Causes and remedies for the dominant risk factors in Enterprise System implementation projects: the consultants' perspective.

PubMed

Lech, Przemysław

2016-01-01

The purpose of this research was to investigate the causes of the dominant risk factors, affecting Enterprise System implementation projects and propose remedies for those risk factors from the perspective of implementation consultants. The study used a qualitative research strategy, based on e-mail interviews, semi-structured personal interviews with consultants and participant observation during implementation projects. The main contribution of this paper is that it offers viable indications of how to mitigate the dominant risk factors. These indications were grouped into the following categories: stable project scope, smooth communication supported by the project management, dedicated, competent and decision-making client team, competent and engaged consultant project manager, schedule and budget consistent with the project scope, use of methodology and procedures, enforced and enabled by the project managers, competent and dedicated consultants. A detailed description is provided for each category.

A novel framework for improvement of road accidents considering decision-making styles of drivers in a large metropolitan area.

PubMed

Azadeh, Ali; Zarrin, Mansour; Hamid, Mehdi

2016-02-01

Road accidents can be caused by different factors such as human factors. Quality of the decision-making process of drivers could have a considerable impact on preventing disasters. The main objective of this study is the analysis of factors affecting road accidents by considering the severity of accidents and decision-making styles of drivers. To this end, a novel framework is proposed based on data envelopment analysis (DEA) and statistical methods (SMs) to assess the factors affecting road accidents. In this study, for the first time, dominant decision-making styles of drivers with respect to severity of injuries are identified. To show the applicability of the proposed framework, this research employs actual data of more than 500 samples in Tehran, Iran. The empirical results indicate that the flexible decision style is the dominant style for both minor and severe levels of accident injuries. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Spatial Characteristics and Driving Factors of Provincial Wastewater Discharge in China

PubMed Central

Chen, Kunlun; Liu, Xiaoqiong; Ding, Lei; Huang, Gengzhi; Li, Zhigang

2016-01-01

Based on the increasing pressure on the water environment, this study aims to clarify the overall status of wastewater discharge in China, including the spatio-temporal distribution characteristics of wastewater discharge and its driving factors, so as to provide reference for developing “emission reduction” strategies in China and discuss regional sustainable development and resources environment policies. We utilized the Exploratory Spatial Data Analysis (ESDA) method to analyze the characteristics of the spatio-temporal distribution of the total wastewater discharge among 31 provinces in China from 2002 to 2013. Then, we discussed about the driving factors, affected the wastewater discharge through the Logarithmic Mean Divisia Index (LMDI) method and classified those driving factors. Results indicate that: (1) the total wastewater discharge steadily increased, based on the social economic development, with an average growth rate of 5.3% per year; the domestic wastewater discharge is the main source of total wastewater discharge, and the amount of domestic wastewater discharge is larger than the industrial wastewater discharge. There are many spatial differences of wastewater discharge among provinces via the ESDA method. For example, provinces with high wastewater discharge are mainly the developed coastal provinces such as Jiangsu Province and Guangdong Province. Provinces and their surrounding areas with low wastewater discharge are mainly the undeveloped ones in Northwest China; (2) The dominant factors affecting wastewater discharge are the economy and technological advance; The secondary one is the efficiency of resource utilization, which brings about the unstable effect; population plays a less important role in wastewater discharge. The dominant driving factors affecting wastewater discharge among 31 provinces are divided into three types, including two-factor dominant type, three-factor leading type and four-factor antagonistic type. In addition, the proposals aimed at reducing the wastewater discharge are provided on the basis of these three types. PMID:27941698

Factors of the Psychopathic Personality Inventory: Criterion-Related Validity and Relationship to the BIS/BAS and Five-Factor Models of Personality

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ross, Scott R.; Benning, Stephen D.; Patrick, Christopher J.; Thompson, Angela; Thurston, Amanda

2009-01-01

Psychopathy is a personality disorder that includes interpersonal-affective and antisocial deviance features. The Psychopathic Personality Inventory (PPI) contains two underlying factors (fearless dominance and impulsive antisociality) that may differentially tap these two sets of features. In a mixed-gender sample of undergraduates and prisoners,…

Pilot- and bench-scale testing of faecal indicator bacteria survival in marine beach sand near point sources.

PubMed

Mika, K B; Imamura, G; Chang, C; Conway, V; Fernandez, G; Griffith, J F; Kampalath, R A; Lee, C M; Lin, C-C; Moreno, R; Thompson, S; Whitman, R L; Jay, J A

2009-07-01

Factors affecting faecal indicator bacteria (FIB) and pathogen survival/persistence in sand remain largely unstudied. This work elucidates how biological and physical factors affect die-off in beach sand following sewage spills. Solar disinfection with mechanical mixing was pilot-tested as a disinfection procedure after a large sewage spill in Los Angeles. Effects of solar exposure, mechanical mixing, predation and/or competition, season, and moisture were tested at bench scale. First-order decay constants for Escherichia coli ranged between -0.23 and -1.02 per day, and for enterococci between -0.5 and -1.0 per day. Desiccation was a dominant factor for E. coli but not enterococci inactivation. Effects of season were investigated through a comparison of experimental results from winter, spring, and fall. Moisture was the dominant factor controlling E. coli inactivation kinetics. Initial microbial community and sand temperature were also important factors. Mechanical mixing, common in beach grooming, did not consistently reduce bacterial levels. Inactivation rates are mainly dependent on moisture and high sand temperature. Chlorination was an effective disinfection treatment in sand microcosms inoculated with raw influent.

Whole Exome Sequencing in Dominant Cataract Identifies a New Causative Factor, CRYBA2, and a Variety of Novel Alleles in Known Genes

PubMed Central

Reis, Linda M.; Tyler, Rebecca C.; Muheisen, Sanaa; Raggio, Victor; Salviati, Leonardo; Han, Dennis P.; Costakos, Deborah; Yonath, Hagith; Hall, Sarah; Power, Patricia; Semina, Elena V.

2013-01-01

Pediatric cataracts are observed in 1–15 per 10,000 births with 10–25% of cases attributed to genetic causes; autosomal dominant inheritance is the most commonly observed pattern. Since the specific cataract phenotype is not sufficient to predict which gene is mutated, whole exome sequencing (WES) was utilized to concurrently screen all known cataract genes and to examine novel candidate factors for a disease-causing mutation in probands from 23 pedigrees affected with familial dominant cataract. Review of WES data for 36 known cataract genes identified causative mutations in nine pedigrees (39%) in CRYAA, CRYBB1, CRYBB3, CRYGC (2), CRYGD, GJA8 (2), and MIP and an additional likely causative mutation in EYA1; the CRYBB3 mutation represents the first dominant allele in this gene and demonstrates incomplete penetrance. Examination of crystallin genes not yet linked to human disease identified a novel cataract gene, CRYBA2, a member of the βγ-crystallin superfamily. The p.(Val50Met) mutation in CRYBA2 cosegregated with disease phenotype in a four-generation pedigree with autosomal dominant congenital cataracts with incomplete penetrance. Expression studies detected cryba2 transcripts during early lens development in zebrafish, supporting its role in congenital disease. Our data highlight the extreme genetic heterogeneity of dominant cataract as the eleven causative/likely causative mutations affected nine different genes and the majority of mutant alleles were novel. Furthermore, these data suggest that less than half of dominant cataract can be explained by mutations in currently known genes. PMID:23508780

The influence of motivation and attentional style on affective, cognitive, and behavioral outcomes of an exercise class.

PubMed

Jones, L; Karageorghis, C I; Lane, A M; Bishop, D T

2017-01-01

Exercise classes are a popular form of physical activity. A greater understanding of the individual difference factors that might influence the outcomes of such classes could help to minimize the high dropout rates associated with exercise. The study explored the effects of dominant attentional style and degree of self-determination on affective, cognitive, and behavioral outcomes following structured exercise classes. Data from 417 female participants revealed that those with a dominant attentional style for association (Associators) reported significantly (P < 0.05) more positive affective, cognitive, and behavioral outcomes than did Dissociators, and were more self-determined. Highly self-determined individuals reported the most positive outcomes. Almost 29% of the variance in participants' affective valence could be explained by Dissociators' behavioral regulations. Results lend support to the notion that attentional style is associated with motivation. The combination of attentional style and degree of self-determination appear to be noteworthy individual difference factors that influence responses to exercise classes and could thus have a bearing on long-term exercise adherence. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Implicit vs. explicit dimensions of guilt and dominance in criminal psychopathy.

PubMed

Nentjes, Lieke; Bernstein, David P; Cima, Maaike; Wiers, Reinout W

The current study investigated the relationship between psychopathy and two concepts that hold a central position in conceptualizations of this disorder, being guilt and dominance. Both constructs were measured using explicit measures (i.e., self-report), as well as indirect assessment (i.e., the Single Category Implicit Association Test; Sc-IAT). Our sample consisted of 43 psychopathic offenders, 42 nonpsychopathic offenders, and 26 nonoffender controls. Although no overall group differences emerged, the lifestyle/antisocial traits of psychopathy (Factor 2) predicted reduced self-reported guilt on a dimensional level. As hypothesized, such a relationship was absent for the interpersonal/affective dimension of psychopathy (Factor 1). Psychopathy was unrelated to implicit self-guilt associations. Regarding dominance, psychopathy was not significantly associated with indirectly or explicitly assessed dominance. These findings are interpreted in the light of empirical knowledge on moral emotions, insight and response distortion in highly antisocial offenders. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Breaking Up That Old Gang: Male-Female Conflict on the Job.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Meyer, Jan

Comparing cultural conceptions of sexism to those of racism, this paper identifies lack of contact, social invisibility, ethnocentrism, competition, and unequal power as factors that negatively affect women in the work place. Possible female responses to these factors include: (1) acquiescence to male dominance; (2) aggression; (3) acting and…

Priming Interpretations: Contextual Impact on the Processing of Garden Path Jokes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mayerhofer, Bastian; Maier, Katja; Schacht, Annekathrin

2016-01-01

In garden path (GP) jokes, a first dominant interpretation is detected as incoherent and subsequently substituted by a hidden joke interpretation. Two important factors for the processing of GP jokes are salience of the initial interpretation and accessibility of the hidden interpretation. Both factors are assumed to be affected by contextual…

Identification of dominating factors affecting vadose zone vulnerability by a simulation method

PubMed Central

Li, Juan; Xi, Beidou; Cai, Wutian; Yang, Yang; Jia, Yongfeng; Li, Xiang; Lv, Yonggao; Lv, Ningqing; Huan, Huan; Yang, Jinjin

2017-01-01

The characteristics of vadose zone vulnerability dominating factors (VDFs) are closely related to the migration and transformation mechanisms of contaminants in the vadose zone, which directly affect the state of the contaminants percolating to the groundwater. This study analyzes the hydrogeological profile of the pore water regions in the vadose zone, and conceptualizes the vadose zone as single lithologic, double lithologic, or multi lithologic. To accurately determine how the location of the pollution source influences the groundwater, we classify the permeabilities (thicknesses) of different media into clay-layer and non-clay-layer permeabilities (thicknesses), and introduce the maximum pollution thickness. Meanwhile, the physicochemical reactions of the contaminants in the vadose zone are represented by the soil adsorption and soil degradability. The VDFs are determined from the factors and parameters in groundwater vulnerability assessment. The VDFs are identified and sequenced in simulations and a sensitivity analysis. When applied to three polluted sites in China, the method improved the weighting of factors in groundwater vulnerability assessment, and increased the reliability of predicting groundwater vulnerability to contaminants. PMID:28387232

Spatial and Temporal Distribution of Non-Biting Midge Larvae Assemblages in Streams in a Mountainous Region in Southern Brazil

PubMed Central

Floss, Elzira Cecília Serafini; Secretti, Elisangela; Kotzian, Carla Bender; Spies, Marcia Regina; Pires, Mateus Marques

2013-01-01

The spatial and temporal structure of non-biting midge (Diptera: Chironomidae) larvae assemblages and some environmental factors that affect their distribution were analyzed in a montane river and its tributaries in a temperate climate region of southernmost Brazil. In total, 69 taxa were recorded after four seasonal samplings (winter, spring, summer, and autumn). The dominant taxa were Rheotanytarsus sp. 1, Rheotanytarsus sp. 2, Cricotopus sp. 2, and Polypedilum (Polypedilum) sp., although dominance varied among the four sampling sites. The variations in dominance, abundance, and richness among the different sites were affected by environmental characteristics, such as the presence of marginal vegetation and a heterogeneous substratum, and also by human activities. Strictly environmental factors, such as altitude, and factors related to annual weather patterns, such as mean temperature and precipitation, influenced the spatial and temporal distribution of certain taxa and the structure of faunal assemblages. The influence of the riparian vegetation and riverbed heterogeneity on the composition, richness, and abundance of the chironomid larvae assemblages indicates that human activities, such as deforestation and the construction of dams, constitute a serious threat to the conservation of these insects and to the fauna that depends on them for food. PMID:24784953

The Relative Salience of Daily and Enduring Influences on Off-Job Reactions to Work Stress.

PubMed

Calderwood, Charles; Ackerman, Phillip L

2016-12-01

Work stress is an important determinant of employee health and wellness. The occupational health community is recognizing that one contributor to these relationships may be the presence of negative off-job reactivity to work, which we argue involves continued thoughts directed towards work (cognitive reactivity), continued negative mood stemming from work (affective reactivity), and the alteration of post-work behaviours in response to work factors (behavioural reactivity). We explored the relative contributions of daily work stressors, affective traits, and subjective job stress perceptions to negative off-job reactivity. These relationships were evaluated in a study of hospital nurses (n = 75), who completed trait measures and then provided self-assessments of daily work stress and off-job reactions for four work days. The results of several multilevel analyses indicated that a main-effects model best described the data when predicting cognitive, affective, and behavioural reactivity from daily work stressors, affective traits, and subjective job stress perceptions. A series of multilevel dominance analyses revealed that subjective job stress perceptions dominated the prediction of behavioural reactivity, while trait negative affect dominated the prediction of affective reactivity. Theoretical implications and the relative salience of daily and enduring contributors to negative off-job reactivity are discussed. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Pilot- and bench-scale testing of faecal indicator bacteria survival in marine beach sand near point sources

USGS Publications Warehouse

Mika, K.B.; Imamura, G.; Chang, C.; Conway, V.; Fernandez, G.; Griffith, J.F.; Kampalath, R.A.; Lee, C.M.; Lin, C.-C.; Moreno, R.; Thompson, S.; Whitman, R.L.; Jay, J.A.

2009-01-01

Aim: Factors affecting faecal indicator bacteria (FIB) and pathogen survival/persistence in sand remain largely unstudied. This work elucidates how biological and physical factors affect die-off in beach sand following sewage spills. Methods and Results: Solar disinfection with mechanical mixing was pilot-tested as a disinfection procedure after a large sewage spill in Los Angeles. Effects of solar exposure, mechanical mixing, predation and/or competition, season, and moisture were tested at bench scale. First-order decay constants for Escherichia coli ranged between -0??23 and -1??02 per day, and for enterococci between -0??5 and -1??0 per day. Desiccation was a dominant factor for E. coli but not enterococci inactivation. Effects of season were investigated through a comparison of experimental results from winter, spring, and fall. Conclusions: Moisture was the dominant factor controlling E. coli inactivation kinetics. Initial microbial community and sand temperature were also important factors. Mechanical mixing, common in beach grooming, did not consistently reduce bacterial levels. Significance and Impact of the Study: Inactivation rates are mainly dependent on moisture and high sand temperature. Chlorination was an effective disinfection treatment in sand microcosms inoculated with raw influent. ?? 2009 The Society for Applied Microbiology.

Decomposition of Phragmites australis rhizomes in artificial land-water transitional zones (ALWTZs) and management implications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Han, Zhen; Cui, Baoshan; Zhang, Yongtao

2015-09-01

Rhizomes are essential organs for growth and expansion of Phragmites australis. They function as an important source of organic matter and as a nutrient source, especially in the artificial land-water transitional zones (ALWTZs) of shallow lakes. In this study, decomposition experiments on 1- to 6-year-old P. australis rhizomes were conducted in the ALWTZ of Lake Baiyangdian to evaluate the contribution of the rhizomes to organic matter accumulation and nutrient release. Mass loss and changes in nutrient content were measured after 3, 7, 15, 30, 60, 90, 120, and 180 days. The decomposition process was modeled with a composite exponential model. The Pearson correlation analysis was used to analyze the relationships between mass loss and litter quality factors. A multiple stepwise regression model was utilized to determine the dominant factors that affect mass loss. Results showed that the decomposition rates in water were significantly higher than those in soil for 1- to 6-year-old rhizomes. However, the sequence of decomposition rates was identical in both water and soil. Significant relationships between mass loss and litter quality factors were observed at a later stage, and P-related factors proved to have a more significant impact than N-related factors on mass loss. According to multiple stepwise models, the C/P ratio was found to be the dominant factor affecting the mass loss in water, and the C/N and C/P ratios were the main factors affecting the mass loss in soil. The combined effects of harvesting, ditch broadening, and control of water depth should be considered for lake administrators.

Factors affecting waste generation: a study in a waste management program in Dhaka City, Bangladesh.

PubMed

Afroz, Rafia; Hanaki, Keisuke; Tudin, Rabaah

2011-08-01

Information on waste generation, socioeconomic characteristics, and willingness of the households to separate waste was obtained from interviews with 402 respondents in Dhaka city. Ordinary least square regression was used to determine the dominant factors that might influence the waste generation of the households. The results showed that the waste generation of the households in Dhaka city was significantly affected by household size, income, concern about the environment, and willingness to separate the waste. These factors are necessary to effectively improve waste management, growth and performance, as well as to reduce the environmental degradation of the household waste.

Factors affecting trip generation of motorcyclist for the purpose of non-mandatory activities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Anggraini, Renni; Sugiarto, Sugiarto; Pramanda, Heru

2017-11-01

The inadequate facilities and limited access to public transport reflect many people using private vehicles, in particular, motorcycle. The motorcycle is most widely used in Indonesia, recently, including Aceh Province. As a result, the number of motorcycle ownership is increasing significantly. The increasing number of motorcycles leads to complex traffic problems. Several factors tend to affect the trip generation of the motorcyclist, i.e., the social demographics of individuals and families, accessibility, etc. This study aims to analyze the characteristics of motorcyclists for non-mandatory activities, i.e. activities other than to work and school. It also aims to determine the dominant factors that affect their trips through trip generation models. The required data consist of primary data and secondary data. Primary data consists of a home interview survey that collects individual's daily trips. It is conducted by distributing the questionnaires to 400 families residing in Lhokseumawe City. Modeling the trip generation of the motorcyclist is done by multiple linear regression analysis. Parameters calibration uses OLS (Ordinary Least Square) method. The results showed that the dominant variables that affect the trip generation of motorcyclist for non-mandatory activities are license ownership, housewife, school-age children, middle-income household, and lower education level. It can be concluded that some factors affecting trip generation to non-work activities were female motorcyclists from the middle-income household with lower education level. As their status is mostly as the housewife, escorting children to non-school activities seems to the mother's task, instead of the father. It is clear that, most female ride motorcycle for doing household tasks. However, it should be noted that the use of the motorcycle in long-term does not suit for sustainable transportation.

Catchment process affecting drinking water quality, including the significance of rainfall events, using factor analysis and event mean concentrations.

PubMed

Cinque, Kathy; Jayasuriya, Niranjali

2010-12-01

To ensure the protection of drinking water an understanding of the catchment processes which can affect water quality is important as it enables targeted catchment management actions to be implemented. In this study factor analysis (FA) and comparing event mean concentrations (EMCs) with baseline values were techniques used to asses the relationships between water quality parameters and linking those parameters to processes within an agricultural drinking water catchment. FA found that 55% of the variance in the water quality data could be explained by the first factor, which was dominated by parameters usually associated with erosion. Inclusion of pathogenic indicators in an additional FA showed that Enterococcus and Clostridium perfringens (C. perfringens) were also related to the erosion factor. Analysis of the EMCs found that most parameters were significantly higher during periods of rainfall runoff. This study shows that the most dominant processes in an agricultural catchment are surface runoff and erosion. It also shows that it is these processes which mobilise pathogenic indicators and are therefore most likely to influence the transport of pathogens. Catchment management efforts need to focus on reducing the effect of these processes on water quality.

The dynamics of fish populations in the Palancar stream,a small tributary of the river Guadalquivir, Spain

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bravo, Ramón; Soriguer, Mila C.; Villar, Noelia; Hernando, José A.

2001-02-01

The relationship between flooding and changes in the size distribution of fish populations in the Palancar stream confirms observations in other rivers. On average, density decreased by 36.2 % and biomass increased by 14.5 %, passing from a period of severe drought to one of heavier than normal rains. Precipitation is the most important of the many factors affecting the populations of the Palancar stream; the most evident changes all occurred after the drought. During the drought period, the marked seasonal fluctuation in flow was the most important factor regulating the population dynamics. Fish density and biomass varied in proportion to the water volume. During the rainy period, the studied section of the river was found to be an important reproduction and nursery area, with juveniles and individuals of reproduction age dominating. The presence of Micropterus salmoides, an introduced piscivorous species, is another factor affecting the population dynamics in the Palancar stream. The observed absence of age 0+ individuals of the dominant populations is considered a direct effect of predation.

Perceived exertion. Antecedents and applications.

PubMed

Watt, B; Grove, R

1993-04-01

The field of perceived exertion has largely concerned itself with the problem of identifying the primary antecedents to this psychophysiological phenomenon. A vast literature has evolved addressing this problem, but it is fraught with contradictions. At this stage a comprehensive theory of perceived exertion does not exist. It is generally accepted that perception of exertion is dominated by physiological determinants. Physiological sensory cues have been separated into 2 categories: local factors (sensations from the working muscles and joints), and central factors (sensations from the cardiopulmonary system). Major reviews in this area generally agree that local factors dominate perception of exertion. Recent work in perceived exertion has placed an emphasis on examining the contributing psychological factors. Research into the psychological factors affecting perceived exertion has been highly fragmented with no apparent theoretical framework as a base. At the same time it is clear that an integration of psychological and physiological variables is required to obtain theoretically meaningful knowledge of this multidimensional construct. The assumed dominance of physiological factors has been challenged by the contention that in field situations, in which a variety of social psychological influences operate, psychological determinants of perceived exertion may be vastly more influential than previously estimated. Identification of the primary determinants of perceived exertion and knowledge of how these factors are integrated is vital for a concrete theory of perceived exertion to evolve.

Hollywood Now.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fadiman, William

A behind-the-scenes look at Hollywood's film industry reveals the roles and functions of its agents, directors, stars, writers, producers, and technicians. Economy is the dominant motivational factor affecting everyone connected with Hollywood; actors, scripts, and film production specialists are evaluated entirely in dollars. Coping with this…

TECHNOLOGICAL CONSIDERATIONS FOR PLANNING THE GLOBAL CARBON FUTURE

EPA Science Inventory

The atmospheric level of carbon dioxide (CO2) is the dominant variable in the anthropogenic influence of future global climate change. Thus, it is critical to understand the long-term factors affecting its level, especially the longer-range technological considerations. Most rece...

Trace fossils, sedimentary facies and parasequence architecture from the Lower Cretaceous Mulichinco Formation of Argentina: The role of fair-weather waves in shoreface deposits

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wesolowski, Lindsey J. N.; Buatois, Luis A.; Mángano, M. Gabriela; Ponce, Juan José; Carmona, Noelia B.

2018-05-01

Shorefaces can display strong facies variability and integration of sedimentology and ichnology provides a high-resolution model to identify variations among strongly storm-dominated (high energy), moderately storm-affected (intermediate energy), and weakly storm-affected (low energy) shoreface deposits. In addition, ichnology has proved to be of help to delineate parasequences as trace-fossil associations are excellent indicators of environmental conditions which typically change along the depositional profile. Shallow-marine deposits and associated ichnofaunas from the Mulichinco Formation (Valanginian, Lower Cretaceous) in Puerta Curaco, Neuquén Basin, western Argentina, were analyzed to evaluate stress factors on shoreface benthos and parasequence architecture. During storm-dominated conditions, the Skolithos Ichnofacies prevails within the offshore transition and lower shoreface represented by assemblages dominated by Thalassinoides isp. and Ophiomorpha irregulaire. Under weakly storm-affected conditions, the Cruziana Ichnofacies is recognized, characterized by assemblages dominated by Thalassinoides isp. and Gyrochorte comosa in the offshore transition, and by Gyrochorte comosa within the lower shoreface. Storm-influenced conditions yield wider ichnologic variability, showing elements of both ichnofacies. Storm influence on sedimentation is affected by both allogenic (e.g. tectonic subsidence, sea-level, and sediment influx) and autogenic (e.g. hydrodynamic) controls at both parasequence and intra-parasequence scales. Four distinct types of parasequences were recognized, strongly storm-dominated, moderately storm-affected, moderately storm-affected - strongly fair-weather reworked, and weakly storm-affected, categorized based on parasequence architectural variability derived from varying degrees of storm and fair-weather wave influence. The new type of shoreface described here, the moderately storm-affected - strongly fair-weather reworked shoreface, features storm deposits reworked thoroughly by fair-weather waves. During fair-weather wave reworking, elements of the Cruziana Ichnofacies are overprinted upon relict elements of the Skolithos Ichnofacies from previous storm induced deposition. This type of shoreface, commonly overlooked in past literature, expands our understanding of the sedimentary dynamics and stratigraphic architecture in a shoreface susceptible to various parasequence and intra-parasequence scale degrees of storm and fair-weather wave influence.

Subclinical Primary Psychopathy, but Not Physical Formidability or Attractiveness, Predicts Conversational Dominance in a Zero-Acquaintance Situation

PubMed Central

Manson, Joseph H.; Gervais, Matthew M.; Fessler, Daniel M. T.; Kline, Michelle A.

2014-01-01

The determinants of conversational dominance are not well understood. We used videotaped triadic interactions among unacquainted same-sex American college students to test predictions drawn from the theoretical distinction between dominance and prestige as modes of human status competition. Specifically, we investigated the effects of physical formidability, facial attractiveness, social status, and self-reported subclinical psychopathy on quantitative (proportion of words produced), participatory (interruptions produced and sustained), and sequential (topic control) dominance. No measure of physical formidability or attractiveness was associated with any form of conversational dominance, suggesting that the characteristics of our study population or experimental frame may have moderated their role in dominance dynamics. Primary psychopathy was positively associated with quantitative dominance and (marginally) overall triad talkativeness, and negatively associated (in men) with affect word use, whereas secondary psychopathy was unrelated to conversational dominance. The two psychopathy factors had significant opposing effects on quantitative dominance in a multivariate model. These latter findings suggest that glibness in primary psychopathy may function to elicit exploitable information from others in a relationally mobile society. PMID:25426962

Subclinical primary psychopathy, but not physical formidability or attractiveness, predicts conversational dominance in a zero-acquaintance situation.

PubMed

Manson, Joseph H; Gervais, Matthew M; Fessler, Daniel M T; Kline, Michelle A

2014-01-01

The determinants of conversational dominance are not well understood. We used videotaped triadic interactions among unacquainted same-sex American college students to test predictions drawn from the theoretical distinction between dominance and prestige as modes of human status competition. Specifically, we investigated the effects of physical formidability, facial attractiveness, social status, and self-reported subclinical psychopathy on quantitative (proportion of words produced), participatory (interruptions produced and sustained), and sequential (topic control) dominance. No measure of physical formidability or attractiveness was associated with any form of conversational dominance, suggesting that the characteristics of our study population or experimental frame may have moderated their role in dominance dynamics. Primary psychopathy was positively associated with quantitative dominance and (marginally) overall triad talkativeness, and negatively associated (in men) with affect word use, whereas secondary psychopathy was unrelated to conversational dominance. The two psychopathy factors had significant opposing effects on quantitative dominance in a multivariate model. These latter findings suggest that glibness in primary psychopathy may function to elicit exploitable information from others in a relationally mobile society.

History of winning remodels thalamo-PFC circuit to reinforce social dominance.

PubMed

Zhou, Tingting; Zhu, Hong; Fan, Zhengxiao; Wang, Fei; Chen, Yang; Liang, Hexing; Yang, Zhongfei; Zhang, Lu; Lin, Longnian; Zhan, Yang; Wang, Zheng; Hu, Hailan

2017-07-14

Mental strength and history of winning play an important role in the determination of social dominance. However, the neural circuits mediating these intrinsic and extrinsic factors have remained unclear. Working in mice, we identified a dorsomedial prefrontal cortex (dmPFC) neural population showing "effort"-related firing during moment-to-moment competition in the dominance tube test. Activation or inhibition of the dmPFC induces instant winning or losing, respectively. In vivo optogenetic-based long-term potentiation and depression experiments establish that the mediodorsal thalamic input to the dmPFC mediates long-lasting changes in the social dominance status that are affected by history of winning. The same neural circuit also underlies transfer of dominance between different social contests. These results provide a framework for understanding the circuit basis of adaptive and pathological social behaviors. Copyright © 2017, American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Hierarchical Status Predicts Behavioral Vulnerability and Nucleus Accumbens Metabolic Profile Following Chronic Social Defeat Stress.

PubMed

Larrieu, Thomas; Cherix, Antoine; Duque, Aranzazu; Rodrigues, João; Lei, Hongxia; Gruetter, Rolf; Sandi, Carmen

2017-07-24

Extensive data highlight the existence of major differences in individuals' susceptibility to stress [1-4]. While genetic factors [5, 6] and exposure to early life stress [7, 8] are key components for such neurobehavioral diversity, intriguing observations revealed individual differences in response to stress in inbred mice [9-12]. This raised the possibility that other factors might be critical in stress vulnerability. A key challenge in the field is to identify non-invasively risk factors for vulnerability to stress. Here, we investigated whether behavioral factors, emerging from preexisting dominance hierarchies, could predict vulnerability to chronic stress [9, 13-16]. We applied a chronic social defeat stress (CSDS) model of depression in C57BL/6J mice to investigate the predictive power of hierarchical status to pinpoint which individuals will exhibit susceptibility to CSDS. Given that the high social status of dominant mice would be the one particularly challenged by CSDS, we predicted and found that dominant individuals were the ones showing a strong susceptibility profile as indicated by strong social avoidance following CSDS, while subordinate mice were not affected. Data from 1 H-NMR spectroscopy revealed that the metabolic profile in the nucleus accumbens (NAc) relates to social status and vulnerability to stress. Under basal conditions, subordinates show lower levels of energy-related metabolites compared to dominants. In subordinates, but not dominants, levels of these metabolites were increased after exposure to CSDS. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study that identifies non-invasively the origin of behavioral risk factors predictive of stress-induced depression-like behaviors associated with metabolic changes. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Psychopathic Personality Traits and Environmental Contexts: Differential Correlates, Gender Differences, and Genetic Mediation

PubMed Central

Hicks, Brian M.; Carlson, Marie D.; Blonigen, Daniel M.; Patrick, Christopher J.; Iacono, William G.; MGue, Matt

2011-01-01

Theorists have speculated that primary psychopathy (or Factor 1 affective-interpersonal features) is prominently heritable whereas secondary psychopathy (or Factor 2 social deviance) is more environmentally determined. We tested this differential heritability hypothesis using a large adolescent twin sample. Trait-based proxies of primary and secondary psychopathic tendencies were assessed using Multidimensional Personality Questionnaire (MPQ; Tellegen & Waller, 2008) estimates of Fearless Dominance and Impulsive Antisociality, respectively (Benning et al., 2005). The environmental contexts of family, school, peers, and stressful life events were assessed using multiple raters and methods. Consistent with prior research, MPQ Impulsive Antisociality was robustly associated with each environmental risk factor, and these associations were significantly greater than those for MPQ Fearless Dominance. However, MPQ Fearless Dominance and Impulsive Antisociality exhibited similar heritability, and genetic effects mediated the associations between MPQ Impulsive Antisociality and the environmental measures. Results were largely consistent across male and female twins. We conclude that gene-environment correlations rather than main effects of genes and environments account for the differential environmental correlates of primary and secondary psychopathy. PMID:22452762

Effects of herbivore exclusion and nutrient enrichment on coral reef macroalgae and cyanobacteria

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Thacker, R.; Ginsburg, D.; Paul, V.

