is primarily used for obtaining conserved loci, whereas RADseq is designed for discovering single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) suitable for population genetic or phylogeographic analyses. Phylogenetic questions that span both “recent” and “deep” timescales could benefit from either type of data, but studies that directly compare the two approaches are lacking. We compared phylogenies estimated from sequence capture and double digest RADseq (ddRADseq) data for North American phrynosomatid lizards, a species-rich and diverse group containing nine genera that began diversifying approximately 55 Ma. Sequence capture resulted in 584 loci that provided a consistent and strong phylogeny using concatenation and species tree inference. However, the phylogeny estimated from the ddRADseq data was sensitive to the bioinformatics steps used for determining homology, detecting paralogs, and filtering missing data. The topological conflicts among the SNP trees were not restricted to any particular timescale, but instead were associated with short internal branches. Species tree analysis of the largest SNP assembly, which also included the most missing data, supported a topology that matched the sequence capture tree. This preferred phylogeny provides strong support for the paraphyly of the earless lizard genera Holbrookia and Cophosaurus, suggesting that the earless morphology either evolved twice or evolved once and was subsequently lost in Callisaurus. PMID:25663487

Oxidative coupling of methane over supported La{sub 2}O{sub 3} and La-promoted MgO catalysts: Influence of catalyst-support interactions

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Choudhary, V.R.; Mulla, S.A.R.; Uphade, B.S.

1997-06-01

Methane-to-C{sub 2}-hydrocarbon conversion activity and selectivity (or yield) of MgO and La-promoted MgO catalysts in the oxidative coupling of methane and strong basicity of the catalysts are decreased appreciably when these catalysts are deposited on commonly used commercial low surface area porous catalyst carriers containing Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}, SiO{sub 2}, SiC, or ZrO{sub 2} + HfO{sub 2} as the main components. The decrease in the strong basicity and catalytic activity/selectivity or yield is mostly due to strong chemical interactions between the active catalyst component (viz., MgO and La{sub 2}O{sub 3}) and the reactive components of the catalyst support (viz., Al{submore » 2}O{sub 3} and SiO{sub 2}), resulting in the formation of catalytically inactive binary metal oxides on the support surface. However, the influence of support on the activity/selectivity of La{sub 2}O{sub 3} is relatively very small, and also the chemical interactions of La{sub 2}O{sub 3} with the supports (except that containing a high concentration of SiO{sub 2}) are almost absent. The catalyst-support interactions are thus found to be strongly dependent upon the nature (chemical composition) of both catalyst and support. For developing better supported catalysts for the oxidative coupling of methane, supported La{sub 2}O{sub 3} with some promoters shows high promise.« less