2001-05-01

Although phase shifts on coral reefs from coral-dominated to algal-dominated communities have been attributed to the effects of increased nutrient availability due to eutrophication and reduced herbivore abundance due to overfishing and disease, these factors have rarely been manipulated simultaneously. In addition, few studies have considered the effects of these factors on benthic, filamentous cyanobacteria (blue-green algae) as well as macroalgae. We used a combination of herbivore-exclusion cages and nutrient enrichment to manipulate herbivore abundance and nutrient availability, and measured the impacts of these treatments on macroalgal and cyanobacterial community structure. In the absence of cages, surface cover of the cyanobacterium Tolypothrix sp. decreased, while surface cover of the cyanobacteria Oscillatoria spp. increased. Cyanobacterial cover decreased in partial cages, and Tolypothrix sp. cover decreased further in full cages. Lower cyanobacterial cover and biomass were correlated with higher macroalgal cover and biomass. Dictyota bartayresiana dominated the partial cages, while Padina tenuis and Tolypiocladia glomerulata recruited into the full cages. Palatability assays demonstrated that herbivore-exclusion shifted macroalgal species composition from relatively unpalatable to relatively palatable species. Nutrient enrichment interacted with herbivore exclusion to increase the change in cover of D. bartayresiana in the uncaged and fully caged plots, but did not affect the final biomass of D. bartayresiana among treatments. Nutrient enrichment did not significantly affect the cover or biomass of any other taxa. These results stress the critical role of herbivory in determining coral reef community structure and suggest that the relative palatabilities of dominant algae, as well as algal growth responses to nutrient enrichment, will determine the potential for phase shifts to algal-dominated communities.

A New Look at Genetic and Environmental Architecture on Lipids Using Non-Normal Structural Equation Modeling in Male Twins: The NHLBI Twin Study.

PubMed

Wu, Sheng-Hui; Ozaki, Koken; Reed, Terry; Krasnow, Ruth E; Dai, Jun

2017-07-01

This study examined genetic and environmental influences on the lipid concentrations of 1028 male twins using the novel univariate non-normal structural equation modeling (nnSEM) ADCE and ACE models. In the best fitting nnSEM ADCE model that was also better than the nnSEM ACE model, additive genetic factors (A) explained 4%, dominant genetic factors (D) explained 17%, and common (C) and unique (E) environmental factors explained 47% and 33% of the total variance of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C). The percentage of variation explained for other lipids was 0% (A), 30% (D), 34% (C) and 37% (E) for low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C); 30, 0, 31 and 39% for total cholesterol; and 0, 31, 12 and 57% for triglycerides. It was concluded that additive and dominant genetic factors simultaneously affected HDL-C concentrations but not other lipids. Common and unique environmental factors influenced concentrations of all lipids.

Are children of older fathers at risk for genetic disorders?

PubMed

Jung, A; Schuppe, H-C; Schill, W-B

2003-08-01

Genetic risks related to paternal age should be of interest to clinical andrologists counselling older men who wish to father a child. Theoretically, the number of (pre-meiotic) mitotic cell divisions during spermatogenesis and their remarkable increase with ageing compared with oogenesis would be in favour of genetic risks for the offspring of older men. But for numerical and structural chromosomal anomalies, such an influence of paternal age has not been found. However, in several autosomal dominant disorders affecting three specific genes (fibroblast growth factor receptor 2 and 3, RET proto-oncogene) the risk for a child to be affected increases with paternal age at time of birth. For other autosomal dominant -X chromosomal dominant or recessive disorders, the available data are sufficient to support the concept of a positive relationship between paternal age and de novo gene mutations. Studies analysing gene sequences of affected children and their parents would allow further evaluation of this topic. The impact of paternal age on disorders with a complex genetic background, however, is a matter of debate. A significant effect of paternal age could not be shown for nonfamilial Alzheimer's disease, congenital heart defects, nonfamilial schizophrenia, acute lymphoblastic leukaemia or prostate cancer.

Risk Analysis of Underestimate Cost Offer to The Project Quality in Aceh Province

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rani, Hafnidar A.

2016-11-01

The possibility of errors in the process of offer price determination could be enormous, so it can affect the possibility of project underestimate cost which can impact and reduce the profit if being implementing. Government Equipment/Service Procurement Policy Institution (LKPP) assesses that the practices of cheaper price in the government equipment/service procurement are still highly found and can be potential to decrease the project quality. This study aimed to analyze the most dominant factors happened in underestimate cost offer practice, to analyze the relationship of underestimate cost offer risk factors to road construction project quality in Aceh Province and to analyze the most potential factors of underestimate cost offer risk affecting road construction project quality in Aceh Province. Road construction projects observed the projects which have been implemented in Aceh Province since 2013 - 2015. This study conducted by interviewing Government Budget Authority (KPA), and distributing the questionnaire to the road construction contractors with the qualification of K1, K2, K3, M1, M2 and B1. Based on the data from Construction Service Development Institution (LPJK) of Aceh Province on 2016, the populations obtained are 2,717 constructors. By using Slovin Equation, the research samples obtained are 97 contractors. The most dominant factors in underestimate cost offer risk of the road construction projects in Aceh Province is Contingency Cost Factor which the mean is 4.374.

Factors Affecting Mobile Banking Adoption in the United States

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Engwanda, Michel Ndongola

2014-01-01

Mobile banking (m-banking) allows consumers to conduct financial transactions without temporal and spatial constraints through Internet-enabled mobile devices such as smartphones. The adoption patterns are of particular research interest because m-banking penetration has been relatively low even though smartphones are the most dominant forms of…

Prediction of cheatgrass field germination potential using wet thermal accumulation

Treesearch

Bruce A. Roundy; Stuart P. Hardegree; Jeane C. Chambers; Alison Whittaker

2007-01-01

Invasion and dominance of weedy species is facilitated or constrained by environmental and ecological factors that affect resource availability during critical life stages. We compared the relative effects of season, annual weather, site, and disturbance on potential cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum L.) germination in big sagebrush (Artemisia...

Microbial biodiversity in arable soils is affected by agricultural practices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wolińska, Agnieszka; Górniak, Dorota; Zielenkiewicz, Urszula; Goryluk-Salmonowicz, Agata; Kuźniar, Agnieszka; Stępniewska, Zofia; Błaszczyk, Mieczysław

2017-04-01

The aim of the study was to examine the differences in microbial community structure as a result of agricultural practices. Sixteen samples of cultivated and the same number of non-cultivated soils were selected. Gel bands were identified using the GelCompar software to create the presence-absence matrix, where each band represented a bacterial operational taxonomic unit. The data were used for principal-component analysis and additionally, the Shannon- Weaver index of general diversity, Simpson index of dominance and Simpson index of diversity were calculated. Denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis profiles clearly indicated differentiation of tested samples into two clusters: cultivated and non-cultivated soils. Greater numbers of dominant operational taxonomic units (65) in non-cultivated soils were noted compared to cultivated soils (47 operational taxonomic units). This implies that there was a reduction of dominant bacterial operational taxonomic units by nearly 30% in cultivated soils. Simpson dominance index expressing the number of species weighted by their abundance amounted to 1.22 in cultivated soils, whereas a 3-fold higher value (3.38) was observed in non-cultivated soils. Land-use practices seemed to be a important factors affected on biodiversity, because more than soil type determined the clustering into groups.

A role for communities in primary prevention of chronic illness? Case studies in regional Australia.

PubMed

Taylor, Judy; Braunack-Mayer, Annette; Cargo, Margaret; Larkins, Sarah; Preston, Robyn

2013-08-01

In regional Australia "communities of place," defined as bounded geographic locations with a local society, undertake community-wide primary prevention programs. In helping to prevent chronic illness, communities provide valuable resources to the health system. To understand the role of community-health sector partnerships for primary prevention and the community contextual factors that affect them, we studied eight partnerships. We used an embedded multiple case study design and collected data through interviews, nonparticipant observation, and document analysis. These data were analyzed using a typology of community-health sector partnerships and community interaction theory to frame the key community contextual factors that affected partnerships. The dominant factor affecting all partnerships was the presence of a collective commitment that communities brought to making the community a better place through developing health. We call this a communitarian approach. Additional research to investigate factors influencing a communitarian approach and the role it plays in partnerships is required.

[Characteristics of ichthyoplankton assemblages in Yangtze Estuary and adjacent waters in spring].

PubMed

Liu, Shu-De; Xian, Wei-Wei; Liu, Dong

2008-10-01

Based on the investigation data of ichthyoplankton assemblages and environmental factors in Yangtze Estuary and adjacent waters in May 1999 and 2001, the characteristics of ichthyoplankton assemblages in these areas in spring were studied by using TWINSPAN (two-way indicator species analysis) and CCA (canonical correspondence analysis). A total of 11 540 ichthyoplankton individuals were taxonomically identified, belonging to 11 orders, 18 families and 32 species, of which, Coilia mystus, Engraulis japonicus, Chaeturichthys hexanema, Allanetta bleekeri, and Trachidermis fasciatus were the dominant species. The ichthyoplankton communities were classified into three assemblages by using TWINSPAN, i.e., estuarine assemblage dominated by C. mystus, coastal assemblage dominated by A. bleekeri and T. fasciatus; and shelf assemblage featured by E. japonicus and C. hexanema. The CCA ordination of the interrelations among the three assemblages and their correlations to the environmental variables revealed that salinity, depth, dissolved oxygen, and total suspended particulate matter were the major factors affecting the ichthyoplankton assemblages in the study areas.

Age Group, Location or Pedagogue: Factors Affecting Parental Choice of Kindergartens in Hungary

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Teszenyi, Eleonora; Hevey, Denise

2015-01-01

Hungary has experienced significant political, economic, demographic and social changes since the end of Soviet domination in the 1990s. The gradual move towards liberal democracy has been accompanied by growing emphasis on individualism, choice and diversity. Universal kindergarten provision for five- to six-year-olds is a long established…

Factors affecting potential for Palmer amaranth (Amaranthus palmeri) suppression by winter rye in Georgia, USA

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Herbicide resistant Palmer amaranth (Amaranthus palmeri) has rapidly become a dominant weed management issue in agronomic crops of the Southeast US. The small size of Palmer amaranth seeds, relative to other common weeds, provides an opportunity to use physical weed control through high-residue, ro...

Returning to STEM: Gendered Factors Affecting Employability for Mature Women Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Herman, Clem

2015-01-01

This paper adds to current discourses around employability by arguing for an explicit recognition of gender, in particular in relation to women's employment in male-dominated sectors such as science, engineering and technology. This is not limited to young first-time graduates but continues and evolves throughout the life course. Mature women…

Factors affecting potential for Palmer amaranth (Amaranthus palmeri) suppression by winter rye in Georgia, USA

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Herbicide resistant Palmer amaranth has rapidly become a dominant weed management issue in agronomic crops of the Southeast U. S. The small size of Palmer amaranth seeds, relative to other common weeds, provides an opportunity to use physical weed control through high-biomass, rolled cover crop mul...

Climate history shapes contemporary leaf litter decomposition

Treesearch

Michael S. Strickland; Ashley D. Keiser; Mark A. Bradford

2015-01-01

Litter decomposition is mediated by multiple variables, of which climate is expected to be a dominant factor at global scales. However, like other organisms, traits of decomposers and their communities are shaped not just by the contemporary climate but also their climate history. Whether or not this affects decomposition rates is underexplored. Here we source...

Familial Idiopathic Cranial Neuropathy in a Chinese Family.

PubMed

Zhang, Li; Liang, Jianfeng; Yu, Yanbing

Cranial neuropathy is usually idiopathic and familial cases are uncommon. We describe a family with 5 members with cranial neuropathy over 3 generations. All affected patients were women, indicating an X-linked dominant or an autosomal dominant mode of inheritance. Our cases and a review of the literature suggest that familial idiopathic cranial neuropathy is a rare condition which may be related to autosomal dominant vascular disorders (e.g. vascular tortuosity, sclerosis, elongation or extension), small posterior cranial fossas, anatomical variations of the posterior circulation, hypersensitivity of cranial nerves and other abnormalities. Moreover, microvascular decompression is the treatment of choice because vascular compression is the main factor in the pathogenesis. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of familial cranial neuropathy in China.

Use the predictive models to explore the key factors affecting phytoplankton succession in Lake Erhai, China.

PubMed

Zhu, Rong; Wang, Huan; Chen, Jun; Shen, Hong; Deng, Xuwei

2018-01-01

Increasing algae in Lake Erhai has resulted in frequent blooms that have not only led to water ecosystem degeneration but also seriously influenced the quality of the water supply and caused extensive damage to the local people, as the lake is a water resource for Dali City. Exploring the key factors affecting phytoplankton succession and developing predictive models with easily detectable parameters for phytoplankton have been proven to be practical ways to improve water quality. To this end, a systematic survey focused on phytoplankton succession was conducted over 2 years in Lake Erhai. The data from the first study year were used to develop predictive models, and the data from the second year were used for model verification. The seasonal succession of phytoplankton in Lake Erhai was obvious. The dominant groups were Cyanobacteria in the summer, Chlorophyta in the autumn and Bacillariophyta in the winter. The developments and verification of predictive models indicated that compared to phytoplankton biomass, phytoplankton density is more effective for estimating phytoplankton variation in Lake Erhai. CCA (canonical correlation analysis) indicated that TN (total nitrogen), TP (total phosphorus), DO (dissolved oxygen), SD (Secchi depth), Cond (conductivity), T (water temperature), and ORP (oxidation reduction potential) had significant influences (p < 0.05) on the phytoplankton community. The CCA of the dominant species found that Microcystis was significantly influenced by T. The dominant Chlorophyta, Psephonema aenigmaticum and Mougeotia, were significantly influenced by TN. All results indicated that TN and T were the two key factors driving phytoplankton succession in Lake Erhai.

Two methods of assessing the mortality factors affecting the larvae and pupae of Cameraria ohridella in the leaves of Aesculus hippocastanum in Switzerland and Bulgaria.

PubMed

Girardoz, S; Tomov, R; Eschen, R; Quicke, D L J; Kenis, M

2007-10-01

The horse-chestnut leaf miner, Cameraria ohridella, is an invasive alien species defoliating horse-chestnut, a popular ornamental tree in Europe. This paper presents quantitative data on mortality factors affecting larvae and pupae of the leaf miner in Switzerland and Bulgaria, both in urban and forest environments. Two sampling methods were used and compared: a cohort method, consisting of the surveying of pre-selected mines throughout their development, and a grab sampling method, consisting of single sets of leaves collected and dissected at regular intervals. The total mortality per generation varied between 14 and 99%. Mortality was caused by a variety of factors, including parasitism, host feeding, predation by birds and arthropods, plant defence reaction, leaf senescence, intra-specific competition and inter-specific competition with a fungal disease. Significant interactions were found between mortality factors and sampling methods, countries, environments and generation. No mortality factor was dominant throughout the sites, generations and methods tested. Plant defence reactions constituted the main mortality factor for the first two larval stages, whereas predation by birds and arthropods and parasitism were more important in older larvae and pupae. Mortality caused by leaf senescence was often the dominant mortality factor in the last annual generation. The cohort method detected higher mortality rates than the grab sampling method. In particular, mortality by plant defence reaction and leaf senescence were better assessed using the cohort method, which is, therefore, recommended for life table studies on leaf miners.

Soil moisture and biogeochemical factors influence the distribution of annual Bromus species

USGS Publications Warehouse

Belnap, Jayne; Stark, John Thomas; Rau, Benjamin; Allen, Edith B.; Phillips, Sue

2016-01-01

Abiotic factors have a strong influence on where annual Bromus species are found. At the large regional scale, temperature and precipitation extremes determine the boundaries of Bromusoccurrence. At the more local scale, soil characteristics and climate influence distribution, cover, and performance. In hot, dry, summer-rainfall-dominated deserts (Sonoran, Chihuahuan), little or noBromus is found, likely due to timing or amount of soil moisture relative to Bromus phenology. In hot, winter-rainfall-dominated deserts (parts of the Mojave Desert), Bromus rubens is widespread and correlated with high phosphorus availability. It also responds positively to additions of nitrogen alone or with phosphorus. On the Colorado Plateau, with higher soil moisture availability, factors limiting Bromus tectorum populations vary with life stage: phosphorus and water limit germination, potassium and the potassium/magnesium ratio affect winter performance, and water and potassium/magnesium affect spring performance. Controlling nutrients also change with elevation. In cooler deserts with winter precipitation (Great Basin, Columbia Plateau) and thus even greater soil moisture availability, B. tectorum populations are controlled by nitrogen, phosphorus, or potassium. Experimental nitrogen additions stimulate Bromus performance. The reason for different nutrients limiting in dissimilar climatic regions is not known, but it is likely that site conditions such as soil texture (as it affects water and nutrient availability), organic matter, and/or chemistry interact in a manner that regulates nutrient availability and limitations. Under future drier, hotter conditions,Bromus distribution is likely to change due to changes in the interaction between moisture and nutrient availability.

Linkage analysis excludes the glaucoma locus on 1q from involvement in autosomal dominant glaucoma with iris hypoplasia

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

Heon, E.; Sheth, B.P.; Kalenak, J.W.

1994-09-01

Genetic factors have been implicated in a variety of types of glaucoma including primary open-angle glaucoma, infantile glaucoma, pigmentary glaucoma, and juvenile open-angle glaucoma. We previously mapped the disease-causing gene for one type of juvenile open angle glaucoma to chromosome 1q21-31. Weatherill and Hart (1969) and Pearce (1983) each noted the association of iris hypoplasia and early-onset autosomal dominant glaucoma. We recently had the opportunity to study a large family (12 affected members) with this phenotype. Affected individuals developed glaucoma at an average age of 30 years. These patients also have a strikingly underdeveloped iris stroma which causes a peculiarmore » eye color. Linkage analysis was able to completely exclude the 1q glaucoma locus from involvement in the disorder that affects this family. A complete clinical description of the family and linkage results at additional candidate loci will be presented.« less

Biophysical properties affecting vegetative canopy reflectance and absorbed photosynthetically active radiation at the FIFE site

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Walter-Shea, E. A.; Blad, B. L.; Hays, C. J.; Mesarch, M. A.; Deering, D. W.; Middleton, E. M.

1992-01-01

Leaves of the dominant grass species of the ISCLP FIFE site reflect and transmit radiation in a like manner to other healthy green leaves. Visible reflectance factors (RFs) and transmittance factors (TFs) were less for older leaves than younger leaves except during senescence, when RF and TF values were greater. NIR-RF values increased and TF values decreased with leaf age, with the reverse occurring as the leaf went through senescence.

Discerning environmental factors affecting current tree growth in Central Europe.

PubMed

Cienciala, Emil; Russ, Radek; Šantrůčková, Hana; Altman, Jan; Kopáček, Jiří; Hůnová, Iva; Štěpánek, Petr; Oulehle, Filip; Tumajer, Jan; Ståhl, Göran

2016-12-15

We examined the effect of individual environmental factors on the current spruce tree growth assessed from a repeated country-level statistical landscape (incl. forest) survey in the Czech Republic. An extensive set of variables related to tree size, competition, site characteristics including soil texture, chemistry, N deposition and climate was tested within a random-effect model to explain growth in the conditions of dominantly managed forest ecosystems. The current spruce basal area increment was assessed from two consecutive landscape surveys conducted in 2008/2009 and six years later in 2014/2015. Tree size, age and competition within forest stands were found to be the dominant explanatory variables, whereas the expression of site characteristics, environmental and climatic drives was weaker. The significant site variables affecting growth included soil C/N ratio and soil exchangeable acidity (pH KCl; positive response) reflecting soil chemistry, long-term N-deposition (averaged since 1975) in combination with soil texture (clay content) and Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI), a drought index expressing moisture conditions. Sensitivity of growth to N-deposition was positive, although weak. SPI was positively related to and significant in explaining tree growth when expressed for the growth season. Except SPI, no significant relation of growth was determined to altitude-related variables (temperature, growth season length). We identified the current spruce growth optimum at elevations about 800ma.s.l. or higher in the conditions of the country. This suggests that at lower elevations, limitation by a more pronounced water deficit dominates, whereas direct temperature limitation may concern the less frequent higher elevations. The mixed linear model of spruce tree growth explained 55 and 65% of the variability with fixed and random effects included, respectively, and provided new insights on the current spruce tree growth and factors affecting it within the environmental gradients of the country. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The effect of pathological narcissism on interpersonal and affective processes in social interactions.

PubMed

Wright, Aidan G C; Stepp, Stephanie D; Scott, Lori N; Hallquist, Michael N; Beeney, Joseph E; Lazarus, Sophie A; Pilkonis, Paul A

2017-10-01

Narcissism has significant interpersonal costs, yet little research has examined behavioral and affective patterns characteristic of narcissism in naturalistic settings. Here we studied the effect of narcissistic features on the dynamic processes of interpersonal behavior and affect in daily life. We used interpersonal theory to generate transactional models of social interaction (i.e., linkages among perceptions of others' behavior, affect, and one's own behavior) predicted to be characteristic of narcissism. Psychiatric outpatients (N = 102) completed clinical interviews and a 21-day ecological momentary assessment protocol using smartphones. After social interactions (N = 5,781), participants reported on perceptions of their interaction partner's behavior (scored along the dimensions of dominant-submissive and affiliative-quarrelsome), their own affect, and their own behavior. Multilevel structural equation modeling was used to examine dynamic links among behavior and affect across interactions, and the role of narcissism in moderating these links. Results showed that perceptions of others' dominance did not predict dominant behavior, but did predict quarrelsome behavior, and this link was potentiated by narcissism. Furthermore, the link between others' dominance and one's own quarrelsome behavior was mediated by negative affect. Moderated mediation was also found: Narcissism amplified the link between ratings of others' dominance and one's own quarrelsomeness and negative affect. Narcissism did not moderate the link between other dominance and own dominance, nor the link between other affiliation and own affiliation. These results suggest that narcissism is associated with specific interpersonal and affective processes, such that sensitivity to others' dominance triggers antagonistic behavior in daily life. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

Variation of Soil Organic Carbon and Its Major Constraints in East Central Asia

PubMed Central

Lee, Xinqing; Huang, Yimin; Huang, Daikuan; Hu, Lu; Feng, Zhaodong; Cheng, Jianzhong; Wang, Bing; Ni, Jian; Shurkhuu, Tserenpil

2016-01-01

Variation of soil organic carbon (SOC) and its major constraints in large spatial scale are critical for estimating global SOC inventory and projecting its future at environmental changes. By analyzing SOC and its environment at 210 sites in uncultivated land along a 3020km latitudinal transect in East Central Asia, we examined the effect of environmental factors on the dynamics of SOC. We found that SOC changes dramatically with the difference as high as 5 times in north China and 17 times in Mongolia. Regardless, C:N remains consistent about 12. Path analysis indicated that temperature is the dominant factor in the variation of SOC with a direct effect much higher than the indirect one, the former breaks SOC down the year round while the latter results in its growth mainly via precipitation in the winter half year. Precipitation helps accumulate SOC, a large part of the effect, however, is taken via temperature. NH4+-N and topography also affect SOC, their roles are played primarily via climatic factors. pH correlates significantly with SOC, the effect, however, is taken only in the winter months, contributing to the decay of SOC primarily via temperature. These factors explained as much as 79% of SOC variations, especially in the summer months, representing the major constraints on the SOC stock. Soil texture gets increasingly fine southward, it does not, however, constitute an apparent factor. Our results suggested that recent global warming should have been adversely affecting SOC stock in the mid-latitude as temperature dominates other factors as the constraint. PMID:26934707

Factors affecting preovulatory concentrations of estradiol and its role in establishment and maintenance of pregnancy in suckled beef cows using reciprocal embryo transfer

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

In postpartum beef cows, GnRH-induced ovulation of small dominant follicles decreased pregnancy rates and increased late embryonic/fetal mortality; however, ovulatory follicle size had no apparent effect on the establishment or maintenance of pregnancy when ovulation occurred spontaneously (Perry et...

The Influence of Income, Experience, and Academic Qualification on the Early Childhood Education Teachers' Creativity in Semarang, Indonesia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Setiawan, Risky

2017-01-01

This study aims to determine: (1) the intercorrelation between income, experience, and academic qualification with the early childhood education teachers' teaching creativity; (2) to find out the dominant factors that affect the ability of teachers' Creativity in Semarang. This research uses an experimental design with four variables, including…

The Pennsylvania State University Child Sexual Abuse Scandal: An Analysis of Institutional Factors Affecting Response

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Holland, Alice R.

2015-01-01

The outcomes of The Pennsylvania State University (Penn State) child sexual abuse scandal have left many scholars and individuals questioning the university's collective identity. The goal of this research was to uncover the dominant themes that describe a problematic institutional response to the child sexual abuse incidents in order to provide…

Declining sediment loads from Redwood Creek and the Klamath River, north coastal California

Treesearch

Randy D. Klein; Jeffrey K. Anderson

2012-01-01

River basin sediment loads are affected by several factors, with flood magnitude and watershed erosional stability playing dominant and dynamic roles. Long-term average sediment loads for northern California river basins have been computed by several researchers by several methods. However, characterizing the dynamic nature of climate and watershed stability requires...

On the Relationship between EFL Teachers' Classroom Management Approaches and the Dominant Teaching Style: A Mixed Method Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kazemi, Ali; Soleimani, Neda

2016-01-01

As a factor contributing to a successful teaching career, classroom management can be affected by many latent and explicit variables. In this mixed method study, the researchers sought to scrutinize the possible connections among EFL teachers' classroom management approaches at two dimensions of behavior management and instructional management and…

Measured and Predicted Radiation-Induced Currents in Semirigid Coaxial Cables.

DTIC Science & Technology

1977-10-11

plasma focus device. Semirigid cables of different size, material, and impedance were tested. Minute gaps and conductor flashings were found to be dominant factors affecting cable response. Response predictions provided by the MCCABE computer code closely correlated with the experimental measurements. Design of low-response semirigid cables matching the metal and dielectric electron emission is discussed.

The Effectiveness of 1 Hz rTMS Over the Primary Motor Area of the Unaffected Hemisphere to Improve Hand Function After Stroke Depends on Hemispheric Dominance.

PubMed

Lüdemann-Podubecká, Jitka; Bösl, Kathrin; Theilig, Steven; Wiederer, Ralf; Nowak, Dennis Alexander

2015-01-01

Inhibition of motor cortex excitability of the contralesional hemisphere may improve dexterity of the affected hand after stroke. 40 patients (17 dominant hemispheric stroke, 23 non-dominant hemispheric stroke) with a mild to moderate upper limb motor impairment were enrolled in a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial with two parallel-groups. Both groups received 15 daily sessions of motor training preceded by either 1 Hz rTMS or sham rTMS. Behavioral and neurophysiological evaluations were performed at baseline, after the first week and after the third week of treatment, and after a 6 months follow-up. In both groups motor function of the affected hand improved significantly. Patients with stroke of the non-dominant hemisphere made a similar improvement, regardless of whether the motor training was preceded by sham or 1 Hz rTMS. Patients with stroke of the dominant hemisphere had a less favorable improvement than those with stroke of the non-dominant hemisphere after motor training preceded by sham rTMS. However, when 1 Hz rTMS preceded the motor training, patients with stroke of the dominant hemisphere made a similar improvement as those with stroke of the non-dominant hemisphere. Motor recovery of the affected upper limb after stroke is determined by dominance of the affected hemisphere. Stroke of the dominant hemisphere is associated with per se poorer improvement of the affected hand. 1 Hz rTMS over the contralesional M1 significantly improves dexterity of the affected hand in patients with stroke of the dominant hemisphere, but not in those with stroke of the non-dominant hemisphere. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Assessing the effects of abiotic stress and livestock grazing disturbance on an alpine grassland with CSR model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Jun; Luo, Peng; Mou, Chengxiang; Yang, Hao; Mo, Li; Luo, Chuan; Kattge, Jens

2016-04-01

How the abiotic factors represented by cold environment and biotic factors represented by livestock grazing will affect the vegetation structure of alpine grassland is a core issue in understanding the cause of biodiversity change on Tibetan Plateau. Past studies on changes of floristic composition, growth forms did not adequately answer question. Given the fact that the response of plant to environment change depend on its life strategy, a synthetical method that based on plant life strategy may deepen our understanding of the mechanism. Using Grime's concept of CSR plant classification, we carried out a vegetation survey along a gradient (three levels) of graze intensity on the south-east of Tibet Plateau, in order to evaluate the role and mechanism of abiotic stress and grazing disturbance in driving plant diversity change, by analyzing the plant life strategy compositions in each of the community and by comparing the characteristic of the strategy compositions along the graze gradient. When the graze intensity was relative low, the dominant plant life strategy gathered in the stress tolerance corner, which conformed the theory of environmental filter, indicating that the ideal top plant community may be dominated by the species with stress tolerant strategy. We also found that the response of strategy dominance to graze intensity increase is positively correlated with the competitive capacity (R 2=0.671; P<0.001) and negatively correlated with the capacity of tolerating stress (R 2=0.378; P=0.011), but is not affected by the ruderal strategy (R 2=0.047; P=0.42). This reflected a general shift of plant strategy from stress tolerant to competitive (rather than ruderal as expected) and suggested that the mechanism of graze to affect plant community is different from that of other disturbance like fire, clipping, till, etc. The particular selective foraging and escaping from feces may provide more opportunities for competitive than ruderal strategy to dominant the community. This study demonstrated that CSR plant strategy be a useful tool to evaluate the effects of abiotic and biotic factors on plant community assembly of alpine grassland, which may contribute to predict the impacts of climate change and human activity on alpine grassland plant diversity and ecosystem service function related.

Assessing the determinants of evolutionary rates in the presence of noise.

PubMed

Plotkin, Joshua B; Fraser, Hunter B

2007-05-01

Although protein sequences are known to evolve at vastly different rates, little is known about what determines their rate of evolution. However, a recent study using principal component regression (PCR) has concluded that evolutionary rates in yeast are primarily governed by a single determinant related to translation frequency. Here, we demonstrate that noise in biological data can confound PCRs, leading to spurious conclusions. When equalizing noise levels across 7 predictor variables used in previous studies, we find no evidence that protein evolution is dominated by a single determinant. Our results indicate that a variety of factors--including expression level, gene dispensability, and protein-protein interactions--may independently affect evolutionary rates in yeast. More accurate measurements or more sophisticated statistical techniques will be required to determine which one, if any, of these factors dominates protein evolution.

A novel OPA1 mutation in a Chinese family with autosomal dominant optic atrophy

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

Zhang, Juanjuan; Yuan, Yimin; Lin, Bing

2012-03-23

Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer We report the characterization of a four-generation large Chinese family with ADOA. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer We find a new heterozygous mutation c.C1198G in OPA1 gene which may be a novel pathogenic mutation in this pedigree. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer We do not find any mitochondrial DNA mutations associated with optic atrophy. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Other factors may also contribute to the phenotypic variability of ADOA in this pedigree. -- Abstract: A large four-generation Chinese family with autosomal dominant optic atrophy (ADOA) was investigated in the present study. Eight of the family members were affected in this pedigree. The affected family members exhibited early-onset and progressivemore » visual impairment, resulting in mild to profound loss of visual acuity. The average age-at-onset was 15.9 years. A new heterozygous mutation c.C1198G was identified by sequence analysis of the 12th exon of the OPA1 gene. This mutation resulted in a proline to alanine substitution at codon 400, which was located in an evolutionarily conserved region. This missense mutation in the GTPase domain was supposed to result in a loss of function for the encoded protein and act through a dominant negative effect. No other mutations associated with optic atrophy were found in our present study. The c.C1198G heterozygous mutation in the OPA1 gene may be a novel key pathogenic mutation in this pedigree with ADOA. Furthermore, additional nuclear modifier genes, environmental factors, and psychological factors may also contribute to the phenotypic variability of ADOA in this pedigree.« less

The effects of whiteness on the health of whites in the USA.

PubMed

Malat, Jennifer; Mayorga-Gallo, Sarah; Williams, David R

2018-02-01

Whites in the USA are the dominant racial group, with greater than average access to most material and social rewards. Yet, while whites have better outcomes than other racial groups on some health indicators, whites paradoxically compare poorly on other measures. Further, whites in the USA also rank poorly in international health comparisons. In this paper, we present a framework that combines the concept of whiteness-a system that socially, economically, and ideologically benefits European descendants and disadvantages people in other groups-with research from a variety of fields in order to comprehensively model the social factors that influence whites' health. The framework we present describes how whiteness and capitalism in the USA shape societal conditions, individual social characteristics and experiences, and psychosocial responses to circumstances to influence health outcomes. We detail specific examples of how social policies supported by whiteness, the narratives of whiteness, and the privileges of whiteness may positively and negatively affect whites' health. In doing so, we suggest several areas for future research that can expand our understanding of how social factors affect health and can contribute to the patterns and paradoxes of whites' health. By expanding research to include theoretically-grounded analyses of the dominant group's health, we can achieve a more complete picture of how systems of racial inequity affect health. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The design of control system of livestock feeding processing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sihombing, Juna; Napitupulu, Humala L.; Hidayati, Juliza

2018-03-01

PT. XYZ is a company that produces animal feed. One type of animal feed produced is 105 ISA P. In carrying out its production process, PT. XYZ faces the problem of rejected feed amounts during 2014 to June 2015 due to the amount of animal feed that exceeds the standard feed quality of 13% of moisture content and 3% for ash content. Therefore, the researchers analyzed the relationship between factors affecting the quality and extent of damage by using regression and correlation and determine the optimum value of each processing process. Analysis results found that variables affecting product quality are mixing time, steam conditioning temperature and cooling time. The most dominant variable affecting the product moisture content is mixing time with the correlation coefficient of (0.7959) and the most dominant variable affecting the ash content of the product during the processing is mixing time with the correlation coefficient of (0.8541). The design of the proposed product processing control is to run the product processing process with mixing time 235 seconds, steam conditioning temperature 87 0C and cooling time 192 seconds. Product quality 105 ISA P obtained by using this design is with 12.16% moisture content and ash content of 2.59%.

Appraising the roles of nutrient availability, global change, and functional traits during the angiosperm rise to dominance.

PubMed

Mueller, Kevin E; Diefendorf, Aaron F; Freeman, Katherine H; Eissenstat, David M

2010-05-01

To explain the rise of angiosperms during the Cretaceous, Berendse & Scheffer (Ecol. Lett., 12, 2009, 865) invoke feedbacks between leaf litter, soil nutrients, and growth, overlooking other factors affecting resource acquisition by Cretaceous plants. We evaluate their hypothesis, highlight alternative explanations, and emphasize use of a broader framework for understanding the angiosperm radiation.

Student-Teachers' Verbal Communication Patterns during Their Teaching Practice in "Studies for the Environment" Subject in Early Greek Primary Classes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Malandrakis, George; Karagianni, Aggeliki; Pani, Dimitra

2016-01-01

This study explores the quality of student-teachers' (STs') verbal communication during their teaching practice on the "Studies for the Environment" subject, and identifies potential factors affecting it. Forty-one teaching sessions were analysed revealing that STs dominate classroom talking by having almost an equal number of utterances…

Alien plant dynamics following fire in mediterranean-climate California shrublands

USGS Publications Warehouse

Keeley, J.E.; Baer-Keeley, M.; Fotheringham, C.J.

2005-01-01

Over 75 species of alien plants were recorded during the first five years after fire in southern California shrublands, most of which were European annuals. Both cover and richness of aliens varied between years and plant association. Alien cover was lowest in the first postfire year in all plant associations and remained low during succession in chaparral but increased in sage scrub. Alien cover and richness were significantly correlated with year (time since disturbance) and with precipitation in both coastal and interior sage scrub associations. Hypothesized factors determining alien dominance were tested with structural equation modeling. Models that included nitrogen deposition and distance from the coast were not significant, but with those variables removed we obtained a significant model that gave an R2 = 0.60 for the response variable of fifth year alien dominance. Factors directly affecting alien dominance were (1) woody canopy closure and (2) alien seed banks. Significant indirect effects were (3) fire intensity, (4) fire history, (5) prefire stand structure, (6) aridity, and (7) community type. According to this model the most critical factor influencing aliens is the rapid return of the shrub and subshrub canopy. Thus, in these communities a single functional type (woody plants) appears to the most critical element controlling alien invasion and persistence. Fire history is an important indirect factor because it affects both prefire stand structure and postfire alien seed banks. Despite being fire-prone ecosystems, these shrublands are not adapted to fire per se, but rather to a particular fire regime. Alterations in the fire regime produce a very different selective environment, and high fire frequency changes the selective regime to favor aliens. This study does not support the widely held belief that prescription burning is a viable management practice for controlling alien species on semiarid landscapes. ?? 2005 by the Ecological Society of America.

Social and Environmental Factors Affecting Fecal Glucocorticoids in Wild, Female White-Faced Capuchins (Cebus capucinus)

PubMed Central

CARNEGIE, SARAH D.; FEDIGAN, LINDA M.; ZIEGLER, TONI E.

2016-01-01

Assessing glucocorticoid levels in free-ranging nonhuman primates provides a means to determine the social and environmental stress load for individuals. We investigated the effect of four proximate variables—reproductive state, season, male rank stability, and dominance rank—on the level of fecal glucocorticoids (cortisol metabolites) in eight adult female white-faced capuchin monkeys in Costa Rica. Reproductive state, season, and male rank stability significantly affected fecal glucocorticoids while female dominance rank did not. Cortisol levels were significantly higher in pregnant females as compared with lactating or other reproductive states. Cortisol levels were higher among females during the dry season compared with the wet season, suggesting a metabolic adaptation to maintain homeostasis in drier, hotter conditions. Although unfamiliar males present a greater infanticidal threat than do familiar ones, we found that females experienced higher glucocorticoid levels during male rank instability events, regardless of whether the alpha male role was taken over by a familiar or an unfamiliar male. Our findings provide important benchmark and comparative data for future studies on the variables that affect glucocorticoid levels in this species and other mammals. PMID:21506140

Ecological and physiological controls of species composition in green macroalgal blooms.

PubMed

Nelson, Timothy A; Haberlin, Karalon; Nelson, Amorah V; Ribarich, Heather; Hotchkiss, Ruth; Van Alstyne, Kathryn L; Buckingham, Lee; Simunds, Dejah J; Fredrickson, Kerri

2008-05-01

Green macroalgal blooms have substantially altered marine community structure and function, specifically by smothering seagrasses and other primary producers that are critical to commercial fisheries and by creating anoxic conditions in enclosed embayments. Bottom-up factors are viewed as the primary drivers of these blooms, but increasing attention has been paid to biotic controls of species composition. In Washington State, USA, blooms are often dominated by Ulva spp. intertidally and Ulvaria obscura subtidally. Factors that could cause this spatial difference were examined, including competition, grazer preferences, salinity, photoacclimation, nutrient requirements, and responses to nutrient enrichment. Ulva specimens grew faster than Ulvaria in intertidal chambers but not significantly faster in subtidal chambers. Ulva was better able to acclimate to a high-light environment and was more tolerant of low salinity than Ulvaria. Ulvaria had higher tissue N content, chlorophyll, chlorophyll b: chlorophyll a, and protein content than Ulva. These differences suggest that nitrogen availability could affect species composition. A suite of five grazers preferred Ulva to Ulvaria in choice experiments. Thus, bottom-up factors allow Ulva to dominate the intertidal zone while resistance to grazers appears to allow Ulvaria to dominate the subtidal zone. While ulvoid algae are in the same functional-form group, they are not functionally redundant.

Efficiency enhancement of ZnO nanostructure assisted Si solar cell based on fill factor enlargement and UV-blue spectral down-shifting

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gholizadeh, A.; Reyhani, A.; Parvin, P.; Mortazavi, S. Z.

2017-05-01

ZnO nanostructures (including nano-plates and nano-rods (NRs)) are grown in various temperatures and Ar/O2 flow rates using thermal chemical vapor deposition, which affect the structure, nano-plate/NR population, and the quality of ZnO nanostructures. X-ray diffraction (XRD) attests that the peak intensity of the crystallographic plane (1 0 0) is correlated to nano-plate abundance. Moreover, optical properties elucidate that the population of nano-plates in samples strongly affect the band gap, binding energy of the exciton, and UV-visible (UV-vis) absorption and spectral luminescence emissions. In fact, the exciton binding energy reduces from ~100 to 80 meV when the population of nano-plates increases in samples. Photovoltaic characteristics based on the drop-casting on Si solar cells reveals three dominant factors, namely, the equivalent series resistance, decreasing reflectance, and down-shifting, in order to scale up the absolute efficiency by 3%. As a consequence, the oxygen vacancies in ZnO nanostructures give rise to the down-shifting and increase of free-carriers, leading to a reduction in the equivalent series resistance and an enlargement of fill factor. To obtain a larger I sc, reduction of spectral reflectance is essential; however, the down-shifting process is shown to be dominant by lessening the surface electron-hole recombination rate over the UV-blue spectral range.

Affect asymmetry and comfort food consumption.

PubMed

Dubé, Laurette; LeBel, Jordan L; Lu, Ji

2005-11-15

It is proposed that the emotional triggers of comfort food consumption can reliably be predicted by factors tied to affect asymmetry whereby negative affects dominate one's experience, decision making and behaviors in some instances while positive emotions prevail in others. Specifically, we relate three of these factors (age, gender, and culture) to differences in the emotional triggers of comfort food consumption and we further explore the possibility that the type of food eaten during comfort-seeking episodes can also be tied to affect asymmetry. Two hundred and seventy-seven participants completed a web-based survey conducted to assess the emotional antecedents and consequences of comfort food consumption. Consistent with expectations, results indicate that men's comfort food consumption was motivated by positive emotions whereas women's consumption was triggered by negative affects. Consumption of comfort foods alleviated women's negative emotions but also produced guilt. Positive affect was a particularly powerful trigger of comfort food consumption for older participants and for participants with French cultural background. Younger participants and participants with English background reported more intense negative emotions prior to consuming comfort foods. Foods high in sugar and fat content were more efficient in alleviating negative affects whereas low-calorie foods were more efficient in increasing positive emotions.

Neonatal isolation augments social dominance by altering actin dynamics in the medial prefrontal cortex.

PubMed

Tada, Hirobumi; Miyazaki, Tomoyuki; Takemoto, Kiwamu; Takase, Kenkichi; Jitsuki, Susumu; Nakajima, Waki; Koide, Mayu; Yamamoto, Naoko; Komiya, Kasane; Suyama, Kumiko; Sano, Akane; Taguchi, Akiko; Takahashi, Takuya

2016-10-25

Social separation early in life can lead to the development of impaired interpersonal relationships and profound social disorders. However, the underlying cellular and molecular mechanisms involved are largely unknown. Here, we found that isolation of neonatal rats induced glucocorticoid-dependent social dominance over nonisolated control rats in juveniles from the same litter. Furthermore, neonatal isolation inactivated the actin-depolymerizing factor (ADF)/cofilin in the juvenile medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC). Isolation-induced inactivation of ADF/cofilin increased stable actin fractions at dendritic spines in the juvenile mPFC, decreasing glutamate synaptic AMPA receptors. Expression of constitutively active ADF/cofilin in the mPFC rescued the effect of isolation on social dominance. Thus, neonatal isolation affects spines in the mPFC by reducing actin dynamics, leading to altered social behavior later in life.

Neonatal isolation augments social dominance by altering actin dynamics in the medial prefrontal cortex

PubMed Central

Tada, Hirobumi; Miyazaki, Tomoyuki; Takemoto, Kiwamu; Takase, Kenkichi; Jitsuki, Susumu; Nakajima, Waki; Koide, Mayu; Yamamoto, Naoko; Komiya, Kasane; Suyama, Kumiko; Sano, Akane; Taguchi, Akiko; Takahashi, Takuya

2016-01-01

Social separation early in life can lead to the development of impaired interpersonal relationships and profound social disorders. However, the underlying cellular and molecular mechanisms involved are largely unknown. Here, we found that isolation of neonatal rats induced glucocorticoid-dependent social dominance over nonisolated control rats in juveniles from the same litter. Furthermore, neonatal isolation inactivated the actin-depolymerizing factor (ADF)/cofilin in the juvenile medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC). Isolation-induced inactivation of ADF/cofilin increased stable actin fractions at dendritic spines in the juvenile mPFC, decreasing glutamate synaptic AMPA receptors. Expression of constitutively active ADF/cofilin in the mPFC rescued the effect of isolation on social dominance. Thus, neonatal isolation affects spines in the mPFC by reducing actin dynamics, leading to altered social behavior later in life. PMID:27791080

Stomach nematodes (Mastophorus muris) in rats (Rattus rattus) are associated with coconut (Cocos nucifera) habitat at Palmyra Atoll.

PubMed

Lafferty, Kevin D; Hathaway, Stacie A; Wegmann, Alex S; Shipley, Frank S; Backlin, Adam R; Helm, Joel; Fisher, Robert N

2010-02-01

Black rats ( Rattus rattus ) and their stomach nematodes (Mastophorus muris) were historically introduced to islets at Palmyra Atoll in the central Pacific Line Islands. To investigate patterns of parasitism, we trapped rats and quantified nematodes on 13 islets of various sizes and habitat types. Most rats were parasitized (59%) with an average of 12 worms per infected rat. Islet size did not greatly influence parasite population biology. Nematodes also did not appear to affect rat condition (weight to skull length). The only strong and consistent factor associated with the mean abundance of nematodes in rats was habitat (dominant cover and locally dominant plant species). Thus, nematodes were much more abundant in rats from sites dominated by coconut trees (Cocos nucifera). Coconut trees may also be an introduced species at Palmyra Atoll.

The Human Salivary Microbiome Is Shaped by Shared Environment Rather than Genetics: Evidence from a Large Family of Closely Related Individuals.

PubMed

Shaw, Liam; Ribeiro, Andre L R; Levine, Adam P; Pontikos, Nikolas; Balloux, Francois; Segal, Anthony W; Roberts, Adam P; Smith, Andrew M

2017-09-12

The human microbiome is affected by multiple factors, including the environment and host genetics. In this study, we analyzed the salivary microbiomes of an extended family of Ashkenazi Jewish individuals living in several cities and investigated associations with both shared household and host genetic similarities. We found that environmental effects dominated over genetic effects. While there was weak evidence of geographical structuring at the level of cities, we observed a large and significant effect of shared household on microbiome composition, supporting the role of the immediate shared environment in dictating the presence or absence of taxa. This effect was also seen when including adults who had grown up in the same household but moved out prior to the time of sampling, suggesting that the establishment of the salivary microbiome earlier in life may affect its long-term composition. We found weak associations between host genetic relatedness and microbiome dissimilarity when using family pedigrees as proxies for genetic similarity. However, this association disappeared when using more-accurate measures of kinship based on genome-wide genetic markers, indicating that the environment rather than host genetics is the dominant factor affecting the composition of the salivary microbiome in closely related individuals. Our results support the concept that there is a consistent core microbiome conserved across global scales but that small-scale effects due to a shared living environment significantly affect microbial community composition. IMPORTANCE Previous research shows that the salivary microbiomes of relatives are more similar than those of nonrelatives, but it remains difficult to distinguish the effects of relatedness and shared household environment. Furthermore, pedigree measures may not accurately measure host genetic similarity. In this study, we include genetic relatedness based on genome-wide single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) (rather than pedigree measures) and shared environment in the same analysis. We quantify the relative importance of these factors by studying the salivary microbiomes in members of a large extended Ashkenazi Jewish family living in different locations. We find that host genetics plays no significant role and that the dominant factor is the shared environment at the household level. We also find that this effect appears to persist in individuals who have moved out of the parental household, suggesting that aspects of salivary microbiome composition established during upbringing can persist over a time scale of years. Copyright © 2017 Shaw et al.

Divergent drivers of the spatial and temporal variations of cropland carbon transfer in Liaoning province, China.

PubMed

Zhu, Xian-Jin; Zhang, Han-Qi; Zhao, Tian-Hong; Li, Jian-Dong; Yin, Hong

2017-10-12

Spatial and temporal variations are important points of focus in ecological research. Analysing their differences improves our understanding on the variations of ecological phenomena. Using data from the Liaoning Statistical Yearbook, we investigated the spatial and temporal variations of cropland carbon transfer (CCT), an important ecological phenomenon in quantifying the regional carbon budget, in particular, the influencing factors and difference. The results showed that, from 1992 to 2014, the average CCT in Liaoning province was 18.56 TgC yr -1 and decreased from northwest to southeast. CCT spatial variation was primarily affected by the ratio of planting area to regional area (RPR) via its effect on the magnitude of carbon transfer (MCT), which depended mainly on fertilizer usage per area (FUA). From 1992 to 2014, CCT exhibited a significantly increasing trend with a rate of 0.48 TgC yr -1 . The inter-annual variation of CCT was dominated by carbon transfer per planting area (CTP) through its effect on MCT, which significantly correlated with FUA but showed no significant correlation with climatic factors. Therefore, the factors affecting the spatial variation of CCT differed from those that affected its inter-annual variation, indicating that the spatial and temporal variations of ecological phenomena were affected by divergent factors.

Analysis of factors driving stream water composition and synthesis of management tools--a case study on small/medium Greek catchments.

PubMed

Skoulikidis, N Th; Amaxidis, Y; Bertahas, I; Laschou, S; Gritzalis, K

2006-06-01

Twenty-nine small- and mid-sized permanent rivers (thirty-six sites) scattered throughout Greece and equally distributed within three geo-chemical-climatic zones, have been investigated in a seasonal base. Hydrochemical types have been determined and spatio-temporal variations have been interpreted in relation to environmental characteristics and anthropogenic pressures. Multivariate statistical techniques have been used to identify the factors and processes affecting hydrochemical variability and the driving forces that control aquatic composition. It has been shown that spatial variation of aquatic quality is mainly governed by geological and hydrogeological factors. Due to geological and climatic variability, the three zones have different hydrochemical characteristics. Temporal hydrological variations in combination with hydrogeological factors control seasonal hydrochemical trends. Respiration processes due to municipal wastewaters, dominate in summer, and enhance nutrient, chloride and sodium concentrations, while nitrate originates primarily from agriculture. Photosynthetic processes dominate in spring. Carbonate chemistry is controlled by hydrogeological factors and biological activity. A possible enrichment of surface waters with nutrients in "pristine" forested catchments is attributed to soil leaching and mineralisation processes. Two management tools have been developed: a nutrient classification system and a rapid prediction of aquatic composition tool.

Workplace risk factors for anxiety and depression in male-dominated industries: a systematic review

PubMed Central

Battams, Samantha; Roche, Ann M.; Fischer, Jane A.; Lee, Nicole K.; Cameron, Jacqui; Kostadinov, Victoria

2014-01-01

Background and Aims: Working conditions are an important health determinant. Employment factors can negatively affect mental health (MH), but there is little research on MH risk factors in male-dominated industries (MDI). Method: A systematic review of risk factors for anxiety and depression disorders in MDI was undertaken. MDI comprised ≥ 70% male workers and included agriculture, construction, mining, manufacturing, transport and utilities. Major electronic databases (CINAHL, Cochrane Library, Informit, PsycINFO, PubMed and Scopus) were searched. Each study was categorised according to National Health and Medical Research Council's hierarchy of evidence and study quality was assessed according to six methodological criteria. Results: Nineteen studies met the inclusion criteria. Four categories of risk were identified: individual factors, team environment, work conditions and work–home interference. The main risk factors associated with anxiety and depression in MDI were poor health and lifestyles, unsupportive workplace relationships, job overload and job demands. Some studies indicated a higher risk of anxiety and depression for blue-collar workers. Conclusion: Substantial gaps exist in the evidence. Studies with stronger methodologies are required. Available evidence suggests that comprehensive primary, secondary and tertiary prevention approaches to address MH risk factors in MDI are necessary. There is a need for organisationally focused workplace MH policies and interventions. PMID:25750830

Key Factors Influencing Rapid Development of Potentially Dune-Stabilizing Moss-Dominated Crusts

PubMed Central

Bu, Chongfeng; Zhang, Kankan; Zhang, Chunyun; Wu, Shufang

2015-01-01

Biological soil crusts (BSCs) are a widespread photosynthetic ground cover in arid and semiarid areas. They have many positive ecological functions, such as increasing soil stability, and reducing water and wind erosion. Using artificial technology to achieve the rapid development of BSCs is expected to become a low-cost and highly beneficial ecological restoration measure. In the present study, typical moss-dominated crusts in a region characterized by mobile dunes (Mu Us Sandland, China) were collected, and a 40-day cultivation experiment was performed to investigate key factors, including watering frequency, light intensity and a nutrient addition, which affect the rapid development of moss crusts and their optimal combination. The results demonstrated that watering frequency and illumination had a significant positive effect (P=0.049, three-factor ANOVA) and a highly significant, complicated effect (P=0.000, three-factor ANOVA), respectively, on the plant density of bryophytes, and a highly significant positive effect on the chlorophyll a and exopolysaccharide contents (P=0.000, P=0.000; P=0.000, P=0.000; one-way ANOVA). Knop nutrient solution did not have a significant positive but rather negative effect on the promotion of moss-dominated crust development (P=0.270, three-factor ANOVA). Moss-dominated crusts treated with the combination of moderate-intensity light (6,000 lx) + high watering frequency (1 watering/2 days) - Knop had the highest moss plant densities, while the treatment with high-intensity light (12,000 lx) + high watering frequency (1 watering/2 days) + Knop nutrient solution had higher chlorophyll a contents than that under other treatments. It is entirely feasible to achieve the rapid development of moss crusts under laboratory conditions by regulating key factors and creating the right environment. Future applications may seek to use cultured bryophytes to control erosion in vulnerable areas with urgent needs. PMID:26230324

Clinical and ultrasound features in patients with intersection syndrome or de Quervain's disease.

PubMed

Sato, J; Ishii, Y; Noguchi, H

2016-02-01

We investigated the demographic characteristics of patients who were diagnosed with intersection syndrome and also investigated the dominance of the affected hand, duration of symptoms and any precipitating factor for pain of the wrist. These features were compared with patients who had de Quervain's disease. Ultrasonography was used to confirm the clinical diagnosis. Intersection syndrome occurred more frequently in men and in the dominant hand than de Quervain's disease when all the patients were compared and when peripartum women were excluded. It occurred at a younger age than de Quervain's disease only when the comparison excluded peripartum women. Patients with intersection syndrome presented with a much shorter duration of symptoms. These results were consistent with previous reports about occupational factors in intersection syndrome, and might be helpful in the understanding of epidemiological difference between the two conditions. Level 3. © The Author(s) 2015.

Natal Host Plants Can Alter Herbivore Competition.

PubMed

Pan, Huipeng; Preisser, Evan L; Su, Qi; Jiao, Xiaoguo; Xie, Wen; Wang, Shaoli; Wu, Qingjun; Zhang, Youjun

2016-01-01

Interspecific competition between herbivores is widely recognized as an important determinant of community structure. Although researchers have identified a number of factors capable of altering competitive interactions, few studies have addressed the influence of neighboring plant species. If adaptation to/ epigenetic effects of an herbivore's natal host plant alter its performance on other host plants, then interspecific herbivore interactions may play out differently in heterogeneous and homogenous plant communities. We tested wether the natal host plant of a whitefly population affected interactions between the Middle-east Asia Minor 1 (MEAM1) and Mediterranean (MED) cryptic species of the whitefly Bemisia tabaci by rearing the offspring of a cabbage-derived MEAM1 population and a poinsettia-derived MED population together on three different host plants: cotton, poinsettia, and cabbage. We found that MED dominated on poinsettia and that MEAM1 dominated on cabbage, results consistent with previous research. MED also dominated when reared with MEAM1 on cotton, however, a result at odds with multiple otherwise-similar studies that reared both species on the same natal plant. Our work provides evidence that natal plants affect competitive interactions on another plant species, and highlights the potential importance of neighboring plant species on herbivore community composition in agricultral systems.

What's so funny? Modelling incongruity in humour production.

PubMed

Hull, Rachel; Tosun, Sümeyra; Vaid, Jyotsna

2017-04-01

Finding something humorous is intrinsically rewarding and may facilitate emotion regulation, but what creates humour has been underexplored. The present experimental study examined humour generated under controlled conditions with varying social, affective, and cognitive factors. Participants listed five ways in which a set of concept pairs (e.g. MONEY and CHOCOLATE) were similar or different in either a funny way (intentional humour elicitation) or a "catchy" way (incidental humour elicitation). Results showed that more funny responses were produced under the incidental condition, and particularly more for affectively charged than neutral concepts, for semantically unrelated than related concepts, and for responses highlighting differences rather than similarities between concepts. Further analyses revealed that funny responses showed a relative divergence in output dominance of the properties typically associated with each concept in the pair (that is, funny responses frequently highlighted a property high in output dominance for one concept but simultaneously low in output dominance for the other concept); by contrast, responses judged not funny did not show this pattern. These findings reinforce the centrality of incongruity resolution as a key cognitive ingredient for some pleasurable emotional elements arising from humour and demonstrate how it may operate within the context of humour generation.

Fungi diversity from different depths and times in chicken manure waste static aerobic composting.

PubMed

Gu, Wenjie; Lu, Yusheng; Tan, Zhiyuan; Xu, Peizhi; Xie, Kaizhi; Li, Xia; Sun, Lili

2017-09-01

The Dirichlet multinomial mixtures mode was used to analyse illumina sequencing data to reveal both temporal and spatial variations of the fungi community present in the aerobic composting. Results showed that 670 operational taxonomic units (OTUs) were detected, and the dominant phylum was Ascomycota. There were four types of samples fungi communities during the composting process. Samples from the early composting stage were mainly grouped into type I and Saccharomycetales sp. was dominant. Fungi community in the medium composting stage were fallen into type II and III, Sordariales sp. and Acremonium alcalophilum, Saccharomycetales sp. and Scedosporium minutisporum were the dominant OTUs respectively. Samples from the late composting stage were mainly grouped into type IV and Scedosporium minutisporum was the dominant OTU; Scedosporium minutisporum was significantly affected by depth (P<0.05). Results indicate that time and depth both are factors that influence fungi distribution and variation in c waste during static aerobic composting. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

How Should We Respond to Non-Dominant Healing Practices, the Example of Homeopathy.

PubMed

Gray, Ben

2017-03-01

The debate around the ethics of homeopathy in recent issues of the journal has been approached as a binary question; is homeopathy ethical or not? This paper suggests that this is an unhelpful question and instead discusses a framework to establish the extent to which the dominant (medical) culture should tolerate non-dominant health practices such as homeopathy. This requires a sophisticated understanding of the placebo effect, a critical evaluation of what evidence is available, a consideration of the harm that the non-dominant practice might cause, and a consideration of how this might be affected by the culture of the patient. This is presented as a matter of cultural competence. At a clinical level clinicians need to respect the values and beliefs of their patients and communicate with all the practitioners involved in a patient's care. At a societal level there are a number of factors to be considered when a community decides which practices to tolerate and to what extent.

The dominant firm in health insurance.

PubMed

Goldberg, L G; Greenberg, W

1985-01-01

Blue Cross, the largest insurer of hospital costs in most parts of the U.S., has a varying market share by area. This paper examines the factors affecting the market share of Blue Cross by state. The regression analysis finds that the Blue Cross discount has an important impact upon market structure and that certain regulatory factors have had an impact while others, such as the premium tax, have not. Hypotheses related to the effects of consumer demand and the structure of the industry on Blue Cross market share are also tested and largely rejected.

What Has Caused Desertification in China?

PubMed

Feng, Qi; Ma, Hua; Jiang, Xuemei; Wang, Xin; Cao, Shixiong

2015-11-03

Desertification is the result of complex interactions among various factors, including climate change and human activities. However, previous research generally focused on either meteorological factors associated with climate change or human factors associated with human activities, and lacked quantitative assessments of their interaction combined with long-term monitoring. Thus, the roles of climate change and human factors in desertification remain uncertain. To understand the factors that determine whether mitigation programs can contribute to desertification control and vegetation cover improvements in desertified areas of China, and the complex interactions that affect their success, we used a pooled regression model based on panel data to calculate the relative roles of climate change and human activities on the desertified area and on vegetation cover (using the normalized-difference vegetation index, NDVI, which decreases with increasing desertification) from 1983 to 2012. We found similar effect magnitudes for socioeconomic and environmental factors for NDVI but different results for desertification: socioeconomic factors were the dominant factor that affected desertification, accounting for 79.3% of the effects. Climate change accounted for 46.6 and 20.6% of the effects on NDVI and desertification, respectively. Therefore, desertification control programs must account for the integrated effects of both socioeconomic and natural factors.

What Has Caused Desertification in China?

PubMed Central

Feng, Qi; Ma, Hua; Jiang, Xuemei; Wang, Xin; Cao, Shixiong

2015-01-01

Desertification is the result of complex interactions among various factors, including climate change and human activities. However, previous research generally focused on either meteorological factors associated with climate change or human factors associated with human activities, and lacked quantitative assessments of their interaction combined with long-term monitoring. Thus, the roles of climate change and human factors in desertification remain uncertain. To understand the factors that determine whether mitigation programs can contribute to desertification control and vegetation cover improvements in desertified areas of China, and the complex interactions that affect their success, we used a pooled regression model based on panel data to calculate the relative roles of climate change and human activities on the desertified area and on vegetation cover (using the normalized-difference vegetation index, NDVI, which decreases with increasing desertification) from 1983 to 2012. We found similar effect magnitudes for socioeconomic and environmental factors for NDVI but different results for desertification: socioeconomic factors were the dominant factor that affected desertification, accounting for 79.3% of the effects. Climate change accounted for 46.6 and 20.6% of the effects on NDVI and desertification, respectively. Therefore, desertification control programs must account for the integrated effects of both socioeconomic and natural factors. PMID:26525278

National Cry for Help: Psychological Issues as They Relate to Education; A Realistic Approach to Understanding and Coping with the African American Males

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Anthony, Taiwanna D.; Kritsonis, William Allan; Herrington, David E.

2007-01-01

One could argue that advance teacher training does not make a difference in student achievement. According to William Sanders, a Professor at the University of Tennessee, the single most dominate factor affecting student achievement gain is teachers advance training. African American students make up 17 percent of the public school population…

Long-term variability in the water budget and its controls in an oak-dominated temperate forest

Treesearch

Jing Xie; Ge Sun; Hou-Sen Chu; Junguo Liu; Steven G. McNulty; Asko Noormets; Ranjeet John; Zutao Ouyang; Tianshan Zha; Haitao Li; Wenbin Guan; Jiquan Chen

2014-01-01

Water availability is one of the key environmental factors that control ecosystem functions in temperate forests. Changing climate is likely to alter the ecohydrology and other ecosystem processes, which affect forest structures and functions. We constructed a multi-year water budget (2004–2010) and quantified environmental controls on an evapotranspiration (ET) in a...

Factors affecting the evolution of coastal wetlands of the Laurentian Great Lakes: An overview

USGS Publications Warehouse

Mayer, T.; Edsall, T.; Munawar, M.

2004-01-01

Coastal wetlands play a pivotal role in the Great Lakes ecosystem. As buffer zones between the land and open waters of the Great Lakes, they perform a variety of essential functions providing both direct and indirect anthropogenic benefits. Geology, morphology and climate are the dominant variables that influence Laurentian Great Lakes wetland development. However, anthropogenic factors are the major contributors to alteration of natural wetland processes. This paper provides an overview of natural and anthropogenic factors important in Great Lakes coastal wetland development and provides statistical information describing the Great Lakes Basin. A brief description of wetlands classification and research issues is also presented.

Noise considerations for remote detection of life signs with microwave Doppler radar.

PubMed

Nguyen, Dung; Yamada, Shuhei; Park, Byung-Kwon; Lubecke, Victor; Boric-Lubecke, Olga; Host-Madsen, Anders

2007-01-01

This paper describes and quantifies three main sources of baseband noise affecting physiological signals in a direct conversion microwave Doppler radar for life signs detection. They are thermal noise, residual phase noise, and Flicker noise. In order to increase the SNR of physiological signals at baseband, the noise floor, in which the Flicker noise is the most dominant factor, needs to be minimized. This paper shows that with the consideration of the noise factor in our Doppler radar, Flicker noise canceling techniques may drastically reduce the power requirement for heart rate signal detection by as much as a factor of 100.

The role of sensory ocular dominance on through-focus visual performance in monovision presbyopia corrections

PubMed Central

Zheleznyak, Len; Alarcon, Aixa; Dieter, Kevin C.; Tadin, Duje; Yoon, Geunyoung

2015-01-01

Monovision presbyopia interventions exploit the binocular nature of the visual system by independently manipulating the optical properties of the two eyes. It is unclear, however, how individual variations in ocular dominance affect visual function in monovision corrections. Here, we examined the impact of sensory ocular dominance on visual performance in both traditional and modified monovision presbyopic corrections. We recently developed a binocular adaptive optics vision simulator to correct subjects' native aberrations and induce either modified monovision (1.5 D anisometropia, spherical aberration of +0.1 and −0.4 μm in distance and near eyes, respectively, over 4 mm pupils) or traditional monovision (1.5 D anisometropia). To quantify both the sign and the degree of ocular dominance, we utilized binocular rivalry to estimate stimulus contrast ratios that yield balanced dominance durations for the two eyes. Through-focus visual acuity and contrast sensitivity were measured under two conditions: (a) assigning dominant and nondominant eye to distance and near, respectively, and (b) vice versa. The results revealed that through-focus visual acuity was unaffected by ocular dominance. Contrast sensitivity, however, was significantly improved when the dominant eye coincided with superior optical quality. We hypothesize that a potential mechanism behind this observation is an interaction between ocular dominance and binocular contrast summation, and thus, assignment of the dominant eye to distance or near may be an important factor to optimize contrast threshold performance at different object distances in both modified and traditional monovision. PMID:26024464

Adverse birth factors predict cognitive ability, but not hand preference.

PubMed

Nicholls, Michael E R; Johnston, David W; Shields, Michael A

2012-09-01

There is a persistent theory that birth stress and subsequent brain pathology play an important role in the manifestation of left-handedness. Evidence for this theory, however, is mixed and studies are often beset with problems related to small sample sizes and unreliable health reports. TO avoid these issues, this study used a sample of approximately 10,000 children from the British Cohort Study. The study contains objective birth-health reports and comprehensive measures of socioeconomic status, handedness, cognitive ability, and behavioral/health issues. Regression analyses showed that variables associated with birth stress affected cognitive/behavioral/health outcomes of the child. Despite this, these same factors did not affect the direction or degree of hand preference. We have therefore demonstrated a dissociation whereby adverse birth factors affect the brain's cognitive ability, but not handedness, and by implication, cerebral lateralization. The study also demonstrated a link between left-handedness and reduced levels of cognitive ability. This link cannot be due a generalized birth-stress mechanism and may be caused by specific mechanisms related to changes in cerebral dominance.

Affective Norms for Italian Words in Older Adults: Age Differences in Ratings of Valence, Arousal and Dominance

PubMed Central

Fairfield, Beth; Ambrosini, Ettore; Mammarella, Nicola; Montefinese, Maria

2017-01-01

In line with the dimensional theory of emotional space, we developed affective norms for words rated in terms of valence, arousal and dominance in a group of older adults to complete the adaptation of the Affective Norms for English Words (ANEW) for Italian and to aid research on aging. Here, as in the original Italian ANEW database, participants evaluated valence, arousal, and dominance by means of the Self-Assessment Manikin (SAM) in a paper-and-pencil procedure. We observed high split-half reliabilities within the older sample and high correlations with the affective ratings of previous research, especially for valence, suggesting that there is large agreement among older adults within and across-languages. More importantly, we found high correlations between younger and older adults, showing that our data are generalizable across different ages. However, despite this across-ages accord, we obtained age-related differences on three affective dimensions for a great number of words. In particular, older adults rated as more arousing and more unpleasant a number of words that younger adults rated as moderately unpleasant and arousing in our previous affective norms. Moreover, older participants rated negative stimuli as more arousing and positive stimuli as less arousing than younger participants, thus leading to a less-curved distribution of ratings in the valence by arousal space. We also found more extreme ratings for older adults for the relationship between dominance and arousal: older adults gave lower dominance and higher arousal ratings for words rated by younger adults with middle dominance and arousal values. Together, these results suggest that our affective norms are reliable and can be confidently used to select words matched for the affective dimensions of valence, arousal and dominance across younger and older participants for future research in aging. PMID:28046070

A neighborhood analysis of the consequences of Quercus suber decline for regeneration dynamics in Mediterranean forests.

PubMed

Ibáñez, Beatriz; Gómez-Aparicio, Lorena; Stoll, Peter; Ávila, José M; Pérez-Ramos, Ignacio M; Marañón, Teodoro

2015-01-01

In forests, the vulnerable seedling stage is largely influenced by the canopy, which modifies the surrounding environment. Consequently, any alteration in the characteristics of the canopy, such as those promoted by forest dieback, might impact regeneration dynamics. Our work analyzes the interaction between canopy neighbors and seedlings in Mediterranean forests affected by the decline of their dominant species (Quercus suber). Our objective was to understand how the impacts of neighbor trees and shrubs on recruitment could affect future dynamics of these declining forests. Seeds of the three dominant tree species (Quercus suber, Olea europaea and Quercus canariensis) were sown in six sites during two consecutive years. Using a spatially-explicit, neighborhood approach we developed models that explained the observed spatial variation in seedling emergence, survival, growth and photochemical efficiency as a function of the size, identity, health, abundance and distribution of adult trees and shrubs in the neighborhood. We found strong neighborhood effects for all the performance estimators, particularly seedling emergence and survival. Tree neighbors positively affected emergence, independently of species identity or health. Alternatively, seedling survival was much lower in neighborhoods dominated by defoliated and dead Q. suber trees than in neighborhoods dominated by healthy trees. For the two oak species, these negative effects were consistent over the three years of the experimental seedlings. These results indicate that ongoing changes in species' relative abundance and canopy trees' health might alter the successional trajectories of Mediterranean oak-forests through neighbor-specific impacts on seedlings. The recruitment failure of dominant late-successional oaks in the gaps opened after Q. suber death would indirectly favor the establishment of other coexisting woody species, such as drought-tolerant shrubs. This could lead current forests to shift into open systems with lower tree cover. Adult canopy decline would therefore represent an additional factor threatening the recruitment of Quercus forests worldwide.

Soil features in rookeries of Antarctic penguins reveal sea to land biotransport of chemical pollutants

PubMed Central

Santamans, Anna C.; Boluda, Rafael; Picazo, Antonio; Gil, Carlos; Ramos-Miras, Joaquín; Tejedo, Pablo; Pertierra, Luis R.; Benayas, Javier

2017-01-01

The main soil physical-chemical features, the concentrations of a set of pollutants, and the soil microbiota linked to penguin rookeries have been studied in 10 selected sites located at the South Shetland Islands and the Antarctic Peninsula (Maritime Antarctica). This study aims to test the hypothesis that biotransport by penguins increases the concentration of pollutants, especially heavy metals, in Antarctic soils, and alters its microbiota. Our results show that penguins do transport certain chemical elements and thus cause accumulation in land areas through their excreta. Overall, a higher penguin activity is associated with higher organic carbon content and with higher concentrations of certain pollutants in soils, especially cadmium, cooper and arsenic, as well as zinc and selenium. In contrast, in soils that are less affected by penguins’ faecal depositions, the concentrations of elements of geochemical origin, such as iron and cobalt, increase their relative weighted contribution, whereas the above-mentioned pollutants maintain very low levels. The concentrations of pollutants are far higher in those penguin rookeries that are more exposed to ship traffic. In addition, the soil microbiota of penguin-influenced soils was studied by molecular methods. Heavily penguin-affected soils have a massive presence of enteric bacteria, whose relative dominance can be taken as an indicator of penguin influence. Faecal bacteria are present in addition to typical soil taxa, the former becoming dominant in the microbiota of penguin-affected soils, whereas typical soil bacteria, such as Actinomycetales, co-dominate the microbiota of less affected soils. Results indicate that the continuous supply by penguin faeces, and not the selectivity by increased pollutant concentrations is the main factor shaping the soil bacterial community. Overall, massive penguin influence results in increased concentrations of certain pollutants and in a strong change in taxa dominance in the soil bacterial community. PMID:28813428

Regulatory Divergence between Parental Alleles Determines Gene Expression Patterns in Hybrids

PubMed Central

Combes, Marie-Christine; Hueber, Yann; Dereeper, Alexis; Rialle, Stéphanie; Herrera, Juan-Carlos; Lashermes, Philippe

2015-01-01

Both hybridization and allopolyploidization generate novel phenotypes by conciliating divergent genomes and regulatory networks in the same cellular context. To understand the rewiring of gene expression in hybrids, the total expression of 21,025 genes and the allele-specific expression of over 11,000 genes were quantified in interspecific hybrids and their parental species, Coffea canephora and Coffea eugenioides using RNA-seq technology. Between parental species, cis- and trans-regulatory divergences affected around 32% and 35% of analyzed genes, respectively, with nearly 17% of them showing both. The relative importance of trans-regulatory divergences between both species could be related to their low genetic divergence and perennial habit. In hybrids, among divergently expressed genes between parental species and hybrids, 77% was expressed like one parent (expression level dominance), including 65% like C. eugenioides. Gene expression was shown to result from the expression of both alleles affected by intertwined parental trans-regulatory factors. A strong impact of C. eugenioides trans-regulatory factors on the upregulation of C. canephora alleles was revealed. The gene expression patterns appeared determined by complex combinations of cis- and trans-regulatory divergences. In particular, the observed biased expression level dominance seemed to be derived from the asymmetric effects of trans-regulatory parental factors on regulation of alleles. More generally, this study illustrates the effects of divergent trans-regulatory parental factors on the gene expression pattern in hybrids. The characteristics of the transcriptional response to hybridization appear to be determined by the compatibility of gene regulatory networks and therefore depend on genetic divergences between the parental species and their evolutionary history. PMID:25819221

Stomach nematodes (Mastophorus Muris) in rats (Rattus rattus) are associated with coconut (Cocos nucifera) Habitat at palmyra atoll

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lafferty, K.D.; Hathaway, S.A.; Wegmann, A.S.; Shipley, F.S.; Backlin, A.R.; Helm, J.; Fisher, R.N.

2010-01-01

Black rats (Rattus rattus) and their stomach nematodes (Mastophorus muris) were historically introduced to islets at Palmyra Atoll in the central Pacific Line Islands. To investigate patterns of parasitism, we trapped rats and quantified nematodes on 13 islets of various sizes and habitat types. Most rats were parasitized (59) with an average of 12 worms per infected rat. Islet size did not greatly influence parasite population biology. Nematodes also did not appear to affect rat condition (weight to skull length). The only strong and consistent factor associated with the mean abundance of nematodes in rats was habitat (dominant cover and locally dominant plant species). Thus, nematodes were much more abundant in rats from sites dominated by coconut trees (Cocos nucifera). Coconut trees may also be an introduced species at Palmyra Atoll. ?? American Society of Parasitologists 2010.

The Combined Influence of Affective, Continuance and Normative Commitment on Employee Withdrawal

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Somers, Mark John

2009-01-01

In a sample of 288 hospital nurses, commitment profiles were compared to turnover intentions, job search behavior, work withdrawal (absenteeism and lateness) and job stress. Five empirically-derived commitment profiles emerged: highly committed, affective-normative dominant, continuance-normative dominant, continuance dominant, and uncommitted.…

The spotted owl in southern California: ecology and special concerns for maintaining a forest-dwelling species in a human-dominated desert landscape

Treesearch

William S. LaHayne; R. J. Gutiérrez

2005-01-01

The California spotted owl is an uncommon forest-dwelling resident of southern California, found in most of the major mountain ranges in the region. We studied this species from 1987 to 1998 in the San Bernardino Mountains and collected empirical and demographic evidence that the population declined during this period. Numerous factors may affect the long-term...

Interspecific variation in growth responses to tree size, competition and climate of western Canadian boreal mixed forests.

PubMed

Jiang, Xinyu; Huang, Jian-Guo; Cheng, Jiong; Dawson, Andria; Stadt, Kenneth J; Comeau, Philip G; Chen, Han Y H

2018-08-01

Tree growth of boreal forest plays an important role on global carbon (C) cycle, while tree growth in the western Canadian boreal mixed forests has been predicted to be negatively affected by regional drought. Individual tree growth can be controlled by many factors, such as competition, climate, tree size and age. However, information about contributions of different factors to tree growth is still limited in this region. In order to address this uncertainty, tree rings of two dominant tree species, trembling aspen (Populus tremuloides Michx.) and white spruce (Picea glauca (Moench.) Voss), were sampled from boreal mixed forest stands distributed across Alberta, Canada. Tree growth rates over different time intervals (10years interval, 1998-2007; 20years interval, 1988-2007; 30years interval, 1978-2007) were calculated to study the effects of different factors (tree size, competition, climate, and age) on tree growth. Results indicated that tree growth of two species were both primarily affected by competition or tree size, while climatic indices showed less effects on tree growth. Growth of trembling aspen was significantly affected by inter- and intraspecific competition, while growth of white spruce was primarily influenced by tree size, followed by competition. Positive relationship was found between growth of white spruce and competition index of coniferous group, suggesting an intraspecific mutualism mechanism within coniferous group. Our results further suggested that competition driven succession was the primary process of forest composition shift in the western Canadian boreal mixed forest. Although drought stress increased tree mortality, decline of stem density under climate change released competition stress of surviving trees, which in turn sustained growth of surviving trees. Therefore, climatic indices showed fewer effects on growth of dominant tree species compared to other factors in our study. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Does water content or flow rate control colloid transport in unsaturated porous media?

PubMed

Knappenberger, Thorsten; Flury, Markus; Mattson, Earl D; Harsh, James B

2014-04-01

Mobile colloids can play an important role in contaminant transport in soils: many contaminants exist in colloidal form, and colloids can facilitate transport of otherwise immobile contaminants. In unsaturated soils, colloid transport is, among other factors, affected by water content and flow rate. Our objective was to determine whether water content or flow rate is more important for colloid transport. We passed negatively charged polystyrene colloids (220 nm diameter) through unsaturated sand-filled columns under steady-state flow at different water contents (effective water saturations Se ranging from 0.1 to 1.0, with Se = (θ - θr)/(θs - θr)) and flow rates (pore water velocities v of 5 and 10 cm/min). Water content was the dominant factor in our experiments. Colloid transport decreased with decreasing water content, and below a critical water content (Se < 0.1), colloid transport was inhibited, and colloids were strained in water films. Pendular ring and water film thickness calculations indicated that colloids can move only when pendular rings are interconnected. The flow rate affected retention of colloids in the secondary energy minimum, with less colloids being trapped when the flow rate increased. These results confirm the importance of both water content and flow rate for colloid transport in unsaturated porous media and highlight the dominant role of water content.

The SAGA/TREX-2 subunit Sus1 binds widely to transcribed genes and affects mRNA turnover globally.

PubMed

García-Molinero, Varinia; García-Martínez, José; Reja, Rohit; Furió-Tarí, Pedro; Antúnez, Oreto; Vinayachandran, Vinesh; Conesa, Ana; Pugh, B Franklin; Pérez-Ortín, José E; Rodríguez-Navarro, Susana

2018-03-29

Eukaryotic transcription is regulated through two complexes, the general transcription factor IID (TFIID) and the coactivator Spt-Ada-Gcn5 acetyltransferase (SAGA). Recent findings confirm that both TFIID and SAGA contribute to the synthesis of nearly all transcripts and are recruited genome-wide in yeast. However, how this broad recruitment confers selectivity under specific conditions remains an open question. Here we find that the SAGA/TREX-2 subunit Sus1 associates with upstream regulatory regions of many yeast genes and that heat shock drastically changes Sus1 binding. While Sus1 binding to TFIID-dominated genes is not affected by temperature, its recruitment to SAGA-dominated genes and RP genes is significantly disturbed under heat shock, with Sus1 relocated to environmental stress-responsive genes in these conditions. Moreover, in contrast to recent results showing that SAGA deubiquitinating enzyme Ubp8 is dispensable for RNA synthesis, genomic run-on experiments demonstrate that Sus1 contributes to synthesis and stability of a wide range of transcripts. Our study provides support for a model in which SAGA/TREX-2 factor Sus1 acts as a global transcriptional regulator in yeast but has differential activity at yeast genes as a function of their transcription rate or during stress conditions.

Phylogenetic diversity and functional characterization of the Manila clam microbiota: a culture-based approach.

PubMed

Leite, Laura; Jude-Lemeilleur, Florence; Raymond, Natalie; Henriques, Isabel; Garabetian, Frédéric; Alves, Artur

2017-09-01

According to the hologenome theory, the microbiota contributes to the fitness of the holobiont having an important role in its adaptation, survival, development, health, and evolution. Environmental stress also affects the microbiota and its capability to assist the holobiont in coping with stress factors. Here, we analyzed the diversity of cultivable bacteria associated with Manila clam tissues (mantle, gills, hemolymph) in two non-contaminated sites (Portugal and France) and one metal-contaminated site (Portugal). A total of 240 isolates were obtained. Representative isolates (n = 198) of the overall diversity were identified by 16S rDNA sequencing and subjected to functional characterization. Isolates affiliated with Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, Firmicutes, and Bacteroidetes. Proteobacteria (mostly Pseudoalteromonadaceae and Vibrionaceae) were dominant in non-contaminated sites while Actinobacteria (mostly Microbacteriaceae) dominated in the metal-contaminated site. The main factor affecting the microbiota composition was contamination. No significant differences were observed between clam tissues and geographic regions. Several isolates tested positive for antibacterial activity, biofilm formation, protease, and siderophore production. The results show that the Manila clam harbors a diverse microbiota that may contribute to clam protection and overall fitness, as well as to its adaptation to stressful environments. In addition, the Manila clam microbiota is revealed as a promising source of novel probiotics with potential application in aquaculture.

Ecological distribution and population physiology defined by proteomics in a natural microbial community

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

Muller, R; Denef, Vincent; Kalnejals, Linda

An important challenge in microbial ecology is developing methods that simultaneously examine the physiology of organisms at the molecular level and their ecosystem level interactions in complex natural systems.We integrated extensive proteomic, geochemical, and biological information from 28 microbial communities collected from an acid mine drainage environment and representing a range of biofilm development stages and geochemical conditions to evaluate how the physiologies of the dominant and less abundant organisms change along environmental gradients. The initial colonist dominates across all environments, but its proteome changes between two stable states as communities diversify, implying that interspecies interactions affect this organism smore » metabolism. Its overall physiology is robust to abiotic environmental factors, but strong correlations exist between these factors and certain subsets of proteins, possibly accounting for its wide environmental distribution. Lower abundance populations are patchier in their distribution, and proteomic data indicate that their environmental niches may be constrained by specific sets of abiotic environmental factors. This research establishes an effective strategy to investigate ecological relationships between microbial physiology and the environment for whole communities in situ« less

Ecological distribution and population physiology defined by proteomics in a natural microbial community

USGS Publications Warehouse

Mueller, Ryan S.; Denef, Vincent J.; Kalnejais, Linda H.; Suttle, K. Blake; Thomas, Brian C.; Wilmes, Paul; Smith, Richard L.; Nordstrom, D. Kirk; McCleskey, R. Blaine; Shah, Menesh B.; VerBekmoes, Nathan C.; Hettich, Robert L.; Banfield, Jillian F.

2010-01-01

An important challenge in microbial ecology is developing methods that simultaneously examine the physiology of organisms at the molecular level and their ecosystem level interactions in complex natural systems. We integrated extensive proteomic, geochemical, and biological information from 28 microbial communities collected from an acid mine drainage environment and representing a range of biofilm development stages and geochemical conditions to evaluate how the physiologies of the dominant and less abundant organisms change along environmental gradients. The initial colonist dominates across all environments, but its proteome changes between two stable states as communities diversify, implying that interspecies interactions affect this organism's metabolism. Its overall physiology is robust to abiotic environmental factors, but strong correlations exist between these factors and certain subsets of proteins, possibly accounting for its wide environmental distribution. Lower abundance populations are patchier in their distribution, and proteomic data indicate that their environmental niches may be constrained by specific sets of abiotic environmental factors. This research establishes an effective strategy to investigate ecological relationships between microbial physiology and the environment for whole communities in situ.

Why different countries manage death differently: a comparative analysis of modern urban societies.

PubMed

Walter, Tony

2012-03-01

The sociology of death, dying and bereavement tends to take as its implicit frame either the nation state or a homogenous modernity. Between-nation differences in the management of death and dying are either ignored or untheorized. This article seeks to identify the factors that can explain both similarities and differences in the management of death between different modern western nations. Structural factors which affect all modern nations include urbanization and the division of labour leading to the dominance of professionals, migration, rationality and bureaucracy, information technology and the risk society. How these sociologically familiar structural features are responded to, however, depends on national histories, institutions and cultures. Historically, key transitional periods to modernity, different in different nations, necessitated particular institutional responses in the management of dying and dead bodies. Culturally, key factors include individualism versus collectivism, religion, secularization, boundary regulation, and expressivism. Global flows of death practices depend significantly on subjugated nations' perceptions of colonialism, neo-colonialism and modernity, which can lead to a dominant power's death practices being either imitated or rejected. © London School of Economics and Political Science 2012.

Does personality in small rodents vary depending on population density?

PubMed

Korpela, Katri; Sundell, Janne; Ylönen, Hannu

2011-01-01

Personality means an individual's unique way of behaving and reacting to the environment. It is a stable and heritable trait, which is expressed consistently in different situations. The aim of our study was to develop novel tests to depict the personality structure of the bank vole Myodes glareolus, and to determine if the phase of the population cycle, i.e. population density, affects personality. We focused on some central aspects of bank vole behaviour: mobility, risk taking, exploratory behaviour, dominance, and aggressive behaviour towards pups. These behaviours were chosen because they directly affect bank vole survival or fitness or are classified as important factors of personality in other species. In total, 192 males from different populations went through four behavioural tests, in which 20 variables were measured. The tests were repeated after 3 weeks, which verified that all traits were stable, i.e. repeatable between trials. Three personality compounds emerged, named extroversion, novelty seeking and infanticide. Extroversion included dominance and mobility, while novelty seeking consisted of risk taking and exploration. Infanticide encompassed all indices measuring harmful behaviour towards pups. Mobility and dominance were connected, possibly because both seem to depend on condition. Time spent in captivity increased extroversion, which may be explained by good food, stable conditions and acclimation to strong social cues. Novelty seeking was connected to repeatability which could mean that novelty avoiding individuals adjust their behaviour to match new environments. Population density affected the infanticide trait but not novelty seeking or extroversion.

Sequence variations of the partially dominant DELLA gene Rht-B1c in wheat and their functional impacts

PubMed Central

Ma, Zhengqiang

2013-01-01

Rht-B1c, allelic to the DELLA protein-encoding gene Rht-B1a, is a natural mutation documented in common wheat (Triticum aestivum). It confers variation to a number of traits related to cell and plant morphology, seed dormancy, and photosynthesis. The present study was conducted to examine the sequence variations of Rht-B1c and their functional impacts. The results showed that Rht-B1c was partially dominant or co-dominant for plant height, and exhibited an increased dwarfing effect. At the sequence level, Rht-B1c differed from Rht-B1a by one 2kb Veju retrotransposon insertion, three coding region single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), one 197bp insertion, and four SNPs in the 1kb upstream sequence. Haplotype investigations, association analyses, transient expression assays, and expression profiling showed that the Veju insertion was primarily responsible for the extreme dwarfing effect. It was found that the Veju insertion changed processing of the Rht-B1c transcripts and resulted in DELLA motif primary structure disruption. Expression assays showed that Rht-B1c caused reduction of total Rht-1 transcript levels, and up-regulation of GATA-like transcription factors and genes positively regulated by these factors, suggesting that one way in which Rht-1 proteins affect plant growth and development is through GATA-like transcription factor regulation. PMID:23918966

Impressions of dominance are made relative to others in the visual environment.

PubMed

Re, Daniel E; Lefevre, Carmen E; DeBruine, Lisa M; Jones, Benedict C; Perrett, David I

2014-03-27

Face judgments of dominance play an important role in human social interaction. Perceived facial dominance is thought to indicate physical formidability, as well as resource acquisition and holding potential. Dominance cues in the face affect perceptions of attractiveness, emotional state, and physical strength. Most experimental paradigms test perceptions of facial dominance in individual faces, or they use manipulated versions of the same face in a forced-choice task but in the absence of other faces. Here, we extend this work by assessing whether dominance ratings are absolute or are judged relative to other faces. We presented participants with faces to be rated for dominance (target faces), while also presenting a second face (non-target faces) that was not to be rated. We found that both the masculinity and sex of the non-target face affected dominance ratings of the target face. Masculinized non-target faces decreased the perceived dominance of a target face relative to a feminized non-target face, and displaying a male non-target face decreased perceived dominance of a target face more so than a female non-target face. Perceived dominance of male target faces was affected more by masculinization of male non-target faces than female non-target faces. These results indicate that dominance perceptions can be altered by surrounding faces, demonstrating that facial dominance is judged at least partly relative to other faces.

What increases the risk of malnutrition in Parkinson's disease?

PubMed

Tomic, Svetlana; Pekic, Vlasta; Popijac, Zeljka; Pucic, Tomislav; Petek, Marta; Kuric, Tihana Gilman; Misevic, Sanja; Kramaric, Ruzica Palic

2017-04-15

Parkinson's disease (PD) patients are at a higher risk of malnutrition. The prevalence has been estimated to 0-24%, while 3%-60% of PD patients are reported to be at risk of malnutrition. To date, there is no clear explanation for malnutrition in these patients. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of malnutrition and to analyze factors that influence its appearance. The Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA) was used to determine normal nutritional status; at risk of malnutrition; and already malnourished status. The Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS) parts III and IV, Hoehn and Yahr scale (H&Y scale), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE), Questionnaire for Impulsive-Compulsive Disorders in Parkinson's Disease-Rating Scale - eating part (QUIP-RS) and Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA) were used to evaluate the factors affecting patient nutritional status. Out of 96 patients, 55,2% were at risk of malnutrition, while 8,3% had already been malnourished. Age, H&Y scale, UPDRS part III, 'off' periods and depression influence negatively on MNA. More patients with 'off' periods were rigor dominant. Thyroid gland hormone therapy was related to malnutrition, while patients with normal nutritional status used ropinirole more often than pramipexole. Factors affecting nutritional status are age, motor symptoms and stage severity, 'off' states, rigidity dominant type with 'off' states, and thyroid hormone replacement therapy. Ropinirole exhibited the possible 'protective' effect against malnutrition. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

SRSF2 mutations drive oncogenesis by activating a global program of aberrant alternative splicing in hematopoietic cells.

PubMed

Liang, Yang; Tebaldi, Toma; Rejeski, Kai; Joshi, Poorval; Stefani, Giovanni; Taylor, Ashley; Song, Yuanbin; Vasic, Radovan; Maziarz, Jamie; Balasubramanian, Kunthavai; Ardasheva, Anastasia; Ding, Alicia; Quattrone, Alessandro; Halene, Stephanie

2018-06-01

Recurrent mutations in the splicing factor SRSF2 are associated with poor clinical outcomes in myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS). Their high frequency suggests these mutations drive oncogenesis, yet the molecular explanation for this process is unclear. SRSF2 mutations could directly affect pre-mRNA splicing of a vital gene product; alternatively, a whole network of gene products could be affected. Here we determine how SRSF2 mutations globally affect RNA binding and splicing in vivo using HITS-CLIP. Remarkably, the majority of differential binding events do not translate into alternative splicing of exons with SRSF2 P95H binding sites. Alternative splice alterations appear to be dominated by indirect effects. Importantly, SRSF2 P95H targets are enriched in RNA processing and splicing genes, including several members of the hnRNP and SR families of proteins, suggesting a "splicing-cascade" phenotype wherein mutation of a single splicing factor leads to widespread modifications in multiple RNA processing and splicing proteins. We show that splice alteration of HNRNPA2B1, a splicing factor differentially bound and spliced by SRSF2 P95H , impairs hematopoietic differentiation in vivo. Our data suggests a model whereby the recurrent mutations in splicing factors set off a cascade of gene regulatory events that together affect hematopoiesis and drive cancer.

Interocular suppression in strabismic amblyopia results in an attenuated and delayed hemodynamic response function in early visual cortex.

PubMed

Farivar, Reza; Thompson, Benjamin; Mansouri, Behzad; Hess, Robert F

2011-12-20

Factors such as strabismus or anisometropia during infancy can disrupt normal visual development and result in amblyopia, characterized by reduced visual function in an otherwise healthy eye and often associated with persistent suppression of inputs from the amblyopic eye by those from the dominant eye. It has become evident from fMRI studies that the cortical response to stimulation of the amblyopic eye is also affected. We were interested to compare the hemodynamic response function (HRF) of early visual cortex to amblyopic vs. dominant eye stimulation. In the first experiment, we found that stimulation of the amblyopic eye resulted in a signal that was both attenuated and delayed in its time to peak. We postulated that this delay may be due to suppressive effects of the dominant eye and, in our second experiment, measured the cortical response of amblyopic eye stimulation under two conditions--where the dominant eye was open and seeing a static pattern (high suppression) or where the dominant eye was patched and closed (low suppression). We found that the HRF in response to amblyopic eye stimulation depended on whether the dominant eye was open. This effect was manifested as both a delayed HRF under the suppressed condition and an amplitude reduction.

Differences in xylogenesis between dominant and suppressed trees.

PubMed

Liu, Shushan; Li, Xiaoxia; Rossi, Sergio; Wang, Lily; Li, Wei; Liang, Eryuan; Leavitt, Steven W

2018-05-01

Most dendroecological studies focus on dominant trees, but little is known about the growing season of trees belonging to different size classes and their sensitivity to biotic factors. The objective of this study was to compare the dynamics of xylem formation between dominant and suppressed trees of Abies fabri of similar age growing in the Gongga Mountains, southeastern Tibetan Plateau, and to identify the association between xylem growth and climate. The timing and duration of xylogenesis in histological sections were investigated weekly during the 2013-2015 growing seasons. Our investigation found that timing and duration of xylogenesis varied with canopy position and its associated tree size. Xylogenesis started 6-14 days earlier, and ended 5-11 days later in dominant trees than in suppressed trees, resulting in a significantly longer growing season. Dominant trees also exhibited higher temperature sensitivity of tracheid production rate than suppressed trees. The observed differences in xylogenesis among trees suggested that competition affects tree growth by reducing the growing period in suppressed trees. Representative climate-growth relationships should involve trees of all size classes when evaluating the effects of the environment on forest dynamics. © 2018 Botanical Society of America.

Effect of litter, leaf cover and cover of basal internodes of the dominant species Molinia caerulea on seedling recruitment and established vegetation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Janeček, Štěpán; Lepš, Jan

2005-09-01

The effects of litter removal, leaf cover of established plants and cover of basal internodes of a dominant species Molinia caerulea on seedling germination and the dynamics of established plants were studied in a field experiment in an oligotrophic wet meadow. Although the negative influence of litter on total seedling number and seedling species composition was non-significant, litter significantly affected the dynamics of the established vegetation and caused inhibition of total leaf cover development. The effects of total leaf cover of established plants on seedling establishment changed during the vegetation season. Whereas the effect of total leaf cover was positive at the start and in the middle of the vegetation season, at the end the total leaf cover negatively affected seedling establishment. Both total leaf cover and cover of basal internodes affected seedling composition. Effects of these two variables were statistically separable suggesting that they are based on different mechanisms. The response of seedling establishment to these factors was species specific and, consequently, our data support the hypothesis that that biotically generated spatial heterogeneity can promote species co-existence through the differentiation of species regeneration niches.

Social and environmental factors affecting fecal glucocorticoids in wild, female white-faced capuchins (Cebus capucinus).

PubMed

Carnegie, Sarah D; Fedigan, Linda M; Ziegler, Toni E

2011-09-01

Assessing glucocorticoid levels in free-ranging nonhuman primates provides a means to determine the social and environmental stress load for individuals. We investigated the effect of four proximate variables--reproductive state, season, male rank stability, and dominance rank--on the level of fecal glucocorticoids (cortisol metabolites) in eight adult female white-faced capuchin monkeys in Costa Rica. Reproductive state, season, and male rank stability significantly affected fecal glucocorticoids while female dominance rank did not. Cortisol levels were significantly higher in pregnant females as compared with lactating or other reproductive states. Cortisol levels were higher among females during the dry season compared with the wet season, suggesting a metabolic adaptation to maintain homeostasis in drier, hotter conditions. Although unfamiliar males present a greater infanticidal threat than do familiar ones, we found that females experienced higher glucocorticoid levels during male rank instability events, regardless of whether the alpha male role was taken over by a familiar or an unfamiliar male. Our findings provide important benchmark and comparative data for future studies on the variables that affect glucocorticoid levels in this species and other mammals. © 2011 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Qualitative models of seat discomfort including static and dynamic factors.

PubMed

Ebe, K; Griffin, M J

2000-06-01

Judgements of overall seating comfort in dynamic conditions sometimes correlate better with the static characteristics of a seat than with measures of the dynamic environment. This study developed qualitative models of overall seat discomfort to include both static and dynamic seat characteristics. A dynamic factor that reflected how vibration discomfort increased as vibration magnitude increased was combined with a static seat factor which reflected seating comfort without vibration. The ability of the model to predict the relative and overall importance of dynamic and static seat characteristics on comfort was tested in two experiments. A paired comparison experiment, using four polyurethane foam cushions (50, 70, 100, 120 mm thick), provided different static and dynamic comfort when 12 subjects were exposed to one-third octave band random vertical vibration with centre frequencies of 2.5 and 5.5 Hz, at magnitudes of 0.00, 0.25 and 0.50 m x s(-2) rms measured beneath the foam samples. Subject judgements of the relative discomfort of the different conditions depended on both static and dynamic characteristics in a manner consistent with the model. The effect of static and dynamic seat factors on overall seat discomfort was investigated by magnitude estimation using three foam cushions (of different hardness) and a rigid wooden seat at six vibration magnitudes with 20 subjects. Static seat factors (i.e. cushion stiffness) affected the manner in which vibration influenced the overall discomfort: cushions with lower stiffness were more comfortable and more sensitive to changes in vibration magnitude than those with higher stiffness. The experiments confirm that judgements of overall seat discomfort can be affected by both the static and dynamic characteristics of a seat, with the effect depending on vibration magnitude: when vibration magnitude was low, discomfort was dominated by static seat factors; as the vibration magnitude increased, discomfort became dominated by dynamic factors.

Microbial communities and natural fermentation of corn silages prepared with farm bunker-silo in Southwest China.

PubMed

Guan, Hao; Yan, Yanhong; Li, Xiaoling; Li, Xiaomei; Shuai, Yang; Feng, Guangyan; Ran, Qifan; Cai, Yimin; Li, Ying; Zhang, Xinquan

2018-06-08

This study analyzed the variation of microbial communities, their achieved fermentation quality, and the association between microbial diversity and environmental factors after ensiling of 96 samples prepared with bunker-silo in Southwest China. Most of natural corn silages achieved good fermentation, e.g., low pH value (<4.2) and high levels of lactic acid (36.26-79.83 mg/g DM). Weissella species were the dominant epiphytic bacteria in raw material, while Lactobacillus and Acetobacter species were prevalent in silages. Natural Lactobacillus and Pediococcus species produced more lactic acid during ensiling, while the production of acetic acid was highly positively correlated with both Acetobacter and Bradyrhizobium species. Rainfall and humidity affected community of epiphytic bacteria on the corn material, and the temperature affected richness of bacterial species during ensiling. The results confirmed that microbial community of silages in hot and humid area is unique and climatic factors ultimately affect the fermentation quality through influencing microbial community. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Isokinetic imbalance of adductor-abductor hip muscles in professional soccer players with chronic adductor-related groin pain.

PubMed

Belhaj, K; Meftah, S; Mahir, L; Lmidmani, F; Elfatimi, A

2016-11-01

This study aims to compare the isokinetic profile of hip abductor and adductor muscle groups between soccer players suffering from chronic adductor-related groin pain (ARGP), soccer players without ARGP and healthy volunteers from general population. Study included 36 male professional soccer players, who were randomly selected and followed-up over two years. Of the 21 soccer players eligible to participate in the study, 9 players went on to develop chronic ARGP and 12 players did not. Ten healthy male volunteers were randomly selected from the general population as a control group. Comparison between the abductor and adductor muscle peak torques for players with and without chronic ARGP found a statistically significant difference on the dominant and non-dominant sides (p < .005), with the abductor muscle significantly stronger than the adductor muscle. In the group of healthy volunteers, the adductor muscle groups were significantly stronger than the abductor muscle groups on both dominant and non-dominant sides (p < .05). For the group of players who had developed chronic ARGP, abductor-adductor torque ratios were significantly higher on the affected side (p = .008). The adductor muscle strength was also significantly decreased on the affected side. This imbalance appears to be a risk factor for adductor-related groin injury. Therefore, restoring the correct relationship between these two agonist and antagonist hip muscles may be an important preventative measure that should be a primary concern of training and rehabilitation programmes.

Natal Host Plants Can Alter Herbivore Competition

PubMed Central

Pan, Huipeng; Preisser, Evan L.; Su, Qi; Jiao, Xiaoguo; Xie, Wen; Wang, Shaoli; Wu, Qingjun

2016-01-01

Interspecific competition between herbivores is widely recognized as an important determinant of community structure. Although researchers have identified a number of factors capable of altering competitive interactions, few studies have addressed the influence of neighboring plant species. If adaptation to/ epigenetic effects of an herbivore’s natal host plant alter its performance on other host plants, then interspecific herbivore interactions may play out differently in heterogeneous and homogenous plant communities. We tested wether the natal host plant of a whitefly population affected interactions between the Middle-east Asia Minor 1 (MEAM1) and Mediterranean (MED) cryptic species of the whitefly Bemisia tabaci by rearing the offspring of a cabbage-derived MEAM1 population and a poinsettia-derived MED population together on three different host plants: cotton, poinsettia, and cabbage. We found that MED dominated on poinsettia and that MEAM1 dominated on cabbage, results consistent with previous research. MED also dominated when reared with MEAM1 on cotton, however, a result at odds with multiple otherwise-similar studies that reared both species on the same natal plant. Our work provides evidence that natal plants affect competitive interactions on another plant species, and highlights the potential importance of neighboring plant species on herbivore community composition in agricultral systems. PMID:28030636

Reevaluation of dominance hierarchy in bonobos (Pan paniscus).

PubMed

Paoli, T; Palagi, E; Tarli, S M Borgognini

2006-05-01

While dominance relationships have been widely studied in chimpanzees, in bonobos, dominance style and linearity of hierarchy are still under debate. In fact, some authors stated that bonobo hierarchy is nonlinear/ill-defined, while others claimed that it is fairly linear. In this paper, we test the hypothesis that a shift in group composition determines changes in linearity of hierarchy. To test this hypothesis, we collected data on one of the largest captive groups in the world, in the Apenheul Primate Park (The Netherlands). We investigated the linearity of the hierarchy in two different periods, with a shifting group composition. We used the corrected Landau's index and David's scores to estimate which animals were most dominant. The major overall result of our study is that hierarchy is fairly nonlinear in this group: during the first study period (eight adults), the hierarchy was nonlinear, whereas during the second one (six adults), it failed to reach statistical linearity. We argue that the reduction of the number of adults is the principal factor affecting linearity. We also found that dominance interactions were evenly distributed across sex classes in both study periods. Furthermore, no correlation was observed between age/body weight and rank. As for the overall dominance relationship between males and females, our results suggest that there is no exclusive female dominance in the Apenheul group. The dominance style of bonobos may be loose and differentially expressed in diverse groups or in the same group, along with shifting conditions. Copyright 2005 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Bullying in schools: the power of bullies and the plight of victims.

PubMed

Juvonen, Jaana; Graham, Sandra

2014-01-01

Bullying is a pervasive problem affecting school-age children. Reviewing the latest findings on bullying perpetration and victimization, we highlight the social dominance function of bullying, the inflated self-views of bullies, and the effects of their behaviors on victims. Illuminating the plight of the victim, we review evidence on the cyclical processes between the risk factors and consequences of victimization and the mechanisms that can account for elevated emotional distress and health problems. Placing bullying in context, we consider the unique features of electronic communication that give rise to cyberbullying and the specific characteristics of schools that affect the rates and consequences of victimization. We then offer a critique of the main intervention approaches designed to reduce school bullying and its harmful effects. Finally, we discuss future directions that underscore the need to consider victimization a social stigma, conduct longitudinal research on protective factors, identify school context factors that shape the experience of victimization, and take a more nuanced approach to school-based interventions.

From putative genes to temperament and culture: cultural characteristics of the distribution of dominant affective temperaments in national studies.

PubMed

Gonda, Xenia; Vázquez, Gustavo H; Akiskal, Kareen K; Akiskal, Hagop S

2011-06-01

Affective temperaments may carry distinct evolutionary advantages both on the individual or a group level, so we can expect that in different cultural and national samples the frequency of dominant affective temperaments will show characteristic differences. The aim of the present study was to investigate the characteristics of distribution of dominant affective temperaments in different national studies of general non-clinical population. In our study we included six studies published in different countries around the world (Argentina, Germany, Hungary, Korea, Portugal, and Lebanon) which investigated a large sample of non-clinical population using TEMPS-A, and reported frequencies for dominant affective temperaments. The frequencies of dominant affective temperaments were compared using chi square tests. We found a significant difference in the frequency of affective temperaments among the different national studies in case of the cyclothymic, hyperthymic and irritable temperaments. We found important parallels between the frequency of affective temperaments and cultural dimensions described by Hofstede (Hofstede and Hofstede, 2005). The characteristics encompassed by the depressive temperament show considerable similarities with Hofstede's individualism-collectivism dimension, while those of the hyperthymic temperament seem to be similar to uncertainty avoidance, and the irritable temperament shows similarities with Hofstede's power distance. Furthermore, the relative frequency of these dominant temperaments in case of the different national samples paralleled the relative scores of these countries on the corresponding cultural scales. Our results indicate an important relationship between affective temperaments and cultural dimensions, which suggests that these phenomena may be the manifestations of the same genetically determined predispositions in different forms. We included a study by Erfurth et al. (2005), in which affective temperaments were evaluated using the TEMPS-M. Also, in the Korean study the Korean version of the TEMPS-A was not validated. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

[Concentrations and Distribution of Metals in the Core Sediments from Estuary and City Section of Liaohe River].

PubMed

Wang, Wei-jie; Zhou, Jun-li; Pei, Shu-wei; Liu, Zheng-tao

2016-01-15

The particle size, total organic carbon (TOC), total nitrogen (TN), C/N ratio and metal concentrations as well as activities of 210Pb were determined in Liaohe River estuary area (LN-2) and Shenyang area (LN-5), and the organic matter resources were discussed in two core sediments. Also the index of geoaccumulation (Igeo) and enrichment factors (EFs) methods were applied to evaluate the state of heavy metal contamination in the studied sties. The study showed that both sediment cores LN-2 and LN-5 were dominated by silts, and the vertical variations of grain-size composition and organic matter were well distributed in LN- 2 while fluctuated in LN-5. According to the organic matter source analysis through C/N ratio, C/N ratio varied in the scale of 5. 24-7.93 in LN-2 which was dominated by river source, and 9.94-14.21 in LN-5 which was dominated by terrestrial input. Al, Ca, Fe, Mn, Ni, Cu, Zn, Cd, Pb and Cr in two sediment cores had different vertical changing rules, Ni and Zn in LN-2 as well as Pb and Zn in LN-5 were affected by both natural and human factors, other elements had similar distributions to those of organic matters, which showed that these elements were mainly affected by the natural activities. Based on Igeo and EFs, both sediment cores were more severely polluted with Ni, Zn and Pb than other metals. The effects of human activities on the environment were also discussed in this study, combined with the economical development of Liaoning Province and the studied sites in the past 20 years.

Linking body mass and group dynamics in an obligate cooperative breeder.

PubMed

Ozgul, Arpat; Bateman, Andrew W; English, Sinead; Coulson, Tim; Clutton-Brock, Tim H

2014-11-01

Social and environmental factors influence key life-history processes and population dynamics by affecting fitness-related phenotypic traits such as body mass. The role of body mass is particularly pronounced in cooperative breeders due to variation in social status and consequent variation in access to resources. Investigating the mechanisms underlying variation in body mass and its demographic consequences can help elucidate how social and environmental factors affect the dynamics of cooperatively breeding populations. In this study, we present an analysis of the effect of individual variation in body mass on the temporal dynamics of group size and structure of a cooperatively breeding mongoose, the Kalahari meerkat, Suricata suricatta. First, we investigate how body mass interacts with social (dominance status and number of helpers) and environmental (rainfall and season) factors to influence key life-history processes (survival, growth, emigration and reproduction) in female meerkats. Next, using an individual-based population model, we show that the models explicitly including individual variation in body mass predict group dynamics better than those ignoring this morphological trait. Body mass influences group dynamics mainly through its effects on helper emigration and dominant reproduction. Rainfall has a trait-mediated, destabilizing effect on group dynamics, whereas the number of helpers has a direct and stabilizing effect. Counteracting effects of number of helpers on different demographic rates, despite generating temporal fluctuations, stabilizes group dynamics in the long term. Our study demonstrates that social and environmental factors interact to produce individual variation in body mass and accounting for this variation helps to explain group dynamics in this cooperatively breeding population. © 2014 The Authors. Journal of Animal Ecology © 2014 British Ecological Society.

Regulatory divergence between parental alleles determines gene expression patterns in hybrids.

PubMed

Combes, Marie-Christine; Hueber, Yann; Dereeper, Alexis; Rialle, Stéphanie; Herrera, Juan-Carlos; Lashermes, Philippe

2015-03-29

Both hybridization and allopolyploidization generate novel phenotypes by conciliating divergent genomes and regulatory networks in the same cellular context. To understand the rewiring of gene expression in hybrids, the total expression of 21,025 genes and the allele-specific expression of over 11,000 genes were quantified in interspecific hybrids and their parental species, Coffea canephora and Coffea eugenioides using RNA-seq technology. Between parental species, cis- and trans-regulatory divergences affected around 32% and 35% of analyzed genes, respectively, with nearly 17% of them showing both. The relative importance of trans-regulatory divergences between both species could be related to their low genetic divergence and perennial habit. In hybrids, among divergently expressed genes between parental species and hybrids, 77% was expressed like one parent (expression level dominance), including 65% like C. eugenioides. Gene expression was shown to result from the expression of both alleles affected by intertwined parental trans-regulatory factors. A strong impact of C. eugenioides trans-regulatory factors on the upregulation of C. canephora alleles was revealed. The gene expression patterns appeared determined by complex combinations of cis- and trans-regulatory divergences. In particular, the observed biased expression level dominance seemed to be derived from the asymmetric effects of trans-regulatory parental factors on regulation of alleles. More generally, this study illustrates the effects of divergent trans-regulatory parental factors on the gene expression pattern in hybrids. The characteristics of the transcriptional response to hybridization appear to be determined by the compatibility of gene regulatory networks and therefore depend on genetic divergences between the parental species and their evolutionary history. © The Author(s) 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Molecular Biology and Evolution.

Spatial association between dissection density and environmental factors over the entire conterminous United States

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Luo, Wei; Jasiewicz, Jaroslaw; Stepinski, Tomasz; Wang, Jinfeng; Xu, Chengdong; Cang, Xuezhi

2016-01-01

Previous studies of land dissection density (D) often find contradictory results regarding factors controlling its spatial variation. We hypothesize that the dominant controlling factors (and the interactions between them) vary from region to region due to differences in each region's local characteristics and geologic history. We test this hypothesis by applying a geographical detector method to eight physiographic divisions of the conterminous United States and identify the dominant factor(s) in each. The geographical detector method computes the power of determinant (q) that quantitatively measures the affinity between the factor considered and D. Results show that the factor (or factor combination) with the largest q value is different for physiographic regions with different characteristics and geologic histories. For example, lithology dominates in mountainous regions, curvature dominates in plains, and glaciation dominates in previously glaciated areas. The geographical detector method offers an objective framework for revealing factors controlling Earth surface processes.

What Demographic and Clinical Characteristics Correlate With Expectations With Trapeziometacarpal Arthritis?

PubMed

Kang, Lana; Nguyen, Joseph; Hashmi, Sohaib Z; Lee, Steve K; Weiland, Andrew J; Mancuso, Carol A

2017-11-01

Pretreatment variables have been shown to be associated with the fulfillment of patient expectations, yet in treating thumb trapeziometacarpal osteoarthritis (OA) it remains unclear how patient expectations correlate with the effectiveness of treatment. An increased understanding of the variables that affect patient expectations enables tailored patient education and patient-provider communication. (1) Is there a correlation between patient demographics and clinical characteristics, and the expectations the patients have when seeking treatment for trapeziometacarpal OA? (2) What factors are independently associated with the total expectations score and frequency of expecting "back to normal" among patients treated for trapeziometacarpal OA? Between March 2011 and October 2013, 89 patients of all 96 eligible patients seeking treatment for trapeziometacarpal OA were approached and agreed to participate in this study. Participants completed a validated expectations survey measuring the number of expectations and the degree of improvement expected. Comparative analysis of demographic and clinical characteristics and multivariate regression analysis against patients' expectations were performed to assess and identify factors that correlate with the number and degree of expectations. Sample size was determined with an a priori power analysis (with 80% power and statistical significance set at p < 0.05), which showed that 88 patients were needed to detect the minimal clinical difference of 12 points in the Michigan Hand Questionnaire; we then increased this by 10% to allow for potential dropouts. After controlling for potential confounding variables such as age, hand dominance, and work status, the following factors were associated with a higher expectations score: choice of surgery (β = 11.5; 95% CI, 0.7-23.8; p = 0.044), female gender (β = 19.0; 95% CI, 5.3-32.7; p = 0.007), and dominant side affected (β = -41.6; 95% CI, -63.7 to -19.5; p < 0.001). For the frequency of "back to normal" responses, surgical treatment (β = 7.4; 95% CI, 2.3-12.4; p = 0.005) and history of previous injury (β = 8.2; 95% CI, 0.1-16.3; p = 0.047) were independently associated factors after controlling for confounding variables. There were no independent associations with age, marital status, work status, depression or anxiety, or prior contralateral surgery. Patients whose dominant side was affected, were female, and chose surgical treatment, had higher total expectations. Patients who reported an antecedent injury and chose surgical treatment more frequently expected a return to normal. With identification of these factors, orthopaedic surgeons can recognize patients who are prone to higher expectations, and, thus, have the opportunity to implement efficient pretreatment education. In addition, identification of specific factors enables a focused measure of the effect of these factors on the fulfillment of expectations. Level II, prognostic study.

Affective temperaments in clinically-well subjects in Turkey: initial psychometric data on the TEMPS-A.

PubMed

Vahip, Simavi; Kesebir, Sermin; Alkan, Müge; Yazici, Olcay; Akiskal, Knarig K; Akiskal, Hagop S

2005-03-01

This is a first attempt to evaluate the reliability and factor structure replicability of the Temperament Evaluation of Memphis, Pisa, Paris and San Diego Autoquestionnaire (TEMPS-A) in its Turkish Version. The questionnaire is a self-report 110-item measure that postulates five affective temperaments-the depressive, cyclothymic, irritable, hyperthymic, and anxious-which embody both strengths and liabilities along affective lines. The questionnaire was administered to 658 clinically-well subjects in a Turkish university circle. We undertook item analysis and test-retest reliability. We then examined internal consistency through factor analysis with PCA rotation. We found good to excellent test-retest reliability (0.73-0.91), and internal consistency (0.77-0.85). We deleted 10 items with factor loading <0.20 for their own subscales, resulting in a questionnaire with 99 items. Despite considerable overlap between depressive and cognitive anxiety traits, a distinct "nervous"-anxious factor emerged as well, and the hypothesized (original English) 5-factor structure of the TEMPS-A was supported. Cut-offs for each temperament were based on z-scores higher than +2S.D. Dominant irritable (3.7%), nervous-anxious (3.7%) and depressive (3.1%) temperaments were the most common in this population, whereas dominant cyclothymic (1.7%) and hyperthymic (1.2%) temperaments were relatively uncommon. These temperaments tended to lose their intensity with age. As expected, women scored significantly higher on the nervous-anxious, and men on the hyperthymic temperaments. The sample was composed of younger subjects with higher education than the general population of Turkey. Although the distribution of the scores for each of the temperaments deviated somewhat from normal curves, for heuristic reasons we did attempt to provide prevalence rates based on z-scores. In this preliminary version of the TEMPS-A, we have retained 100 (of the original 110) traits loading >0.20. Some deleted items referred to sleep, others appeared socially desirability traits in the Turkish culture endorsed by many subjects. Nonetheless, item analyses within each factor revealed traits indicative of personal assets (specific to each temperament) along with those which might represent vulnerability to affective illness. This is in line with the hypothesized original theoretical framework of the senior authors. Even in this "first pass," in its Turkish version the TEMPS-A is a reliable and valid instrument. Further refinement of the instrument will require the study of a nationally representative sample in Turkey.

Potential shifts in dominant forest cover in interior Alaska driven by variations in fire severity

USGS Publications Warehouse

Barrett, K.; McGuire, A. David; Hoy, E.E.; Kasischke, E.S.

2011-01-01

Large fire years in which >1% of the landscape burns are becoming more frequent in the Alaskan (USA) interior, with four large fire years in the past 10 years, and 79 000 km2 (17% of the region) burned since 2000. We modeled fire severity conditions for the entire area burned in large fires during a large fire year (2004) to determine the factors that are most important in estimating severity and to identify areas affected by deep‐burning fires. In addition to standard methods of assessing severity using spectral information, we incorporated information regarding topography, spatial pattern of burning, and instantaneous characteristics such as fire weather and fire radiative power. Ensemble techniques using regression trees as a base learner were able to determine fire severity successfully using spectral data in concert with other relevant geospatial data. This method was successful in estimating average conditions, but it underestimated the range of severity.This new approach was used to identify black spruce stands that experienced intermediate‐ to high‐severity fires in 2004 and are therefore susceptible to a shift in regrowth toward deciduous dominance or mixed dominance. Based on the output of the severity model, we estimate that 39% (∼4000 km2) of all burned black spruce stands in 2004 had <10 cm of residual organic layer and may be susceptible a postfire shift in plant functional type dominance, as well as permafrost loss. If the fraction of area susceptible to deciduous regeneration is constant for large fire years, the effect of such years in the most recent decade has been to reduce black spruce stands by 4.2% and to increase areas dominated or co‐dominated by deciduous forest stands by 20%. Such disturbance‐driven modifications have the potential to affect the carbon cycle and climate system at regional to global scales.

Potential shifts in dominant forest cover in interior Alaska driven by variations in fire severity.

PubMed

Barrett, K; McGuire, A D; Hoy, E E; Kasischke, E S

2011-10-01

Large fire years in which >1% of the landscape burns are becoming more frequent in the Alaskan (USA) interior, with four large fire years in the past 10 years, and 79 000 km2 (17% of the region) burned since 2000. We modeled fire severity conditions for the entire area burned in large fires during a large fire year (2004) to determine the factors that are most important in estimating severity and to identify areas affected by deep-burning fires. In addition to standard methods of assessing severity using spectral information, we incorporated information regarding topography, spatial pattern of burning, and instantaneous characteristics such as fire weather and fire radiative power. Ensemble techniques using regression trees as a base learner were able to determine fire severity successfully using spectral data in concert with other relevant geospatial data. This method was successful in estimating average conditions, but it underestimated the range of severity. This new approach was used to identify black spruce stands that experienced intermediate- to high-severity fires in 2004 and are therefore susceptible to a shift in regrowth toward deciduous dominance or mixed dominance. Based on the output of the severity model, we estimate that 39% (approximately 4000 km2) of all burned black spruce stands in 2004 had <10 cm of residual organic layer and may be susceptible a postfire shift in plant functional type dominance, as well as permafrost loss. If the fraction of area susceptible to deciduous regeneration is constant for large fire years, the effect of such years in the most recent decade has been to reduce black spruce stands by 4.2% and to increase areas dominated or co-dominated by deciduous forest stands by 20%. Such disturbance-driven modifications have the potential to affect the carbon cycle and climate system at regional to global scales.

Further evidence for a locus for autosomal dominant juvenile glaucoma on chromosome 1q and evidence for genetic heterogeneity

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

Wiggs, J.; Paglinauan, C.; Stawski, S.

1994-09-01

Glaucoma is a term used to describe a group of disorders which have in common a characteristic degeneration of the optic nerve associated with typical visual field defects and usually associated with elevated intraocular pressure. Two percent of white Americans and 6-10% of black Americans are affected by the disease. Compelling data indicate that susceptibility to many types of glaucoma is inherited. Hereditary juvenile glaucoma is one form of glaucoma that develops in children and is inherited as an autosomal dominant trait with high penetrance. Using a single large Caucasian pedigree affected with autosomal dominant juvenile glaucoma, Sheffield discovered positivemore » linkage to a group of markers that map to a 30 cM region on the long arm of chromosome 1 (1q21-q31). We have subsequently identified three unrelated Caucasian pedigrees affected with autosomal dominant juvenile glaucoma that also demonstrate linkage to this region on chromosome 1, with the highest combined lod score of 5.12 at theta = .05 for marker D1S218. The identification of critical recombinant individuals in our three pedigrees has allowed us to further localize the disease gene to a 12 cM region between markers D1S242 and D1S431. In addition, we have identified several pedigrees which do not demonstrate linkage to chromosome 1q, including a black family affected with autosomal dominant juvenile glaucoma that is indistinguishable clinically from the disorder affecting the caucasian pedigrees and three pedigrees affected with pigmentary dispersion syndrome, a form of glaucoma that also affects the juvenile population and is also inherited as an autosomal dominant trait. These findings provide evidence for genetic heterogeneity in juvenile glaucoma.« less

Key ecological responses to nitrogen are altered by climate ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Here we review the effects of nitrogen and climate (e.g. temperature and precipitation) on four aspects of ecosystem structure and function including hydrologic-coupled nitrogen cycling, carbon cycling, acidification and biodiversity. Ecosystems are simultaneously exposed to multiple stressors; two dominant drivers threatening ecosystems are anthropogenic nitrogen loading and climate change. Evaluating the cumulative effects of these stressors provides a holistic view of ecosystem vulnerability, which would better inform policy decisions aimed to protect the sustainability of ecosystems. Our current knowledge of the cumulative effects of these stressors is growing, but limited. The goal of this paper is to synthesize the state of scientific knowledge on how ecosystems are affected by the interactions of meteorlogic/climatic factors (e.g., temperature and precipitation) and nitrogen addition. Understanding the interactions of meteorlogic/climatic factors and nitrogen will help to inform how current and projected variability may affect ecosystem response.

New challenges in solar energy resource and forecasting in Greece

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kazantzidis, A.; Nikitidou, E.; Salamalikis, V.; Tzoumanikas, P.; Zagouras, A.

2018-05-01

Aerosols and clouds are the most important constituents in the atmosphere that affect the incoming solar radiation, either directly through absorbing and scattering processes or indirectly by changing the optical properties and lifetime of clouds. Under clear skies, aerosols become the dominant factor that affect the intensity of solar irradiance reaching the ground. Under cloudy skies, the high temporal and spatial variability of cloudiness is the key factor for the estimation of solar irradiance. In this study, recent research activities related to the climatology and the prediction of solar energy in Greece are presented with emphasis on new challenges in the climatology of global horizontal irradiance (GHI) and direct normal irradiance (DNI), the changes of DNI due to the decreasing aerosol optical depth and the short-term (15-240 min) forecasts of solar irradiance with the collaborative use of neural networks and satellite images.

[Genetic aspects in congenital hypothyrodism].

PubMed

Perone, Denise; Teixeira, Silvânia S; Clara, Sueli A; Santos, Daniela C dos; Nogueira, Célia R

2004-02-01

Congenital hypothyroidism (CH) affects between 1:3,000 and 1:4,000 newborns. Many genes are essential for normal development of the hypothalamus-pituitary-thyroid axis and hormone production, and are associated with CH. About 85% of primary hypothyroidism is called thyroid digenesis and evidence suggests that mutations in transcription factors (TTF2, TTF1, and PAX-8) and TSH receptor gene could be responsible for the disease. Genetic defects of hormone synthesis could be caused by mutations in the following genes: NIS (natrium-iodide symporter), pendrine, thyreoglobulin (TG), peroxidase (TPO). Recently, mutations in the THOX-2 gene have also been related to organification defects. Central hypothyroidism affects about 1:20,000 newborns and has been associated with mutations in pituitary transcriptional factors (POUIF1, PROP1, LHX3, and HESX1). The syndrome of resistance to thyroid hormone is rare, implies a hypothyroidism state for some tissues and is frequently associated with dominant autosomal mutations in the beta-receptor (TRss).

Acoustic-Phonetic Versus Lexical Processing in Nonnative Listeners Differing in Their Dominant Language.

PubMed

Shi, Lu-Feng; Koenig, Laura L

2016-09-01

Nonnative listeners have difficulty recognizing English words due to underdeveloped acoustic-phonetic and/or lexical skills. The present study used Boothroyd and Nittrouer's (1988)j factor to tease apart these two components of word recognition. Participants included 15 native English and 29 native Russian listeners. Fourteen and 15 of the Russian listeners reported English (ED) and Russian (RD) to be their dominant language, respectively. Listeners were presented 119 consonant-vowel-consonant real and nonsense words in speech-spectrum noise at +6 dB SNR. Responses were scored for word and phoneme recognition, the logarithmic quotient of which yielded j. Word and phoneme recognition was comparable between native and ED listeners but poorer in RD listeners. Analysis of j indicated less effective use of lexical information in RD than in native and ED listeners. Lexical processing was strongly correlated with the length of residence in the United States. Language background is important for nonnative word recognition. Lexical skills can be regarded as nativelike in ED nonnative listeners. Compromised word recognition in ED listeners is unlikely a result of poor lexical processing. Performance should be interpreted with caution for listeners dominant in their first language, whose word recognition is affected by both lexical and acoustic-phonetic factors.

Emotion disrupts neural activity during selective attention in psychopathy

PubMed Central

Spielberg, Jeffrey M.; Heller, Wendy; Herrington, John D.; Engels, Anna S.; Warren, Stacie L.; Crocker, Laura D.; Sutton, Bradley P.; Miller, Gregory A.

2013-01-01

Dimensions of psychopathy are theorized to be associated with distinct cognitive and emotional abnormalities that may represent unique neurobiological risk factors for the disorder. This hypothesis was investigated by examining whether the psychopathic personality dimensions of fearless-dominance and impulsive-antisociality moderated neural activity and behavioral responses associated with selective attention and emotional processing during an emotion-word Stroop task in 49 adults. As predicted, the dimensions evidenced divergent selective-attention deficits and sensitivity to emotional distraction. Fearless-dominance was associated with disrupted attentional control to positive words, and activation in right superior frontal gyrus mediated the relationship between fearless-dominance and errors to positive words. In contrast, impulsive-antisociality evidenced increased behavioral interference to both positive and negative words and correlated positively with recruitment of regions associated with motivational salience (amygdala, orbitofrontal cortex, insula), emotion regulation (temporal cortex, superior frontal gyrus) and attentional control (dorsal anterior cingulate cortex). Individuals high on both dimensions had increased recruitment of regions related to attentional control (temporal cortex, rostral anterior cingulate cortex), response preparation (pre-/post-central gyri) and motivational value (orbitofrontal cortex) in response to negative words. These findings provide evidence that the psychopathy dimensions represent dual sets of risk factors characterized by divergent dysfunction in cognitive and affective processes. PMID:22210673

[Estimation of individual breast cancer risk: relevance and limits of risk estimation models].

PubMed

De Pauw, A; Stoppa-Lyonnet, D; Andrieu, N; Asselain, B

2009-10-01

Several risk estimation models for breast or ovarian cancers have been developed these last decades. All these models take into account the family history, with different levels of sophistication. Gail model was developed in 1989 taking into account the family history (0, 1 or > or = 2 affected relatives) and several environmental factors. In 1990, Claus model was the first to integrate explicit assumptions about genetic effects, assuming a single gene dominantly inherited occurring with a low frequency in the population. BRCAPRO model, posterior to the identification of BRCA1 and BRCA2, assumes a restricted transmission with only these two dominantly inherited genes. BOADICEA model adds the effect of a polygenic component to the effect of BRCA1 and BRCA2 to explain the residual clustering of breast cancer. At last, IBIS model assumes a third dominantly inherited gene to explain this residual clustering. Moreover, this model incorporates environmental factors. We applied the Claus, BRCAPRO, BOADICEA and IBIS models to four clinical situations, corresponding to more or less heavy family histories, in order to study the consistency of the risk estimates. The three more recent models (BRCAPRO, BOADICEA and IBIS) gave the closer estimations. These estimates could be useful in clinical practice in front of complex analysis of breast and/or ovarian cancers family history.

Risk management analysis for construction of Kutai Kartanegara bridge-East Kalimantan-Indonesia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Azis, Subandiyah

2017-11-01

Many sources of risk that may impede the achievement of the project objectives through either cost or quality and time, especially for bridges that have collapsed before, so when the implementation of possible hazard / high hazard so when should the possible hazard/high hazard be implemented The purpose of this research is to identify, to analyze risks by classifying the risks using the method of Risk Breakdown Structure (RBS) and managing the dominant risk of execution of the installation work to determine the handling of the steel frame in order to maximize the positive and minimize the incidence of adverse events. The results of this study indicate there are 15 sources of risks are identified, and there are 6 risk indicates the dominant risks. Mitigation performed on the dominant risks unacceptable i.e. Project factor that shows the delays in the arrival of materials due to locations, schedule of the arrival of materials should be tailored to the needs of the field and the amount of material that comes with the required field should also be evaluated. The result is expected to be a guideline for identifying risks and mitigation measures for further research. Subsequent researchers to pay attention on the security factor that implementation time does not affect the productivity of work in construction projects.

Dual skin tests with Mycobacterium avium sensitin and PPD to detect misdiagnosis of latent tuberculosis infection.

PubMed

Larson, E M; O'Donnell, M; Chamblee, S; Horsburgh, C R; Marsh, B J; Moreland, J D; Johnson, L S; von Reyn, C Fordham

2011-11-01

A positive tuberculin skin test (TST) may indicate cross-reacting immunity to non-tuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) and not latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI). To assess misclassification of LTBI, as assessed by skin testing with Mycobacterium avium sensitin (MaS), and to determine how this misclassification affects the analysis of risk factors for LTBI. In a population-based survey, participants underwent skin testing with M. tuberculosis purified protein derivative (PPD) and MaS. A PPD-dominant skin test was a reaction that was ≥ 3 mm larger than the MaS reaction; a MaS-dominant skin test was a reaction that was ≥ 3 mm larger than the PPD reaction. Of 447 randomly selected persons, 135 (30%) had a positive PPD test. Of these, 21 (16%) were MaS- dominant, and were therefore attributable to NTM and misclassified as LTBI. PPD reactions of 5-14 mm were more likely to be misclassified than those ≥ 15 mm (OR = 5.0, 95%CI 1.9-13.2). Adjusting for misclassification had only a small impact on the analysis of risk factors for LTBI. A substantial number of individuals who are diagnosed with LTBI are actually sensitized to NTM. Using dual skin testing would reduce misdiagnosis and prevent unnecessary treatment.

Emotion disrupts neural activity during selective attention in psychopathy.

PubMed

Sadeh, Naomi; Spielberg, Jeffrey M; Heller, Wendy; Herrington, John D; Engels, Anna S; Warren, Stacie L; Crocker, Laura D; Sutton, Bradley P; Miller, Gregory A

2013-03-01

Dimensions of psychopathy are theorized to be associated with distinct cognitive and emotional abnormalities that may represent unique neurobiological risk factors for the disorder. This hypothesis was investigated by examining whether the psychopathic personality dimensions of fearless-dominance and impulsive-antisociality moderated neural activity and behavioral responses associated with selective attention and emotional processing during an emotion-word Stroop task in 49 adults. As predicted, the dimensions evidenced divergent selective-attention deficits and sensitivity to emotional distraction. Fearless-dominance was associated with disrupted attentional control to positive words, and activation in right superior frontal gyrus mediated the relationship between fearless-dominance and errors to positive words. In contrast, impulsive-antisociality evidenced increased behavioral interference to both positive and negative words and correlated positively with recruitment of regions associated with motivational salience (amygdala, orbitofrontal cortex, insula), emotion regulation (temporal cortex, superior frontal gyrus) and attentional control (dorsal anterior cingulate cortex). Individuals high on both dimensions had increased recruitment of regions related to attentional control (temporal cortex, rostral anterior cingulate cortex), response preparation (pre-/post-central gyri) and motivational value (orbitofrontal cortex) in response to negative words. These findings provide evidence that the psychopathy dimensions represent dual sets of risk factors characterized by divergent dysfunction in cognitive and affective processes.

Assessing Saudi Arabia: A Review of Leading American and European Analysts (1982-1995),

DTIC Science & Technology

1983-03-01

future en Arabie saoudite en ce qui a trait aux changements affectant les groupes dominants au sein de la vie politique saoudienne. Le rapport laisse ...economic, occupational and sometimes ethnic and religious factors. While these have been manageable to date, the dimensions of a nation-wide security...and programs (and to forward the ambitions of a leader and his group) without regard to western- style institutions is much closer to the Saudi Arabia

Impacts of the 2011 tsunami on the subtidal polychaete assemblage and the following recolonization in Onagawa Bay, northeastern Japan.

PubMed

Abe, Hirokazu; Kobayashi, Genki; Sato-Okoshi, Waka

2015-12-01

The ecological impacts of the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami and the following recolonization of the subtidal benthic polychaete community were examined by monthly pre- and post-quake field surveys that were conducted in Onagawa Bay from 2007 to 2013. Before the tsunami, the species composition in this benthic community was constant and was dominated by cirratulid and magelonid polychaetes. The density and biomass of benthic polychaetes drastically decreased after the tsunami, and the polychaete community fluctuated during the 2 years after the natural disaster. Spionid and capitellid polychaetes were dominant at this period. In June 2013, the community entered a new constant stage dominated by maldanids, which is different from the pre-quake community. Ecological impacts due to chemical pollution were suggested in addition to the tsunami disturbance. These overlapping effects and physical, chemical and biological factors affected the recovery and recolonization of the polychaete community after the natural disaster. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Sedimentary Processes on Earth, Mars, Titan, and Venus

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grotzinger, J. P.; Hayes, A. G.; Lamb, M. P.; McLennan, S. M.

The production, transport and deposition of sediment occur to varying degrees on Earth, Mars, Venus, and Titan. These sedimentary processes are significantly influenced by climate that affects production of sediment in source regions (weathering), and the mode by which that sediment is transported (wind vs. water). Other, more geological, factors determine where sediments are deposited (topography and tectonics). Fluvial and marine processes dominate Earth both today and in its geologic past, aeolian processes dominate modern Mars although in its past fluvial processes also were important, Venus knows only aeolian processes, and Titan shows evidence of both fluvial and aeolian processes. Earth and Mars also feature vast deposits of sedimentary rocks, spanning billions of years of planetary history. These ancient rocks preserve the long-term record of the evolution of surface environments, including variations in climate state. On Mars, sedimentary rocks record the transition from wetter, neutral-pH weathering, to brine-dominated low-pH weathering, to its dry current state.

The effect of hearing impairment on localization dominance for single-word stimuli

PubMed Central

Akeroyd, Michael A; Guy, Fiona H.

2012-01-01

Localization dominance (one of the phenomena of the “precedence effect”) was measured in a large number of normal hearing and hearing-impaired individuals and related to self-reported difficulties in everyday listening. The stimuli (single words) were made-up of a “lead” followed 4-ms later by a equal-level “lag” from a different direction. The stimuli were presented from a circular ring of loudspeakers, either in quiet or in a background of spatially-diffuse babble. Listeners were required to identify the loudspeaker from which they heard the sound. Localization dominance was quantified by the weighting factor c [B.G. Shinn-Cunningham et al., J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 93, 2923-2932 (1993)]. The results demonstrated large individual differences: some listeners showed near-perfect localization dominance (c near 1) but many showed a much reduced effect. Two thirds (64/93) of listeners gave a value of c of at least 0.75. There was a significant correlation with hearing loss, such that better hearing listeners showed better localization dominance. One of the items of the self-report questionnaire (“Do you have the impression of sounds being exactly where you would expect them to be?”) showed a significant correlation with the experimental results. This suggests that reductions in localization dominance may affect everyday auditory perception. PMID:21786901

Temperature limits trail following behaviour through pheromone decay in ants

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

van Oudenhove, Louise; Billoir, Elise; Boulay, Raphaël; Bernstein, Carlos; Cerdá, Xim

2011-12-01

In Mediterranean habitats, temperature affects both ant foraging behaviour and community structure. Many studies have shown that dominant species often forage at lower temperature than subordinates. Yet, the factors that constrain dominant species foraging activity in hot environments are still elusive. We used the dominant ant Tapinoma nigerrimum as a model species to test the hypothesis that high temperatures hinder trail following behaviour by accelerating pheromone degradation. First, field observations showed that high temperatures (> 30°C) reduce the foraging activity of T. nigerrimum independently of the daily and seasonal rhythms of this species. Second, we isolated the effect of high temperatures on pheromone trail efficacy from its effect on worker physiology. A marked substrate was heated during 10 min (five temperature treatments from 25°C to 60°C), cooled down to 25°C, and offered in a test choice to workers. At hot temperature treatments (>40°C), workers did not discriminate the previously marked substrate. High temperatures appeared therefore to accelerate pheromone degradation. Third, we assessed the pheromone decay dynamics by a mechanistic model fitted with Bayesian inference. The model predicted ant choice through the evolution of pheromone concentration on trails as a function of both temperature and time since pheromone deposition. Overall, our results highlighted that the effect of high temperatures on recruitment intensity was partly due to pheromone evaporation. In the Mediterranean ant communities, this might affect dominant species relying on chemical recruitment, more than subordinate ant species, less dependent on chemical communication and less sensitive to high temperatures.

Corticospinal excitability in the non-dominant hand is affected by BDNF genotype.

PubMed

Chang, Won Hyuk; Hwang, Jung Min; Uhm, Kyeong Eun; Pascual-Leone, Alvaro; Kim, Yun-Hee

2017-02-01

The objective of this study was to assess the functional state of corticospinal projections in the non-dominant hand according to brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) Val66Met polymorphisms. We investigated this in 34 healthy right-handed individuals (12 men, mean age 27.4 ± 3.4 years) who underwent two experimental sessions consisting of corticospinal excitability measurements with single-pulse transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) and hand motor function assessments with a sequential finger motor task of the non-dominant hand. Experimental sessions were separated by periods of at least 2 days to avoid carryover effects. Data were analyzed according to BDNF polymorphism (Val/Val vs. Val/Met vs. Met/Met group). Ten (29.4%), seventeen (50.0%), and seven (20.6%) participants were allocated to the Val/Val, Val/Met, and Met/Met groups, respectively. Motor thresholds to TMS did not differ among groups, but the amplitude of the motor-evoked potentials in the non-dominant hand induced by suprathreshold (120% of MT) TMS was significantly lower in the Met/Met group than in the other two groups (p < 0.05). Movement accuracy and reaction time in the sequential finger motor task showed no significant differences among groups. These results indicate that Met/Met BDNF homozygote status affects corticospinal excitability, and should be controlled for in studies of motor system function using brain stimulation. Our findings may have clinical implications regarding further investigation of the impact of BDNF genotype on the human motor system.

Accelerating dark energy cosmological model in two fluids with hybrid scale factor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mishra, B.; Sahoo, P. K.; Ray, Pratik P.

In this paper, we have investigated the anisotropic behavior of the accelerating universe in Bianchi V spacetime in the framework of General Relativity (GR). The matter field we have considered is of two non-interacting fluids, i.e. the usual string fluid and dark energy (DE) fluid. In order to represent the pressure anisotropy, the skewness parameters are introduced along three different spatial directions. To achieve a physically realistic solutions to the field equations, we have considered a scale factor, known as hybrid scale factor, which is generated by a time-varying deceleration parameter. This simulates a cosmic transition from early deceleration to late time acceleration. It is observed that the string fluid dominates the universe at early deceleration phase but does not affect nature of cosmic dynamics substantially at late phase, whereas the DE fluid dominates the universe in present time, which is in accordance with the observations results. Hence, we analyzed here the role of two fluids in the transitional phases of universe with respect to time which depicts the reason behind the cosmic expansion and DE. The role of DE with variable equation of state parameter (EoS) and skewness parameters, is also discussed along with physical and geometrical properties.

An eco-epidemiological study of Morbilli-related paramyxovirus infection in Madagascar bats reveals host-switching as the dominant macro-evolutionary mechanism.

PubMed

Mélade, Julien; Wieseke, Nicolas; Ramasindrazana, Beza; Flores, Olivier; Lagadec, Erwan; Gomard, Yann; Goodman, Steven M; Dellagi, Koussay; Pascalis, Hervé

2016-04-12

An eco-epidemiological investigation was carried out on Madagascar bat communities to better understand the evolutionary mechanisms and environmental factors that affect virus transmission among bat species in closely related members of the genus Morbillivirus, currently referred to as Unclassified Morbilli-related paramyxoviruses (UMRVs). A total of 947 bats were investigated originating from 52 capture sites (22 caves, 18 buildings, and 12 outdoor sites) distributed over different bioclimatic zones of the island. Using RT-PCR targeting the L-polymerase gene of the Paramyxoviridae family, we found that 10.5% of sampled bats were infected, representing six out of seven families and 15 out of 31 species analyzed. Univariate analysis indicates that both abiotic and biotic factors may promote viral infection. Using generalized linear modeling of UMRV infection overlaid on biotic and abiotic variables, we demonstrate that sympatric occurrence of bats is a major factor for virus transmission. Phylogenetic analyses revealed that all paramyxoviruses infecting Malagasy bats are UMRVs and showed little host specificity. Analyses using the maximum parsimony reconciliation tool CoRe-PA, indicate that host-switching, rather than co-speciation, is the dominant macro-evolutionary mechanism of UMRVs among Malagasy bats.

Impacts of prescribed fire on Pinus rigida Mill. in upland forests of the Atlantic Coastal Plain.

PubMed

Carlo, Nicholas J; Renninger, Heidi J; Clark, Kenneth L; Schäfer, Karina V R

2016-08-01

A comparative analysis of the impacts of prescribed fire on three upland forest stands in the Northeastern Atlantic Plain, NJ, USA, was conducted. Effects of prescribed fire on water use and gas exchange of overstory pines were estimated via sap-flux rates and photosynthetic measurements on Pinus rigida Mill. Each study site had two sap-flux plots, one experiencing prescribed fire and one control (unburned) plot for comparison before and after the fire. We found that photosynthetic capacity in terms of Rubisco-limited carboxylation rate and intrinsic water-use efficiency was unaffected, while light compensation point and dark respiration rate were significantly lower in the burned vs control plots post-fire. Furthermore, quantum yield in pines in the pine-dominated stands was less affected than pines in the mixed oak/pine stand, as there was an increase in quantum yield in the oak/pine stand post-fire compared with the control (unburned) plot. We attribute this to an effect of forest type but not fire per se. Average daily sap-flux rates of the pine trees increased compared with control (unburned) plots in pine-dominated stands and decreased in the oak/pine stand compared with control (unburned) plots, potentially due to differences in fuel consumption and pre-fire sap-flux rates. Finally, when reference canopy stomatal conductance was analyzed, pines in the pine-dominated stands were more sensitive to changes in vapor pressure deficit (VPD), while stomatal responses of pines in the oak/pine stand were less affected by VPD. Therefore, prescribed fire affects physiological functioning and water use of pines, but the effects may be modulated by forest stand type and fuel consumption pattern, which suggests that these factors may need to be taken into account for forest management in fire-dominated systems. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

[Evaluation of hospitalizations in the gastroenterology service of Gabriel Toure Hospital, Mali].

PubMed

Diarra, M; Konate, A; Demble Doumbia, A; Kalle, A; Maiga, M Y

2006-01-01

The goal of this study was to appreciate principal affections and mortality and in gastroenterology service of Gabriel Touré Hospital. It is about a survey longitudinal that has permit to analyze patients who have been care. During study, 766 patients were unregistered. Mean age of patient was 45.17 years and a sex ratio (M/F) = 1.10. The rate of reference was 13.85%. The morbidity was dominated by HIV infection (29.90%) followed by Hepato-cellular Carcinoma (7.83%) and cirrhosis (4.05%). Mortality (18.41%) was dominated by the VIH infection, HCC and Cirrhosis. The precocious recourse to cares, the improvement of work conditions, the sensitization, the infectious illness prevention is factors that will permit a reduction of morbidity and hospital mortality.

Numerical studies of convective heat transfer in an inclined semiannular enclosure

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wang, Lin-Wen; Yung, Chain-Nan; Chai, An-Ti; Rashidnia, Nasser

1989-01-01

Natural convection heat transfer in a two-dimensional differentially heated semiannular enclosure is studied. The enclosure is isothermally heated and cooled at the inner and outer walls, respectively. A commercial software based on the SIMPLER algorithm was used to simulate the velocity and temperature profiles. Various parameters that affect the momentum and heat transfer processes were examined. These parameters include the Rayleigh number, Prandtl number, radius ratio, and the angle of inclination. A flow regime extending from conduction-dominated to convection-dominated flow was examined. The computed results of heat transfer are presented as a function of flow parameter and geometric factors. It is found that the heat transfer rate attains a minimum when the enclosure is tilted about +50 deg with respect to the gravitational direction.

Unravelling variation in feeding, social interaction and growth patterns among pigs using an agent-based model.

PubMed

Boumans, Iris J M M; de Boer, Imke J M; Hofstede, Gert Jan; Bokkers, Eddie A M

2018-07-01

Domesticated pigs, Sus scrofa, vary considerably in feeding, social interaction and growth patterns. This variation originates partly from genetic variation that affects physiological factors and partly from behavioural strategies (avoid or approach) in competitive food resource situations. Currently, it is unknown how variation in physiological factors and in behavioural strategies among animals contributes to variation in feeding, social interaction and growth patterns in animals. The aim of this study was to unravel causation of variation in these patterns among pigs. We used an agent-based model to explore the effects of physiological factors and behavioural strategies in pigs on variation in feeding, social interaction and growth patterns. Model results show that variation in feeding, social interaction and growth patterns are caused partly by chance, such as time effects and coincidence of conflicts. Furthermore, results show that seemingly contradictory empirical findings in literature can be explained by variation in pig characteristics (i.e. growth potential, positive feedback, dominance, and coping style). Growth potential mainly affected feeding and growth patterns, whereas positive feedback, dominance and coping style affected feeding patterns, social interaction patterns, as well as growth patterns. Variation in behavioural strategies among pigs can reduce aggression at group level, but also make some pigs more susceptible to social constraints inhibiting them from feeding when they want to, especially low-ranking pigs and pigs with a passive coping style. Variation in feeding patterns, such as feeding rate or meal frequency, can indicate social constraints. Feeding patterns, however, can say something different about social constraints at group versus individual level. A combination of feeding patterns, such as a decreased feed intake, an increased feeding rate, and an increased meal frequency might, therefore, be needed to measure social constraints at individual level. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Do governance, equity characteristics, and venture capital nvolvement affect long-term wealth creation in U.S. health care and biotechnology IPOs?

PubMed

Williams, David R; Duncan, W Jack; Ginter, Peter M; Shewchuk, Richard M

2006-01-01

Agency theory remains the dominant means of examining governance issues and ownership characteristics related to large organizations. Research in these areas within large organizations has increased our understanding, yet little is known about the influence that these mechanisms and characteristics have had on IPO firm performance. This study tests an agency perspective that venture capital involvement, governance and equity characteristics affect health care and biotechnology IPO firm performance. Our results indicate that there is no correlation between these factors and health care and biotechnology IPO wealth creation. For these entrepreneurs, our findings suggest a contingent approach for the use of these mechanisms.

Efflorescence relative humidity for ammonium sulfate particles.

PubMed

Gao, Yonggang; Chen, Shing Bor; Yu, Liya E

2006-06-22

The classical homogeneous nucleation theory was employed to calculate the efflorescence relative humidity (ERH) of airborne ammonium sulfate particles with a wide size range (8 nm to 17 microm) at room temperature. The theoretical predictions are in good agreement with the experimentally measured values. When the ammonium sulfate particle is decreased in size, the ERH first decreases, reaches a minimum around 30% for particle diameter equal to about 30 nm, and then increases. It is for the first time that the Kelvin effect is theoretically verified to substantially affect the ERH of ammonium sulfate particles smaller than 30 nm, while the aerosol size is the dominant factor affecting the efflorescent behavior of ammonium sulfate particles larger than 50 nm.

Update on Multiple Ovulations in Dairy Cattle

PubMed Central

Macmillan, Kira; Kastelic, John P.

2018-01-01

Simple Summary Multiple ovulations (MOV) in cattle can lead to twin pregnancies, which negatively affects the health, production, and reproduction of cows. Despite many studies, the causal mechanisms behind MOV are still not well understood. There is a general agreement that MOV are more likely during periods of low progesterone (P4), which may increase the luteinizing hormone (LH) release at the time of selection, resulting in more than one follicle becoming dominant. The MOV rate also increases in older cows and when the selection of a dominant follicle occurs concurrently with a high milk yield. Additional risk factors for MOV are ovarian cysts, diet, season, and genetics. A better understanding of the mechanisms underlying MOV may help to mitigate twinning, perhaps through the appropriate reproductive management protocols or genetic selection. Abstract This review updates the causal mechanisms and risk factors for multiple ovulations (MOV) in cattle. Clearly, MOV can lead to twin pregnancies, which negatively affects the health, production, and reproduction of cows. Therefore, a better understanding of the factors causing MOV may help to reduce twinning. Multiple ovulations occur after two or more follicles deviate and achieve codominance. The MOV rate is influenced by a complex network of hormones. For example, MOV is more common during periods of low progesterone (P4), that is, in anovulatory cattle or when luteolysis coincides with the selection of the future ovulatory follicle. There is also strong evidence for the luteinizing hormone (LH) being the primary factor leading to codominance, as high P4 concentrations suppress the transient LH surges and can reduce the ovulation rate in cattle or even inhibit deviation. Rates of MOV are increased in older and higher-producing dairy cows. Increased milk production and dry matter intake (DMI) increases hormone clearance, including P4; however, the association between milk yield and MOV has not been consistent. Additional risk factors for MOV include ovarian cysts, diet, season, and genetics. PMID:29695075

Vegetation structure of plantain-based agrosystems determines numerical dominance in community of ground-dwelling ants

PubMed Central

Dassou, Anicet Gbéblonoudo; Tixier, Philippe; Dépigny, Sylvain

2017-01-01

In tropics, ants can represent an important part of animal biomass and are known to be involved in ecosystem services, such as pest regulation. Understanding the mechanisms underlying the structuring of local ant communities is therefore important in agroecology. In the humid tropics of Africa, plantains are cropped in association with many other annual and perennial crops. Such agrosystems differ greatly in vegetation diversity and structure and are well-suited for studying how habitat-related factors affect the ant community. We analysed abundance data for the six numerically dominant ant taxa in 500 subplots located in 20 diversified, plantain-based fields. We found that the density of crops with foliage at intermediate and high canopy strata determined the numerical dominance of species. We found no relationship between the numerical dominance of each ant taxon with the crop diversity. Our results indicate that the manipulation of the densities of crops with leaves in the intermediate and high strata may help maintain the coexistence of ant species by providing different habitat patches. Further research in such agrosystems should be performed to assess if the effect of vegetation structure on ant abundance could result in efficient pest regulation. PMID:29152414

Vegetation structure of plantain-based agrosystems determines numerical dominance in community of ground-dwelling ants.

PubMed

Dassou, Anicet Gbéblonoudo; Tixier, Philippe; Dépigny, Sylvain; Carval, Dominique

2017-01-01

In tropics, ants can represent an important part of animal biomass and are known to be involved in ecosystem services, such as pest regulation. Understanding the mechanisms underlying the structuring of local ant communities is therefore important in agroecology. In the humid tropics of Africa, plantains are cropped in association with many other annual and perennial crops. Such agrosystems differ greatly in vegetation diversity and structure and are well-suited for studying how habitat-related factors affect the ant community. We analysed abundance data for the six numerically dominant ant taxa in 500 subplots located in 20 diversified, plantain-based fields. We found that the density of crops with foliage at intermediate and high canopy strata determined the numerical dominance of species. We found no relationship between the numerical dominance of each ant taxon with the crop diversity. Our results indicate that the manipulation of the densities of crops with leaves in the intermediate and high strata may help maintain the coexistence of ant species by providing different habitat patches. Further research in such agrosystems should be performed to assess if the effect of vegetation structure on ant abundance could result in efficient pest regulation.

Autosomal dominant inheritance of Brachmann-de Lange syndrome

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

Kozma, C.

A mother with mild phenotype and her severely affected son, both with classic manifestations of Brachmann-de Lange syndrome (BDLS), are described. This documented mother-to-child transmission supports the hypothesis of autosomal dominant transmission with intrafamilial variability. Known cases of BDLS with autosomal dominant inheritance are reviewed. Although most cases of BDLS are sporadic, a careful evaluation of parents of affected children is important for appropriate genetic counseling. 15 refs., 3 figs., 1 tab.

Evidence from intrinsic activity that asymmetry of the human brain is controlled by multiple factors.

PubMed

Liu, Hesheng; Stufflebeam, Steven M; Sepulcre, Jorge; Hedden, Trey; Buckner, Randy L

2009-12-01

Cerebral lateralization is a fundamental property of the human brain and a marker of successful development. Here we provide evidence that multiple mechanisms control asymmetry for distinct brain systems. Using intrinsic activity to measure asymmetry in 300 adults, we mapped the most strongly lateralized brain regions. Both men and women showed strong asymmetries with a significant, but small, group difference. Factor analysis on the asymmetric regions revealed 4 separate factors that each accounted for significant variation across subjects. The factors were associated with brain systems involved in vision, internal thought (the default network), attention, and language. An independent sample of right- and left-handed individuals showed that hand dominance affects brain asymmetry but differentially across the 4 factors supporting their independence. These findings show the feasibility of measuring brain asymmetry using intrinsic activity fluctuations and suggest that multiple genetic or environmental mechanisms control cerebral lateralization.

Factors Controlling the Position of the Martian Magnetic Pileup Boundary

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Crider, D. H.; Acuna, M.; Vignes, D.; Krymskii, A.; Breus, T.; Ness, N.

2003-01-01

The magnetic pileup boundary (MPB) at Mars is the position where the dominant ion of the plasma changes from solar wind protons to heavy ions of planetary origin. As such, it is the obstacle to solar wind ions. We investigate the factors that influence the shape and position of the magnetic pileup boundary at Mars in order to better understand the Martian obstacle to the solar wind. Employing MGS data, we determine how the Martian MPB moves in response to factors including solar wind pressure and crustal magnetic fields. We also study the factors affecting the thickness of the MPB. Further, we compare the magnetic pileup boundary to the magnetic barrier at Venus. Direct comparison aids in our interpretation of the physics involved in the solar wind interaction with planets lacking a significant intrinsic magnetic field.

Mutations in DSTYK and dominant urinary tract malformations.

PubMed

Sanna-Cherchi, Simone; Sampogna, Rosemary V; Papeta, Natalia; Burgess, Katelyn E; Nees, Shannon N; Perry, Brittany J; Choi, Murim; Bodria, Monica; Liu, Yan; Weng, Patricia L; Lozanovski, Vladimir J; Verbitsky, Miguel; Lugani, Francesca; Sterken, Roel; Paragas, Neal; Caridi, Gianluca; Carrea, Alba; Dagnino, Monica; Materna-Kiryluk, Anna; Santamaria, Giuseppe; Murtas, Corrado; Ristoska-Bojkovska, Nadica; Izzi, Claudia; Kacak, Nilgun; Bianco, Beatrice; Giberti, Stefania; Gigante, Maddalena; Piaggio, Giorgio; Gesualdo, Loreto; Vukic, Durdica Kosuljandic; Vukojevic, Katarina; Saraga-Babic, Mirna; Saraga, Marijan; Gucev, Zoran; Allegri, Landino; Latos-Bielenska, Anna; Casu, Domenica; State, Matthew; Scolari, Francesco; Ravazzolo, Roberto; Kiryluk, Krzysztof; Al-Awqati, Qais; D'Agati, Vivette D; Drummond, Iain A; Tasic, Velibor; Lifton, Richard P; Ghiggeri, Gian Marco; Gharavi, Ali G

2013-08-15

Congenital abnormalities of the kidney and the urinary tract are the most common cause of pediatric kidney failure. These disorders are highly heterogeneous, and the etiologic factors are poorly understood. We performed genomewide linkage analysis and whole-exome sequencing in a family with an autosomal dominant form of congenital abnormalities of the kidney or urinary tract (seven affected family members). We also performed a sequence analysis in 311 unrelated patients, as well as histologic and functional studies. Linkage analysis identified five regions of the genome that were shared among all affected family members. Exome sequencing identified a single, rare, deleterious variant within these linkage intervals, a heterozygous splice-site mutation in the dual serine-threonine and tyrosine protein kinase gene (DSTYK). This variant, which resulted in aberrant splicing of messenger RNA, was present in all affected family members. Additional, independent DSTYK mutations, including nonsense and splice-site mutations, were detected in 7 of 311 unrelated patients. DSTYK is highly expressed in the maturing epithelia of all major organs, localizing to cell membranes. Knockdown in zebrafish resulted in developmental defects in multiple organs, which suggested loss of fibroblast growth factor (FGF) signaling. Consistent with this finding is the observation that DSTYK colocalizes with FGF receptors in the ureteric bud and metanephric mesenchyme. DSTYK knockdown in human embryonic kidney cells inhibited FGF-stimulated phosphorylation of extracellular-signal-regulated kinase (ERK), the principal signal downstream of receptor tyrosine kinases. We detected independent DSTYK mutations in 2.3% of patients with congenital abnormalities of the kidney or urinary tract, a finding that suggests that DSTYK is a major determinant of human urinary tract development, downstream of FGF signaling. (Funded by the National Institutes of Health and others.).

Mutations in DSTYK and Dominant Urinary Tract Malformations

PubMed Central

Sanna-Cherchi, Simone; Nees, Shannon N.; Perry, Brittany J.; Choi, Murim; Bodria, Monica; Liu, Yan; Weng, Patricia L.; Lozanovski, Vladimir J.; Verbitsky, Miguel; Lugani, Francesca; Sterken, Roel; Paragas, Neal; Caridi, Gianluca; Carrea, Alba; Dagnino, Monica; Materna-Kiryluk, Anna; Santamaria, Giuseppe; Murtas, Corrado; Ristoska-Bojkovska, Nadica; Izzi, Claudia; Kacak, Nilgun; Bianco, Beatrice; Giberti, Stefania; Gigante, Maddalena; Piaggio, Giorgio; Gesualdo, Loreto; Vukic, Durdica Kosuljandic; Vukojevic, Katarina; Saraga-Babic, Mirna; Saraga, Marijan; Gucev, Zoran; Allegri, Landino; Latos-Bielenska, Anna; Casu, Domenica; State, Matthew; Scolari, Francesco; Ravazzolo, Roberto; Kiryluk, Krzysztof; Al-Awqati, Qais; D'Agati, Vivette D.; Drummond, Iain A.; Tasic, Velibor; Lifton, Richard P.; Ghiggeri, Gian Marco; Gharavi, Ali G.

2013-01-01

BACKGROUND Congenital abnormalities of the kidney and the urinary tract are the most common cause of pediatric kidney failure. These disorders are highly heterogeneous, and the etiologic factors are poorly understood. METHODS We performed genomewide linkage analysis and whole-exome sequencing in a family with an autosomal dominant form of congenital abnormalities of the kidney or urinary tract (seven affected family members). We also performed a sequence analysis in 311 unrelated patients, as well as histologic and functional studies. RESULTS Linkage analysis identified five regions of the genome that were shared among all affected family members. Exome sequencing identified a single, rare, deleterious variant within these linkage intervals, a heterozygous splice-site mutation in the dual serine–threonine and tyrosine protein kinase gene (DSTYK). This variant, which resulted in aberrant splicing of messenger RNA, was present in all affected family members. Additional, independent DSTYK mutations, including nonsense and splice-site mutations, were detected in 7 of 311 unrelated patients. DSTYK is highly expressed in the maturing epithelia of all major organs, localizing to cell membranes. Knockdown in zebrafish resulted in developmental defects in multiple organs, which suggested loss of fibroblast growth factor (FGF) signaling. Consistent with this finding is the observation that DSTYK colocalizes with FGF receptors in the ureteric bud and metanephric mesenchyme. DSTYK knockdown in human embryonic kidney cells inhibited FGF-stimulated phosphorylation of extracellular-signal-regulated kinase (ERK), the principal signal downstream of receptor tyrosine kinases. CONCLUSIONS We detected independent DSTYK mutations in 2.3% of patients with congenital abnormalities of the kidney or urinary tract, a finding that suggests that DSTYK is a major determinant of human urinary tract development, downstream of FGF signaling. (Funded by the National Institutes of Health and others.) PMID:23862974

Personality structure in the domestic cat (Felis silvestris catus), Scottish wildcat (Felis silvestris grampia), clouded leopard (Neofelis nebulosa), snow leopard (Panthera uncia), and African lion (Panthera leo): a comparative study.

PubMed

Gartner, Marieke Cassia; Powell, David M; Weiss, Alexander

2014-11-01

Although the study of nonhuman personality has increased in the last decade, there are still few studies on felid species, and the majority focus on domestic cats. We assessed the structure of personality and its reliability in five felids-domestic cats, clouded leopards, snow leopards, African lions, and previous data on Scottish wildcats-and compared the results. In addition to the benefits of understanding more about this taxon, comparative studies of personality structure have the potential to provide information on evolutionary relationships among closely related species. Each of the species studied was found to have three factors of personality. Scottish wildcats' factors were labeled Dominance, Agreeableness, and Self Control; domestic cats' factors were Dominance, Impulsiveness, and Neuroticism; clouded leopards' factors were Dominance/Impulsiveness, Agreeableness/Openness, and Neuroticism; snow leopards' factors were Dominance, Impulsiveness/Openness, and Neuroticism; and African lions' factors were Dominance, Impulsiveness, and Neuroticism. The Neuroticism and Impulsiveness factors were similar, as were two of the Dominance factors. A taxon-level personality structure also showed three similar factors. Age and sex effects are also discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2014 APA, all rights reserved).

SOA Formation Potential of Emissions from Soil and Leaf Litter

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Faiola, C. L.; Vanderschelden, G. S.; Wen, M.; Cobos, D. R.; Jobson, B. T.; VanReken, T. M.

2013-12-01

In the United States, emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from natural sources exceed all anthropogenic sources combined. VOCs participate in oxidative chemistry in the atmosphere and impact the concentrations of ozone and particulate material. The formation of secondary organic aerosol (SOA) is particularly complex and is frequently underestimated using state-of-the-art modeling techniques. We present findings that suggest emissions of important SOA precursors from soil and leaf litter are higher than current inventories would suggest, particularly under conditions typical of Fall and Spring. Soil and leaf litter samples were collected at Big Meadow Creek from the University of Idaho Experimental Forest. The dominant tree species in this area of the forest are ponderosa pine, Douglas-fir, and western larch. Samples were transported to the laboratory and housed within a 0.9 cubic meter Teflon dynamic chamber where VOC emissions were continuously monitored with a GC-FID-MS and PTR-MS. Aerosol was generated from soil and leaf litter emissions by pumping the emissions into a 7 cubic meter Teflon aerosol growth chamber where they were oxidized with ozone in the absence of light. The evolution of particle microphysical and chemical characteristics was monitored over the following eight hours. Particle size distribution and chemical composition were measured with a SMPS and HR-ToF-AMS respectively. Monoterpenes dominated the emission profile with emission rates up to 283 micrograms carbon per meter squared per hour. The dominant monoterpenes emitted were beta-pinene, alpha-pinene, and delta-3-carene in descending order. The composition of the SOA produced was similar to biogenic SOA formed from oxidation of ponderosa pine emissions and alpha-pinene. Measured soil/litter monoterpene emission rates were compared with modeled canopy emissions. Results suggest that during fall and spring when tree emissions are lower, monoterpene emissions within forests may be dominated by soil/litter emissions--soil/litter monoterpene emissions in spring could contribute up to 63% of total forest emissions. If this is the case, a significant portion of total forest monoterpene emission rates would be controlled by factors that affect soil/litter emissions rather than factors that affect plant emissions.

Emotional task management: neural correlates of switching between affective and non-affective task-sets

PubMed Central

Reeck, Crystal

2015-01-01

Although task-switching has been investigated extensively, its interaction with emotionally salient task content remains unclear. Prioritized processing of affective stimulus content may enhance accessibility of affective task-sets and generate increased interference when switching between affective and non-affective task-sets. Previous research has demonstrated that more dominant task-sets experience greater switch costs, as they necessitate active inhibition during performance of less entrenched tasks. Extending this logic to the affective domain, the present experiment examined (a) whether affective task-sets are more dominant than non-affective ones, and (b) what neural mechanisms regulate affective task-sets, so that weaker, non-affective task-sets can be executed. While undergoing functional magnetic resonance imaging, participants categorized face stimuli according to either their gender (non-affective task) or their emotional expression (affective task). Behavioral results were consistent with the affective task dominance hypothesis: participants were slower to switch to the affective task, and cross-task interference was strongest when participants tried to switch from the affective to the non-affective task. These behavioral costs of controlling the affective task-set were mirrored in the activation of a right-lateralized frontostriatal network previously implicated in task-set updating and response inhibition. Connectivity between amygdala and right ventrolateral prefrontal cortex was especially pronounced during cross-task interference from affective features. PMID:25552571

An investigation of home advantage and other factors affecting outcomes in English one-day cricket matches.

PubMed

Morley, Bruce; Thomas, Dennis

2005-03-01

We examined the factors affecting the outcome of cricket matches played in the English one-day county cricket league. In particular, we focused on the home-field effect and the importance of winning the pre-match toss of a coin to determine a team's strategic decision to bat first or second. A home-field effect appeared to be confirmed in that home teams won 57% of all matches with a win/loss result. A logistical regression model was used, with the outcome variable defined in terms of a home team win/loss. We found that while winning the toss is an important aspect of a one-day cricket match, other factors tend to dominate in determining the result, especially team quality and match importance for the home and away teams in the overall league context. Our results also indicate, not surprisingly given the nature of cricket attendance and spectating, that the crowd effect is largely insignificant. The results of our study do not support any rule changes requiring the abandonment of the coin toss to determine batting order.

Diabetic macular edema, retinopathy and age-related macular degeneration as inflammatory conditions

PubMed Central

2016-01-01

Diabetic macular edema (DME) and diabetic retinopathy (DR) are complications affecting about 25% of all patients with long-standing type 1 and type 2 diabetes mellitus and are a major cause of significant decrease in vision and quality of life. Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is not uncommon, and diabetes mellitus affects the incidence and progression of AMD through altering hemodynamics, increasing oxidative stress, accumulating advanced glycation end products, etc. Recent studies suggest that DME, DR and AMD are inflammatory conditions characterized by a breakdown of the blood-retinal barrier, inflammatory processes and an increase in vascular permeability. Key factors that seem to have a dominant role in DME, DR and AMD are angiotensin II, prostaglandins and the vascular endothelial growth factor and a deficiency of anti-inflammatory bioactive lipids. The imbalance between pro- and anti-inflammatory eicosanoids and enhanced production of pro-angiogenic factors may initiate the onset and progression of DME, DR and AMD. This implies that bioactive lipids that possess anti-inflammatory actions and suppress the production of angiogenic factors could be employed in the prevention and management of DME, DR and AMD. PMID:27695506

Direct effects of soil amendments on field emergence and growth of the invasive annual grass Bromus tectorum L. and the native perennial grass Hilaria jamesii (Torr.) Benth

USGS Publications Warehouse

Newingham, B.A.; Belnap, J.

2006-01-01

Bromus tectorum L. is a non-native, annual grass that has invaded western North America. In SE Utah, B. tectorum generally occurs in grasslands dominated by the native perennial grass, Hilaria jamesii (Torr.) Benth. and rarely where the natives Stipa hymenoides Roem. and Schult. and S. comata Trin. & Rupr. are dominant. This patchy invasion is likely due to differences in soil chemistry. Previous laboratory experiments investigated using soil amendments that would allow B. tectorum to germinate but would reduce B. tectorum emergence without affecting H. jamesii. For this study we selected the most successful treatments (CaCl2, MgCl2, NaCl and zeolite) from a previous laboratory study and applied them in the field in two different years at B. tectorum-dominated field sites. All amendments except the lowest level of CaCl2 and zeolite negatively affected B. tectorum emergence and/or biomass. No amendments negatively affected the biomass of H. jamesii but NaCl reduced emergence. Amendment effectiveness depended on year of application and the length of time since application. The medium concentration of zeolite had the strongest negative effect on B. tectorum with little effect on H. jamesii. We conducted a laboratory experiment to determine why zeolite was effective and found it released large amounts of Na+, adsorbed Ca2+, and increased Zn2+, Fe2+, Mn2+, Cu2+, exchangeable Mg2+, exchangeable K, and NH 4+ in the soil. Our results suggest several possible amendments to control B. tectorum. However, variability in effectiveness due to abiotic factors such as precipitation and soil type must be accounted for when establishing management plans. ?? Springer 2006.

The influence of social relationship on food tolerance in wolves and dogs.

PubMed

Dale, Rachel; Range, Friederike; Stott, Laura; Kotrschal, Kurt; Marshall-Pescini, Sarah

2017-01-01

Food sharing is relatively widespread across the animal kingdom, but research into the socio-ecological factors affecting this activity has predominantly focused on primates. These studies do suggest though that food tolerance is linked to the social relationship with potential partners. Therefore, the current study aimed to assess the social factors which influence food tolerance in two canids: wolves and dogs. We presented wolves and dogs with two paradigms: dyadic tolerance tests and group carcass feedings. In the dyadic setting, the affiliative relationship with a partner was the most important factor, with a strong bond promoting more sharing in both species. In the group setting, however, rank was the primary factor determining feeding behavior. Although the dominant individuals of both species defended the carcass more than subordinates, in the dogs, the subordinates mostly stayed away from the resource and the most dominant individual monopolized the food. In the wolves, the subordinates spent as much time as dominant individuals in proximity to, and feeding from, the carcass. Furthermore, subordinate wolves were more able to use persistence strategies than the dogs were. Feeding interactions in the wolves, but not dogs, were also modulated by whether the carcass was on the ground or hanging from a tree. Overall, the social relationship with a partner is important in food distribution in wolves and dogs, but the precise effects are dependent on species and feeding context. We consider how the different socio-ecologies of the two species may be linked to these findings. Despite the fact that food sharing is relatively widespread in the animal kingdom, the specific factors underlying whether an animal will share with a specific individual are little understood. When it comes to decisions about food sharing in wolves and dogs, friendship is the deciding factor if it is just two of you, but in a bigger group rank position decides your access to the spoils. What is more, it seems that rank positioning is even more important in dogs than wolves as dominant dogs keep the food for themselves while each wolf pack member has a chance to eat. This is the first evidence that the importance of the social relationship in food sharing is dependent on the feeding context in canids.

Factors affecting stream nutrient loads: A synthesis of regional SPARROW model results for the continental United States

USGS Publications Warehouse

Preston, Stephen D.; Alexander, Richard B.; Schwarz, Gregory E.; Crawford, Charles G.

2011-01-01

We compared the results of 12 recently calibrated regional SPARROW (SPAtially Referenced Regressions On Watershed attributes) models covering most of the continental United States to evaluate the consistency and regional differences in factors affecting stream nutrient loads. The models - 6 for total nitrogen and 6 for total phosphorus - all provide similar levels of prediction accuracy, but those for major river basins in the eastern half of the country were somewhat more accurate. The models simulate long-term mean annual stream nutrient loads as a function of a wide range of known sources and climatic (precipitation, temperature), landscape (e.g., soils, geology), and aquatic factors affecting nutrient fate and transport. The results confirm the dominant effects of urban and agricultural sources on stream nutrient loads nationally and regionally, but reveal considerable spatial variability in the specific types of sources that control water quality. These include regional differences in the relative importance of different types of urban (municipal and industrial point vs. diffuse urban runoff) and agriculture (crop cultivation vs. animal waste) sources, as well as the effects of atmospheric deposition, mining, and background (e.g., soil phosphorus) sources on stream nutrients. Overall, we found that the SPARROW model results provide a consistent set of information for identifying the major sources and environmental factors affecting nutrient fate and transport in United States watersheds at regional and subregional scales. ?? 2011 American Water Resources Association. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.

Factors affecting placement of a child with intellectual disability.

PubMed

Kandel, Isack; Merrick, Joav

2005-05-06

Parents of disabled children often face the question whether or not to keep the child at home or to place them. The choice between the two alternatives resides with the parents and various factors influence their decision. Several researchers have identified these factors, which include child-related parameters, family and parental attitudes, the influence of the social environment, and the external assistance provided to the family. In a pilot study, we attempted to isolate the main factors involved in the parental decision either to keep the child at home or place the child by examining a sample comprised of 50 parents of children suffering severe intellectual disability studying in a special education school and 48 parents of adults with intellectual disability working in sheltered workshops. Each parent filled out a questionnaire used in a study in the United States and results of the research indicated parental-related factors as the dominant factors that delayed the placement of their child in residential care; guilt feelings were the main factor.

Optimization of a motor learning attention-directing strategy based on an individual's motor imagery ability.

PubMed

Sakurada, Takeshi; Hirai, Masahiro; Watanabe, Eiju

2016-01-01

Motor learning performance has been shown to be affected by various cognitive factors such as the focus of attention and motor imagery ability. Most previous studies on motor learning have shown that directing the attention of participants externally, such as on the outcome of an assigned body movement, can be more effective than directing their attention internally, such as on body movement itself. However, to the best of our knowledge, no findings have been reported on the effect of the focus of attention selected according to the motor imagery ability of an individual on motor learning performance. We measured individual motor imagery ability assessed by the Movement Imagery Questionnaire and classified the participants into kinesthetic-dominant (n = 12) and visual-dominant (n = 8) groups based on the questionnaire score. Subsequently, the participants performed a motor learning task such as tracing a trajectory using visuomotor rotation. When the participants were required to direct their attention internally, the after-effects of the learning task in the kinesthetic-dominant group were significantly greater than those in the visual-dominant group. Conversely, when the participants were required to direct their attention externally, the after-effects of the visual-dominant group were significantly greater than those of the kinesthetic-dominant group. Furthermore, we found a significant positive correlation between the size of after-effects and the modality-dominance of motor imagery. These results suggest that a suitable attention strategy based on the intrinsic motor imagery ability of an individual can improve performance during motor learning tasks.

Influence of anatomical dominance and hypertension on coronary conduit arterial and microcirculatory flow patterns: a multiscale modeling study.

PubMed

Mynard, Jonathan P; Smolich, Joseph J

2016-07-01

Coronary hemodynamics are known to be affected by intravascular and extravascular factors that vary regionally and transmurally between the perfusion territories of left and right coronary arteries. However, despite clinical evidence that left coronary arterial dominance portends greater cardiovascular risk, relatively little is known about the effects of left or right dominance on regional conduit arterial and microcirculatory blood flow patterns, particularly in the presence of systemic or pulmonary hypertension. We addressed this issue using a multiscale numerical model of the human coronary circulation situated in a closed-loop cardiovascular model. The coronary model represented left or right dominant anatomies and accounted for transmural and regional differences in vascular properties and extravascular compression. Regional coronary flow dynamics of the two anatomical variants were compared under normotensive conditions, raised systemic or pulmonary pressures with maintained flow demand, and after accounting for adaptations known to occur in acute and chronic hypertensive states. Key findings were that 1) right coronary arterial flow patterns were strongly influenced by dominance and systemic/pulmonary hypertension; 2) dominance had minor effects on left coronary arterial and all microvascular flow patterns (aside from mean circumflex flow); 3) although systemic hypertension favorably increased perfusion pressure, this benefit varied regionally and transmurally and was offset by increased left ventricular and septal flow demands; and 4) pulmonary hypertension had a substantial negative effect on right ventricular and septal flows, which was exacerbated by greater metabolic demands. These findings highlight the importance of interactions between coronary arterial dominance and hypertension in modulating coronary hemodynamics. Copyright © 2016 the American Physiological Society.

Barrier Island Morphology and Sediment Characteristics Affect the Recovery of Dune Building Grasses following Storm-Induced Overwash

PubMed Central

Brantley, Steven T.; Bissett, Spencer N.; Young, Donald R.; Wolner, Catherine W. V.; Moore, Laura J.

2014-01-01

Barrier islands are complex and dynamic systems that provide critical ecosystem services to coastal populations. Stability of these systems is threatened by rising sea level and the potential for coastal storms to increase in frequency and intensity. Recovery of dune-building grasses following storms is an important process that promotes topographic heterogeneity and long-term stability of barrier islands, yet factors that drive dune recovery are poorly understood. We examined vegetation recovery in overwash zones on two geomorphically distinct (undisturbed vs. frequently overwashed) barrier islands on the Virginia coast, USA. We hypothesized that vegetation recovery in overwash zones would be driven primarily by environmental characteristics, especially elevation and beach width. We sampled species composition and environmental characteristics along a continuum of disturbance from active overwash zones to relict overwash zones and in adjacent undisturbed environments. We compared species assemblages along the disturbance chronosequence and between islands and we analyzed species composition data and environmental measurements with Canonical Correspondence Analysis to link community composition with environmental characteristics. Recovering and geomorphically stable dunes were dominated by Ammophila breviligulata Fernaud (Poaceae) on both islands while active overwash zones were dominated by Spartina patens (Aiton) Muhl. (Poaceae) on the frequently disturbed island and bare sand on the less disturbed island. Species composition was associated with environmental characteristics only on the frequently disturbed island (p = 0.005) where A. breviligulata was associated with higher elevation and greater beach width. Spartina patens, the second most abundant species, was associated with larger sediment grain size and greater sediment size distribution. On the less frequently disturbed island, time since disturbance was the only factor that affected community composition. Thus, factors driving the abundance of dune-building grasses and subsequent recovery of dunes varied between the two geomorphically distinct islands. PMID:25148028

[Relation between species distribution of plant community and soil factors under grazing in alpine meadow].

PubMed

Niu, Yu Jie; Yang, Si Wei; Wang, Gui Zhen; Liu, Li; Du, Guo Zhen; Hua, Li Min

2017-12-01

The research selected the alpine meadow located in the northeastern margin of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau to study the changes of vegetation community and soil properties under different grazing intensities, as well as the quantitative relation between the distribution patterns of plant species and the physical and chemical properties of soil. The results showed that the grazing caused the differentiation of the initial vegetation community with the dominant plants, Elymus nutans and Stipa grandis. In the plots with high and low grazing intensities, the dominant plants had changed to Kobresia humilis and Melissitus ruthenica, and E. nutans and Poa crymophila, respectively. With the increase of grazing intensity, the plant richness, importance value and biomass were significantly decreased. The sequence of plant species importance value in each plot against grazing intensity could be fitted by a logarithmic model. The number of required plant species was reduced while the importance value of the remaining plant species accounted for 50% of the importance value in the whole vegetation community. The available P, available K, soil compaction, soil water content, stable infiltration rate and large aggregate index were significantly changed with grazing intensity, however, the changes were different. The CCA ordination showed that the soil compaction was the key factor affecting the distribution pattern of the plant species under grazing. The variance decomposition indicated that the soil factors together explained 30.5% of the distribution of the plant species, in particular the soil physical properties alone explained 22.8% of the distribution of the plant species, which had the highest rate of contribution to the plant species distribution. The soil physical properties affected the distribution pattern of plant species on grazed alpine meadow.

Using item response theory to investigate the structure of anticipated affect: do self-reports about future affective reactions conform to typical or maximal models?

PubMed

Zampetakis, Leonidas A; Lerakis, Manolis; Kafetsios, Konstantinos; Moustakis, Vassilis

2015-01-01

In the present research, we used item response theory (IRT) to examine whether effective predictions (anticipated affect) conforms to a typical (i.e., what people usually do) or a maximal behavior process (i.e., what people can do). The former, correspond to non-monotonic ideal point IRT models, whereas the latter correspond to monotonic dominance IRT models. A convenience, cross-sectional student sample (N = 1624) was used. Participants were asked to report on anticipated positive and negative affect around a hypothetical event (emotions surrounding the start of a new business). We carried out analysis comparing graded response model (GRM), a dominance IRT model, against generalized graded unfolding model, an unfolding IRT model. We found that the GRM provided a better fit to the data. Findings suggest that the self-report responses to anticipated affect conform to dominance response process (i.e., maximal behavior). The paper also discusses implications for a growing literature on anticipated affect.

Using item response theory to investigate the structure of anticipated affect: do self-reports about future affective reactions conform to typical or maximal models?

PubMed Central

Zampetakis, Leonidas A.; Lerakis, Manolis; Kafetsios, Konstantinos; Moustakis, Vassilis

2015-01-01

In the present research, we used item response theory (IRT) to examine whether effective predictions (anticipated affect) conforms to a typical (i.e., what people usually do) or a maximal behavior process (i.e., what people can do). The former, correspond to non-monotonic ideal point IRT models, whereas the latter correspond to monotonic dominance IRT models. A convenience, cross-sectional student sample (N = 1624) was used. Participants were asked to report on anticipated positive and negative affect around a hypothetical event (emotions surrounding the start of a new business). We carried out analysis comparing graded response model (GRM), a dominance IRT model, against generalized graded unfolding model, an unfolding IRT model. We found that the GRM provided a better fit to the data. Findings suggest that the self-report responses to anticipated affect conform to dominance response process (i.e., maximal behavior). The paper also discusses implications for a growing literature on anticipated affect. PMID:26441806

Phenotypic Heterogeneity in a DFNA20/26 family segregating a novel ACTG1 mutation.

PubMed

Yuan, Yongyi; Gao, Xue; Huang, Bangqing; Lu, Jingqiao; Wang, Guojian; Lin, Xi; Qu, Yan; Dai, Pu

2016-02-01

Genetic factors play an important role in hearing loss, contributing to approximately 60% of cases of congenital hearing loss. Autosomal dominant deafness accounts for approximately 20% of cases of hereditary hearing loss. Diseases with autosomal dominant inheritance often show pleiotropy, different degrees of penetrance, and variable expressivity. A three-generation Chinese family with autosomal dominant nonsyndromic hearing impairment (ADNSHI) was enrolled in this study. Audiometric data and blood samples were collected from the family. In total, 129 known human deafness genes were sequenced using next-generation sequencing (NGS) to identify the responsible gene mutation in the family. Whole Exome Sequencing (WES) was performed to exclude any other variant that cosegregated with the phenotype. The age of onset of the affected family members was the second decade of life. The condition began with high-frequency hearing impairment in all family members excluding III:2. The novel ACTG1 c.638A > G (p.K213R) mutation was found in all affected family members and was not found in the unaffected family members. A heterozygous c.638A > G mutation in ACTG1 and homozygous c.109G > A (p.V37I) mutation in GJB2 were found in III:2, who was born with hearing loss. The WES result concurred with that of targeted sequencing of known deafness genes. The novel mutation p.K213R in ACTG1 was found to be co-segregated with hearing loss and the genetic cause of ADNSHI in this family. A homozygous mutation associated with recessive inheritance only rarely co-acts with a dominant mutation to result in hearing loss in a dominant family. In such cases, the mutations in the two genes, as in ACTG1 and GJB2 in the present study, may result in a more severe phenotype. Targeted sequencing of known deafness genes is one of the best choices to identify the genetic cause in hereditary hearing loss families.

Spatial distribution of organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) and effect of soil characters: a case study of a pesticide producing factory.

PubMed

Zhao, Congcong; Xie, Huijun; Zhang, Jian; Xu, Jingtao; Liang, Shuang

2013-03-01

The distribution and concentration of some organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) in the soil around a pesticide factory in Zibo, China, were examined, including dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) and its metabolites, isomers of hexachlorocyclohexane (HCH) and endosulfan (ENDO). The results showed that the OCPs concentrations were extraordinary high in this region. The concentrations of DDTs, HCHs, and ENDO were measured in the range of 0.775-226.711, 0.248-42.838, and 0.081-1.644 mg kg(-1), respectively. DDT and its isomers were identified to be the dominate contaminants in most of the sampling sites. In the vertical direction, the distribution pattern of the total OCPs was in order of DDTs, HCHs, and ENDO in the 0-20 cm, but in 20-40 and 40-60 cm the trends were unobvious. Although no recent input occurred in most areas, the residues of OCPs remained in deep soil due to their persistence. Unlike ENDO, DDTs and HCHs appeared to have the similar property in terms of not only the migration pattern in soil, but also the relationship to the same dominant impact factor (i.e. organic matter). DDTs and HCHs were affected positively by the organic matter, whereas ENDO was affected negatively. Due to the interrelationship among various impact factors, the spatial distribution of pesticides in the soil was considered to be a combined result. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The Plant Foliage Projective Coverage Change over the Northern Tibetan Plateau during 1957-2009

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cuo, L.

2015-12-01

Northern Tibetan Plateau is the headwater of the Yellow River, the Yangtze River and the Mekong River that support billions of the population. Vegetation change will affect the regional ecosystem and water balances through the changes in biomass and evapotranspiration. Dynamic vegetation growth is determined by physiological, morphological, bioclimatic and phenological properties. These properties are affected by climate variables such as air temperature, precipitation, soil temperature and concentration of CO2, etc. Due to climate change, some parts of the northern Tibetan Plateau are under the threat of desertification. Identifying the places of vegetation degradation and the dominant driven climatic factors will help mitigate the climate change impacts on ecosystem and water resources in this region. In this study, the changes of foliage projective coverages (FPCs) of various plant functional types (PFTs) existed in the northern Tibetan Plateau and the responses of FPCs to the four climate variables over 1957-2009 are examined. The dominant factors among the four climate variables are also identified. The Lund-Potsdam-Jena Dynamic Global Vegetation Model (LPJ-DGVM) is modified and used for the investigation. The modified LPJ-DGVM can better account for soil temperature in the top 0.4-m depth where vegetation root concentrates over the northern Tibetan Plateau. The modified model is evaluated by using monthly and annual soil temperature observed at stations across the region, and the eco-geographic maps that describe plant types and spatial distributions developed from field surveys and satellite images for this region.

Functional outcomes of traumatic and non-traumatic rotator cuff tears after arthroscopic repair

PubMed Central

Abechain, José Jorge Kitagaki; Godinho, Glaydson Gomes; Matsunaga, Fabio Teruo; Netto, Nicola Archetti; Daou, Julia Pozzetti; Tamaoki, Marcel Jun Sugawara

2017-01-01

AIM To compare the functional outcomes of traumatic and non-traumatic rotator cuff tears after arthroscopic repair. METHODS Eighty-seven patients with rotator cuff tears following arthroscopic treatment were divided into traumatic and non-traumatic tear groups. Postoperative muscle strength and outcomes using the modified University of California, Los Angeles score were evaluated. Sex, age, affected limb and dominant limb were correlated between groups. Muscle strength of the repaired and unaffected shoulders was compared. Rotator cuff injury size was measured. RESULTS Of the 87 patients who underwent rotator cuff repairs, 35 had traumatic tears and 52 had non-traumatic tears. In patients with non-traumatic tears, the average age was 59 years, 74.5% were female, 96.1% were right-hand dominant and 92.3% had their dominant shoulder affected. Patients with traumatic tears were 59.5 years old on average, 51.4% were female, 91.4% were right-hand dominant and 88.5% had their dominant shoulder affected. No difference existed in the mean modified University of California, Los Angeles score between patients with traumatic tears (33.7) compared with those with non-traumatic tears (32.8). No strength differences were observed between groups: The strength difference between the non-affected and affected sides was 1.21 kg in the non-traumatic group and 1.39 kg in the traumatic group (P = 0.576), while the strength ratio between the non-affected/affected sides was 0.805 in the non-traumatic group and 0.729 in the traumatic group (P = 0.224). CONCLUSION The functional results of traumatic rotator cuff repairs are similar to non-traumatic tears. Both outcomes are satisfactory. PMID:28875129

Evaluation of the factors influencing brain language laterality in presurgical planning.

PubMed

Batouli, Seyed Amir Hossein; Hasani, Nafiseh; Gheisari, Sara; Behzad, Ebrahim; Oghabian, Mohammad Ali

2016-10-01

Brain lesions cause functional deficits, and one treatment for this condition is lesion resection. In most cases, presurgical planning (PSP) and the information from laterality indices are necessary for maximum preservation of the critical functions after surgery. Language laterality index (LI) is reliably estimated using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI); however, this measure is under the influence of some external factors. In this study, we investigated the influence of a number of factors on language LI, using data from 120 patients (mean age=35.65 (±13.4) years) who underwent fMRI for PSP. Using two proposed language tasks from our previous works, brain left hemisphere was showed to be dominant for the language function, although a higher LI was obtained using the "Word Generation" task, compared to the "Reverse Word Reading". In addition, decline of LIs with age, and lower LI when the lesion invaded brain language area were observed. Meanwhile, gender, lesion side (affected hemisphere), LI calculation strategy, and fMRI analysis Z-values did not statistically show any influences on the LIs. Although fMRI is widely used to estimate language LI, it is shown here that in order to present a reliable language LI and to correctly select the dominant hemisphere of the brain, the influence of external factors should be carefully considered. Copyright © 2016 Associazione Italiana di Fisica Medica. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Emotional task management: neural correlates of switching between affective and non-affective task-sets.

PubMed

Reeck, Crystal; Egner, Tobias

2015-08-01

Although task-switching has been investigated extensively, its interaction with emotionally salient task content remains unclear. Prioritized processing of affective stimulus content may enhance accessibility of affective task-sets and generate increased interference when switching between affective and non-affective task-sets. Previous research has demonstrated that more dominant task-sets experience greater switch costs, as they necessitate active inhibition during performance of less entrenched tasks. Extending this logic to the affective domain, the present experiment examined (a) whether affective task-sets are more dominant than non-affective ones, and (b) what neural mechanisms regulate affective task-sets, so that weaker, non-affective task-sets can be executed. While undergoing functional magnetic resonance imaging, participants categorized face stimuli according to either their gender (non-affective task) or their emotional expression (affective task). Behavioral results were consistent with the affective task dominance hypothesis: participants were slower to switch to the affective task, and cross-task interference was strongest when participants tried to switch from the affective to the non-affective task. These behavioral costs of controlling the affective task-set were mirrored in the activation of a right-lateralized frontostriatal network previously implicated in task-set updating and response inhibition. Connectivity between amygdala and right ventrolateral prefrontal cortex was especially pronounced during cross-task interference from affective features. © The Author (2014). Published by Oxford University Press. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Biosimilar versus patented erythropoietins: learning from 5 years of European and Japanese experience.

PubMed

Bocquet, François; Paubel, Pascal; Fusier, Isabelle; Cordonnier, Anne-Laure; Sinègre, Martine; Le Pen, Claude

2015-02-01

Patent expiries on leading biologics are creating new momentum in the market for biosimilars (copies of off-patent biologics), paving the way for their development. However, little is known about the factors influencing the competition between biosimilars and their reference products (REF). The aim of this study was to analyse key global erythropoietin (EPO) markets and factors affecting biosimilar EPO (BIOSIM-EPO) uptakes, and to identify countries where BIOSIM-EPOs have gained significant market shares. Inclusion criteria for countries in the study were a biosimilar regulatory framework similar to the EU framework, and biological market value higher than US$2.5 billion. Factors evaluated included EPO market size, EPO retail/hospital distribution mix, national incentives to use biosimilars and BIOSIM-EPO/REF price differences. IMS Health provided EPO consumption in volumes, values, and EPO ex-manufacturer prices from 2007 to 2012. Japan: large-sized market, mixed retail/hospital distribution, no incentives, low BIOSIM-EPO uptake (6.8 % in 2012). France: large-sized market, dominant retail distribution, no incentives, low BIOSIM-EPO uptake (5.8 %). Spain and Italy: medium-sized market, dominant hospital distribution, no incentives, moderate BIOSIM-EPO uptakes (11.5 and 8.6 %). Germany: small-sized market, dominant retail distribution, presence of incentives, high BIOSIM-EPO uptake (30.4 %). UK: small-sized market, mixed retail/hospital distribution, no incentives, low BIOSIM-EPO uptake (2.0 %). BIOSIM-EPO/REF price differences play no role at a global level (-10.8 % in Germany and -26.9 % in Japan). EPO markets have proven to be highly country-specific. EPO market sizes, EPO retail/hospital distribution mixes and BIOSIM-EPO/REF price differences may not be determining factors of BIOSIM-EPO uptakes. Prescription and substitution incentives to use BIOSIM-EPO appear to be determining factors in Germany. The heterogeneity of national EPO markets makes it impossible to outline country profile types with significant BIOSIM-EPO penetrations.

Influence of Environmental Variables on the Distribution of Macrobenthos in the Han River Estuary, Korea

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yu, Ok Hwan; Lee, Hyung-Gon; Lee, Jae-Hac

2012-12-01

We compared environmental effects on the macrobenthic community of the Han River Estuary in summer, when freshwater input from the Han River increased, and in spring, when freshwater input decreased. Field samples were taken from the upper region of the Shingok reservoir to the southern area of Ganghwado at 18 sampling sites after rainy (August 2006) and dry (March 2007) seasons. Macrobenthic fauna were collected using a Van Veen Grab (0.025 m2 and 0.1 m2) and environmental factors were measured simultaneously. Dominant species of macrobenthic fauna and the macrobenthic community were divided into two areas, the area of the Han River with no salinity (< 0.1 psu) and the southern part of Ganghwado with salinity (> 20 psu). The dominant species Byblis japonicus appeared at Junruri in the dry season. The distributions of two polychaetes, Hediste japonica and Nephtys caeca, were divided into the lower and upper areas of the Singok submerged weir. BIO-ENV (the matching of biotic to environmental patterns) analysis revealed that salinity was the most important factor affecting macrobenthic communities in the Han River Estuary, with other factors such as sediment grain size, bottom dissolved oxygen, and total organic carbon of sediment being secondary.

[Factors influencing self-perception of overweight people].

PubMed

Makara-Studzińska, Marta; Podstawka, Danuta; Goclon, Karolina

2013-11-01

Shaping of self-perception is among others influenced by physical, interpersonal, emotional, and cultural factors. In self-perception of overweight people an important role is played by interpersonal factors, which include the opinions of others and the relationship with the surrounding. The evaluation of the body image is also affect by sociocultural factors including the media, which create an unrealistic and impossible to achieve ideal of beauty. Contemporary ideal of beauty, where a slim figure is dominant, more frequently contributes to the occurrence of discrimination and stigmatization of overweight people. This phenomenon causes negative self-perception leading to the occurrence of such emotional problems as low self-esteem, lack of confidence, depression and anxiety disorders. Overweight children and adolescents are also frequently stigmatized and discriminated because of their body weight, which results in the development of a negative body image that may lead to low self-esteem and symptoms of depression.

[Depressive states at the stage of broad clinical presentations of anorexia nervosa in adolescents].

PubMed

Grachev, V V

2014-01-01

To specify psychopathological features and dynamics of depression developed at the stage of broad clinical presentations of anorexia nervosa (AN) in adolescent patients. Authors studied 61 young women, aged from 14 to 18 years, mean age 16.6 ± .9 years. Depressive states manifested during the first year of AN in all patients. Two variants of depressive episodes were described. The first variant was characterized by asthenic/depressive, somatic and autonomic presentations, with the leading role of exogenous/organic and somatogenic factors. In the second variant, affective disorders were characterized by the anxiety affect concomitant with adynamia, dysphoria and melancholia that most probably may be caused by endogenous constitutional/biological factors. The follow-up data (0,5-6 years) indicated that most of the patients with the second variant of depressive episodes had recurrent depressive states. During the course of disease, eating disorders acquired an atypical character and gradually decreased while the affective pathology became dominating. Depressive symptomatology in AN patients of pubertal age corresponded to main mechanisms of development of the clinical picture and dynamics of adolescent depression as atypical depressive triad, predominance of anxiety and asthenic/adynamic affect, a trend towards protracted course and substantial frequency of dysmorphophobic symptoms and over-valued ideas.

Musician's cramp as manifestation of maladaptive brain plasticity: arguments from instrumental differences.

PubMed

Altenmüller, Eckart; Baur, Volker; Hofmann, Aurélie; Lim, Vanessa K; Jabusch, Hans-Christian

2012-04-01

Musician's cramp is a task-specific movement disorder that presents itself as muscular incoordination or loss of voluntary motor control of extensively trained movements while a musician is playing the instrument. It is characterized by task specificity and gender bias, affecting significantly more males than females. The etiology is multifaceted: a combination of a genetic predisposition, termed endophenotype, and behavioral triggering factors being the leading features for the manifestation of the disorder. We present epidemiological data from 591 musician patients from our outpatient clinic demonstrating an influence of fine-motor requirements on the manifestation of dystonia. Brass, guitar, and woodwind players were at greater risk than other instrumentalists. High temporospatial precision of movement patterns, synchronous demands on tonic and phasic muscular activation, in combination with fine-motor burdens of using the dominant hand in daily life activities, constitute as triggering factors for the disorder and may explain why different body parts are affected. © 2012 New York Academy of Sciences.

Gut microbiota as an epigenetic regulator: pilot study based on whole-genome methylation analysis.

PubMed

Kumar, Himanshu; Lund, Riikka; Laiho, Asta; Lundelin, Krista; Ley, Ruth E; Isolauri, Erika; Salminen, Seppo

2014-12-16

The core human gut microbiota contributes to the developmental origin of diseases by modifying metabolic pathways. To evaluate the predominant microbiota as an epigenetic modifier, we classified 8 pregnant women into two groups based on their dominant microbiota, i.e., Bacteroidetes, Firmicutes, and Proteobacteria. Deep sequencing of DNA methylomes revealed a clear association between bacterial predominance and epigenetic profiles. The genes with differentially methylated promoters in the group in which Firmicutes was dominant were linked to risk of disease, predominantly to cardiovascular disease and specifically to lipid metabolism, obesity, and the inflammatory response. This is one of the first studies that highlights the association of the predominant bacterial phyla in the gut with methylation patterns. Further longitudinal and in-depth studies targeting individual microbial species or metabolites are recommended to give us a deeper insight into the molecular mechanism of such epigenetic modifications. Epigenetics encompasses genomic modifications that are due to environmental factors and do not affect the nucleotide sequence. The gut microbiota has an important role in human metabolism and could be a significant environmental factor affecting our epigenome. To investigate the association of gut microbiota with epigenetic changes, we assessed pregnant women and selected the participants based on their predominant gut microbiota for a study on their postpartum methylation profile. Intriguingly, we found that blood DNA methylation patterns were associated with gut microbiota profiles. The gut microbiota profiles, with either Firmicutes or Bacteroidetes as a dominant group, correlated with differential methylation status of gene promoters functionally associated with cardiovascular diseases. Furthermore, differential methylation of gene promoters linked to lipid metabolism and obesity was observed. For the first time, we report here a position of the predominant gut microbiota in epigenetic profiling, suggesting one potential mechanism in obesity with comorbidities, if proven in further in-depth studies. Copyright © 2014 Kumar et al.

A novel IMPDH1 mutation (Arg231Pro) in a family with a severe form of autosomal dominant retinitis pigmentosa.

PubMed

Grover, Sandeep; Fishman, Gerald A; Stone, Edwin M

2004-10-01

To define ophthalmic findings in a family with autosomal dominant retinitis pigmentosa and a novel IMPDH1 gene mutation. Genetic and observational family study. Sixteen affected members of a family with autosomal dominant retinitis pigmentosa. Ophthalmic examination, including best-corrected visual acuity (VA), slit-lamp biomicroscopy, direct and indirect ophthalmoscopy, Goldmann kinetic perimetry, and electroretinography were performed. Deoxyribonucleic acid single-strand conformation polymorphism (SSCP) analysis was done. Abnormal polymerase chain reaction products identified by SSCP analysis were sequenced bidirectionally. All affected patients had the onset of night blindness within the first decade of life. Ocular findings were characterized by diffuse retinal pigmentary degenerative changes, marked restriction of peripheral visual fields, severe loss of VA, nondetectable electroretinography amplitudes, and a high frequency of posterior subcapsular lens opacities. Affected members were observed to harbor a novel IMPDH1 gene mutation. A novel IMPDH1 gene mutation (Arg231Pro) was associated with a severe form of autosomal dominant retinitis pigmentosa. Families affected with a severe form of this genetic subtype should be investigated for a mutation in the IMPDH1 gene.

Monte Carlo Model Insights into the Lunar Sodium Exosphere

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hurley, Dana M.; Killen, R. M.; Sarantos, M.

2012-01-01

Sodium in the lunar exosphere is released from the lunar regolith by several mechanisms. These mechanisms include photon stimulated desorption (PSD), impact vaporization, electron stimulated desorption, and ion sputtering. Usually, PSD dominates; however, transient events can temporarily enhance other release mechanisms so that they are dominant. Examples of transient events include meteor showers and coronal mass ejections. The interaction between sodium and the regolith is important in determining the density and spatial distribution of sodium in the lunar exosphere. The temperature at which sodium sticks to the surface is one factor. In addition, the amount of thermal accommodation during the encounter between the sodium atom and the surface affects the exospheric distribution. Finally, the fraction of particles that are stuck when the surface is cold that are rereleased when the surface warms up also affects the exospheric density. In [1], we showed the "ambient" sodium exosphere from Monte Carlo modeling with a fixed source rate and fixed surface interaction parameters. We compared the enhancement when a CME passes the Moon to the ambient conditions. Here, we compare model results to data in order to determine the source rates and surface interaction parameters that provide the best fit of the model to the data.

Lack of agreement over the use and ownership of the internationally shared resources (such as air space, outer space and the oceans) leading to international conflict

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1975-01-01

The lack of adequate institutional mechanisms to regulate, monitor and govern the use of commonly owned world resources appears to be politically destabilizing and subject to socioeconomic pressures of overpopulation, food shortages, cartelism, terrorism, and wealth distribution to developing countries. The capacity and propensity to wage war and its potential consequences are elaborated. It is shown that technology is one of the dominant factors affecting the exploration and management of commonly shared resources.

Simulation of ground-water flow to assess geohydrologic factors and their effect on source-water areas for bedrock wells in Connecticut

USGS Publications Warehouse

Starn, J. Jeffrey; Stone, Janet Radway

2005-01-01

Generic ground-water-flow simulation models show that geohydrologic factors?fracture types, fracture geometry, and surficial materials?affect the size, shape, and location of source-water areas for bedrock wells. In this study, conducted by the U.S. Geological Survey in cooperation with the Connecticut Department of Public Health, ground-water flow was simulated to bedrock wells in three settings?on hilltops and hillsides with no surficial aquifer, in a narrow valley with a surficial aquifer, and in a broad valley with a surficial aquifer?to show how different combinations of geohydrologic factors in different topographic settings affect the dimensions and locations of source-water areas in Connecticut. Three principal types of fractures are present in bedrock in Connecticut?(1) Layer-parallel fractures, which developed as partings along bedding in sedimentary rock and compositional layering or foliation in metamorphic rock (dips of these fractures can be gentle or steep); (2) unroofing joints, which developed as strain-release fractures parallel to the land surface as overlying rock was removed by erosion through geologic time; and (3) cross fractures and joints, which developed as a result of tectonically generated stresses that produced typically near-vertical or steeply dipping fractures. Fracture geometry is defined primarily by the presence or absence of layering in the rock unit, and, if layered, by the angle of dip in the layering. Where layered rocks dip steeply, layer-parallel fracturing generally is dominant; unroofing joints also are typically well developed. Where layered rocks dip gently, layer-parallel fracturing also is dominant, and connections among these fractures are provided only by the cross fractures. In gently dipping rocks, unroofing joints generally do not form as a separate fracture set; instead, strain release from unroofing has occurred along gently dipping layer-parallel fractures, enhancing their aperture. In nonlayered and variably layered rocks, layer-parallel fracturing is absent or poorly developed; fracturing is dominated by well-developed subhorizontal unroofing joints and steeply dipping, tectonically generated fractures and (or) cooling joints. Cross fractures (or cooling joints) in nonlayered and variably layered rocks have more random orientations than in layered rocks. Overall, nonlayered or variably layered rocks do not have a strongly developed fracture direction. Generic ground-water-flow simulation models showed that fracture geometry and other geohydrologic factors affect the dimensions and locations of source-water areas for bedrock wells. In general, source-water areas to wells reflect the direction of ground-water flow, which mimics the land-surface topography. Source-water areas to wells in a hilltop setting were not affected greatly by simulated fracture zones, except for an extensive vertical fracture zone. Source-water areas to wells in a hillside setting were not affected greatly by simulated fracture zones, except for the combination of a subhorizontal fracture zone and low bedrock vertical hydraulic conductivity, as might be the case where an extensive subhorizontal fracture zone is not connected or is poorly connected to the surface through vertical fractures. Source-water areas to wells in a narrow valley setting reflect complex ground-water-flow paths. The typical flow path originates in the uplands and passes through either till or bedrock into the surficial aquifer, although only a small area of the surficial aquifer actually contributes water to the well. Source-water areas in uplands can include substantial areas on both sides of a river. Source-water areas for wells in this setting are affected mainly by the rate of ground-water recharge and by the degree of anisotropy. Source-water areas to wells in a broad valley setting (bedrock with a low angle of dip) are affected greatly by fracture properties. The effect of a given fracture is to channel the

The importance of operations, risk, and cost assessment to space transfer systems design

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ball, J. M.; Komerska, R. J.; Rowell, L. F.

1992-01-01

This paper examines several methodologies which contribute to comprehensive subsystem cost estimation. The example of a space-based lunar space transfer vehicle (STV) design is used to illustrate how including both primary and secondary factors into cost affects the decision of whether to use aerobraking or propulsion for earth orbit capture upon lunar return. The expected dominant cost factor in this decision is earth-to-orbit launch cost driven by STV mass. However, to quantify other significant cost factors, this cost comparison included a risk analysis to identify development and testing costs, a Taguchi design of experiments to determine a minimum mass aerobrake design, and a detailed operations analysis. As a result, the predicted cost advantage of aerobraking, while still positive, was subsequently reduced by about 30 percent compared to the simpler mass-based cost estimates.

Long-term Geochemical Evolution of Lithogenic Versus Anthropogenic Distribution of Macro and Trace Elements in Household Attic Dust.

PubMed

Balabanova, Biljana; Stafilov, Trajče; Šajn, Robert; Tănăselia, Claudiu

2017-01-01

Attic dusts were examined as historical archives of anthropogenic emissions, with the goal of elucidating the enrichment pathways associated with hydrothermal exploitation of Cu, Pb, and Zn minerals in the Bregalnica River basin in the eastern part of the Republic of Macedonia. Dust samples were collected from 84 settlements. Atomic emission spectrometry and mass spectrometry with inductively coupled plasma were applied as analytical techniques for the determination of 69 element contents. Multivariate analysis was applied for the extraction of dominant geochemical markers. The lithogenic distribution was simplified to six dominant geochemical markers: F1: Ga-Nb-Ta-Y-(La-Gd)-(Eu-Lu); F2: Be-Cr-Li-Mg-Ni; F3: Ag-Bi-Cd-Cu-In-Mn-Pb-Sb-Te-W-Zn; F4: Ba-Cs-Hf-Pd-Rb-Sr-Tl-Zr; F5: As-Co-Ge-V; and F6: К-Na-Sc-Ti. The anthropogenic effects on the air pollution were marked by a dominance of F3 and secondary dominance of F5. The fifth factor also was determined as a lithogenic marker for the occurrence of the very old Rifeous shales. The first factor also presents a very unique association that despite the heterogeneity relays on natural phenomena of tracking the deposition in areas of Proterosoic gneisses; related to the distribution of fine particles was associated with carbonate-silicate volcanic rocks. Intensive poly-metallic dust depositions were recorded only in the surroundings of localities where the hydrothermal extractions are implemented. Long-term deposition can be considered as pollution indexes for these hot spots. This mainly affects the Cd, Pb, and Zn deposition that is as high as 25, 3900, and 3200 mg/kg, respectively.

Spatial scale affects the relative role of stochasticity versus determinism in soil bacterial communities in wheat fields across the North China Plain.

PubMed

Shi, Yu; Li, Yuntao; Xiang, Xingjia; Sun, Ruibo; Yang, Teng; He, Dan; Zhang, Kaoping; Ni, Yingying; Zhu, Yong-Guan; Adams, Jonathan M; Chu, Haiyan

2018-02-05

The relative importance of stochasticity versus determinism in soil bacterial communities is unclear, as are the possible influences that alter the balance between these. Here, we investigated the influence of spatial scale on the relative role of stochasticity and determinism in agricultural monocultures consisting only of wheat, thereby minimizing the influence of differences in plant species cover and in cultivation/disturbance regime, extending across a wide range of soils and climates of the North China Plain (NCP). We sampled 243 sites across 1092 km and sequenced the 16S rRNA bacterial gene using MiSeq. We hypothesized that determinism would play a relatively stronger role at the broadest scales, due to the strong influence of climate and soil differences in selecting many distinct OTUs of bacteria adapted to the different environments. In order to test the more general applicability of the hypothesis, we also compared with a natural ecosystem on the Tibetan Plateau. Our results revealed that the relative importance of stochasticity vs. determinism did vary with spatial scale, in the direction predicted. On the North China Plain, stochasticity played a dominant role from 150 to 900 km (separation between pairs of sites) and determinism dominated at more than 900 km (broad scale). On the Tibetan Plateau, determinism played a dominant role from 130 to 1200 km and stochasticity dominated at less than 130 km. Among the identifiable deterministic factors, soil pH showed the strongest influence on soil bacterial community structure and diversity across the North China Plain. Together, 23.9% of variation in soil microbial community composition could be explained, with environmental factors accounting for 19.7% and spatial parameters 4.1%. Our findings revealed that (1) stochastic processes are relatively more important on the North China Plain, while deterministic processes are more important on the Tibetan Plateau; (2) soil pH was the major factor in shaping soil bacterial community structure of the North China Plain; and (3) most variation in soil microbial community composition could not be explained with existing environmental and spatial factors. Further studies are needed to dissect the influence of stochastic factors (e.g., mutations or extinctions) on soil microbial community distribution, which might make it easier to predictably manipulate the microbial community to produce better yield and soil sustainability outcomes.

Assessing potential abiotic and biotic complications of crayfish-induced gravel transport in experimental streams

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Statzner, Bernhard; Peltret, Odile

2006-03-01

Biogeomorphology adds the element "biological dynamics" (of populations or communities) to chemical and physical geomorphic factors and thus complicates the framework of geomorphic processes. Such biological complications of the animal-induced transport of solids in streams should be particularly important in crayfish, as crayfish affect this transport through their overall activity and intraspecific aggression levels, which could be modified by shelter availability or the establishment of dominance hierarchies among individuals not knowing each other. Using experimental streams, we tested these hypotheses by measuring how shelter availability or residential crayfish group invasion by unknown individuals affected the impact of the crayfish Orconectes limosus on the (i) transport of gravel at baseflow (during 12 experimental days); (ii) sediment surface characteristics (after 12 days); and (iii) critical shear stress causing incipient gravel motion during simulated floods (after 12 days). The two potentially important factors shelter availability or residential group invasion negligibly affected the crayfish impact on gravel sediments, suggesting that habitat unfamiliarity (a third potentially important factor affecting crayfish activity) should increase the crayfish-induced sediment transport. Because habitat unfamiliarity is associated with sporadic long-distance migrations of a few crayfish individuals, this third factor should play a minor role in real streams, where crayfish biomass should be a key factor in relations with crayfish effects on sediments. Therefore, we combined the results of this study with those of previous crayfish experiments to assess how crayfish biomass could serve in modelling the gravel transport. Crayfish biomass explained 47% of the variability in the baseflow gravel transport and, in combination with the coefficient of variation of the bed elevation and algal cover, 72% of the variability in the critical gravel shear stress. These results encourage more research on the topic, as an increasing number of eliminations of abiotic and biotic factors that could complicate the animal-induced sediment transport in streams would facilitate the use of biological variables (e.g., bioturbator biomass) in future modelling of the transport of solids.

Effect of pH and ionic strength on exposure and toxicity of encapsulated lambda-cyhalothrin to Daphnia magna.

PubMed

Son, Jino; Hooven, Louisa A; Harper, Bryan; Harper, Stacey L

2015-12-15

Encapsulation of pesticide active ingredients in polymers has been widely employed to control the release of poorly water-soluble active ingredients. Given the high dispersibility of these encapsulated pesticides in water, they are expected to behave differently compared to their active ingredients; however, our current understanding of the fate and effects of encapsulated pesticides is still limited. In this study, we employed a central composite design (CCD) to investigate how pH and ionic strength (IS) affect the hydrodynamic diameter (HDD) and zeta potential of encapsulated λ-cyhalothrin and how those changes affect the exposure and toxicity to Daphnia magna. R(2) values greater than 0.82 and 0.84 for HDD and zeta potential, respectively, irrespective of incubation time suggest those changes could be predicted as a function of pH and IS. For HDD, the linear factor of pH and quadratic factor of pH×pH were found to be the most significant factors affecting the change of HDD at the beginning of incubation, whereas the effects of IS and IS×IS became significant as incubation time increased. For zeta potential, the linear factor of IS and quadratic factor of IS×IS were found to be the most dominant factors affecting the change of zeta potential of encapsulated λ-cyhalothrin, irrespective of incubation time. The toxicity tests with D. magna under exposure conditions in which HDD or zeta potential of encapsulated λ-cyhalothrin was maximized or minimized in the overlying water also clearly showed the worst-case exposure condition to D. magna was when the encapsulated λ-cyhalothrin is either stable or small in the overlying water. Our results show that water quality could modify the fate and toxicity of encapsulated λ-cyhalothrin in aquatic environments, suggesting understanding their aquatic interactions are critical in environmental risk assessment. Herein, we discuss the implications of our findings for risk assessment. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Does positive affect broaden and negative affect narrow attentional scope? A new answer to an old question.

PubMed

Huntsinger, Jeffrey R

2012-11-01

The current research challenges the common view that positive affect and negative affect generate a broadened or narrowed attentional focus, respectively. Contrary to this view, two studies found that the link between affect and attentional focus as measured by a traditional flanker task (Study 1) and a modified flanker task (Study 2) reflects whatever focus is momentarily dominant. Further, in these studies when neither focus was dominant, the link between affect and attentional focus vanished. These results demonstrate that, like reward, positive affect and negative affect are not dedicated to a particular broadened or narrowed attentional scope but rather provide embodied information about the value of currently accessible attentional orientations. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved).

How do climatic and management factors affect agricultural ecosystem services? A case study in the agro-pastoral transitional zone of northern China.

PubMed

Qiao, Jianmin; Yu, Deyong; Wu, Jianguo

2018-02-01

Agricultural ecosystem management needs to ensure food production and minimize soil erosion and nitrogen (N) leaching under climate change and increasingly intensive human activity. Thus, the mechanisms through which climatic and management factors affect crop production, soil erosion, and N leaching must be understood in order to ensure food security and sustainable agricultural development. In this study, we adopted the GIS-based Environmental Policy Integrated Climate (EPIC) model to simulate crop production, soil erosion, and N leaching, and used a partial least squares regression model to evaluate the contributions of climate variables (solar radiation, precipitation, wind speed, relative humidity, and maximum and minimum temperature) and management factors (irrigation, fertilization, and crop cultivation area) on agricultural ecosystem services (AES) in the agro-pastoral transitional zone (APTZ) of northern China. The results indicated that crop production and N leaching markedly increased, whereas soil erosion declined from 1980 to 2010 in the APTZ. Management factors had larger effects on the AES than climate change. Among the climatic variables, daily minimum temperature was the most important contributor to the variations in ecosystem services of wheat, maize, and rice. Spatial changes in the cultivated area most affected crop production, soil erosion, and N leaching for majority of the cultivated areas of the three crops, except for the wheat-cultivated area, where the dominant factor for N leaching was fertilization. Although a tradeoff existed between crop production and negative environmental effects, compromises were possible. These findings provide new insights into the effects of climatic and management factors on AES, and have practical implications for improving crop production while minimizing negative environmental impacts. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Use of the Cone Penetration Testing (CPT) method to interpret late Quaternary tide-dominated successions: A case study from the eastern China coastal plain

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Xia; Lin, Chun-Ming; Dalrymple, Robert W.; Gao, Shu; Canas, Daniel T.

2018-06-01

We evaluate the applicability of cone penetration testing (CPT), calibrated using adjacent cores, as a tool for the sedimentological and stratigraphic examination of late Quaternary tide-dominated successions in the eastern China coastal plain. The results indicate that the sedimentary facies and sequence-stratigraphic surfaces can be readily distinguished using CPT profiles in the Qiantang River incised-valley system because of their distinctive mechanical behavior. The lithologic character of the various facies, which is controlled mainly by sediment supply, dynamic processes and post-depositional diagenesis, is the key factor affecting how well the CPT technique works. Within this particular macrotidal environment, which is dominated by non-cohesive sand and silt in the tidal channels, the accumulation of fluid mud is rare. Consequently, the tidal-channel deposits exhibit the geotechnical properties of coarse-grained sediments, and can be easily distinguished from the mud-dominated facies. However, in the nearby Changjiang delta system which is characterized by very high suspended-sediment concentrations and an abundance of fine-grained cohesive sediments, the presence of channel-bottom fluid muds makes it difficult to recognize channel deposits, because of the lack of a sharp lithologic contrast at their base. Consequently, the CPT method might not be as universally effective in tide-dominated systems as it appears to be in wave-dominated settings. Care is needed in the interpretation of the results from tide-dominated successions because of the widespread presence of fluid muds, the heterolithic nature of tidal deposits, the rheological similarity between adjacent facies, and the averaging of geotechnical properties between the alternating finer and coarser layers.

Autosomal Dominant Cataract: Intrafamilial Phenotypic Variability, Interocular Asymmetry, and Variable Progression in Four Chilean Families

PubMed Central

Shafie, Suraiya M.; Barria von-Bischhoffshausen, Fernando R.; Bateman, J. Bronwyn

2006-01-01

PURPOSE To document intrafamilial and interocular phenotypic variability of autosomal dominant cataract (ADC). DESIGN Prospective observational case series. METHODS We performed ophthalmologic examination in four Chilean ADC families. RESULTS The families exhibited variability with respect to morphology, location with the lens, color and density of cataracts among affected members. We documented asymmetry between eyes in the morphology, location within the lens, color and density of cataracts, and a variable rate of progression. CONCLUSIONS The cataracts in these families exhibit wide intrafamilial and interocular phenotypic variability, supporting the premise that the mutated genes are expressed differentially in individuals and between eyes; other genes or environmental factors may be the bases for this variability. Marked progression among some family members underscores the variable clinical course of a common mutation within a family. Like retinitis pigmentosa, classification of ADC will be most useful if based on the gene and specific mutation. PMID:16564818

Coccolithophore calcification response to past ocean acidification and climate change

PubMed Central

O’Dea, Sarah A.; Gibbs, Samantha J.; Bown, Paul R.; Young, Jeremy R.; Poulton, Alex J.; Newsam, Cherry; Wilson, Paul A.

2014-01-01

Anthropogenic carbon dioxide emissions are forcing rapid ocean chemistry changes and causing ocean acidification (OA), which is of particular significance for calcifying organisms, including planktonic coccolithophores. Detailed analysis of coccolithophore skeletons enables comparison of calcite production in modern and fossil cells in order to investigate biomineralization response of ancient coccolithophores to climate change. Here we show that the two dominant coccolithophore taxa across the Paleocene–Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM) OA global warming event (~56 million years ago) exhibited morphological response to environmental change and both showed reduced calcification rates. However, only Coccolithus pelagicus exhibits a transient thinning of coccoliths, immediately before the PETM, that may have been OA-induced. Changing coccolith thickness may affect calcite production more significantly in the dominant modern species Emiliania huxleyi, but, overall, these PETM records indicate that the environmental factors that govern taxonomic composition and growth rate will most strongly influence coccolithophore calcification response to anthropogenic change. PMID:25399967

Deconfounding the effects of local element spatial heterogeneity and sparsity on processing dominance.

PubMed

Montoro, Pedro R; Luna, Dolores

2009-10-01

Previous studies on the processing of hierarchical patterns (Luna & Montoro, 2008) have shown that altering the spatial relationships between the local elements affected processing dominance by decreasing global advantage. In the present article, the authors examine whether heterogeneity or a sparse distribution of the local elements was the responsible factor for this effect. In Experiments 1 and 2, the distance between the local elements was increased in a similar way, but between-element distance was homogeneous in Experiment 1 and heterogeneous in Experiment 2. In Experiment 3, local elements' size was varied by presenting global patterns composed of similar large or small local elements and of different large and small sizes. The results of the present research showed that, instead of element sparsity, spatial heterogeneity that could change the appearance of the global form as well as the salience of the local elements was the main determiner of impairing global processing.

Coccolithophore calcification response to past ocean acidification and climate change.

PubMed

O'Dea, Sarah A; Gibbs, Samantha J; Bown, Paul R; Young, Jeremy R; Poulton, Alex J; Newsam, Cherry; Wilson, Paul A

2014-11-17

Anthropogenic carbon dioxide emissions are forcing rapid ocean chemistry changes and causing ocean acidification (OA), which is of particular significance for calcifying organisms, including planktonic coccolithophores. Detailed analysis of coccolithophore skeletons enables comparison of calcite production in modern and fossil cells in order to investigate biomineralization response of ancient coccolithophores to climate change. Here we show that the two dominant coccolithophore taxa across the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM) OA global warming event (~56 million years ago) exhibited morphological response to environmental change and both showed reduced calcification rates. However, only Coccolithus pelagicus exhibits a transient thinning of coccoliths, immediately before the PETM, that may have been OA-induced. Changing coccolith thickness may affect calcite production more significantly in the dominant modern species Emiliania huxleyi, but, overall, these PETM records indicate that the environmental factors that govern taxonomic composition and growth rate will most strongly influence coccolithophore calcification response to anthropogenic change.

The global susceptibility of coastal forage fish to competition by large jellyfish

PubMed Central

Mariani, Patrizio

2016-01-01

Competition between large jellyfish and forage fish for zooplankton prey is both a possible cause of jellyfish increases and a concern for the management of marine ecosystems and fisheries. Identifying principal factors affecting this competition is therefore important for marine management, but the lack of both good quality data and a robust theoretical framework have prevented general global analyses. Here, we present a general mechanistic food web model that considers fundamental differences in feeding modes and predation pressure between fish and jellyfish. The model predicts forage fish dominance at low primary production, and a shift towards jellyfish with increasing productivity, turbidity and fishing. We present an index of global ecosystem susceptibility to shifts in fish–jellyfish dominance that compares well with data on jellyfish distributions and trends. The results are a step towards better understanding the processes that govern jellyfish occurrences globally and highlight the advantage of considering feeding traits in ecosystem models. PMID:28120793

Factors controlling sulfur gas exchange in Sphagnum-dominated wetlands

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Demello, William Zamboni; Hines, Mark E.; Bayley, Suzanne E.

1992-01-01

Atmosphere-peatland exchange of reduced sulfur gases was determined seasonally in fen in NH, and in an artificially-acidified fen at the Experimental Lakes Area (ELA) in Canada. Dimethyl sulfide (DMS) dominated gas fluxes at rates as high as 400 nmol/m(sup -2)hr(sup -1). DMS fluxes measured using enclosures were much higher than those calculated using a stagnant-film model, suggesting that Sphagnum regulated efflux. Temperature controlled diel and seasonal variability in DMS emissions. Use of differing enclosure techniques indicated that vegetated peatlands consume atmospheric carbonyl sulfide. Sulfate amendments caused DMS and methane thiol concentrations in near-surface pore waters to increase rapidly, but fluxes of these gases to the atmosphere were not affected. However, emission data from sites experiencing large differences in rates of sulfate deposition from the atmosphere suggested that chronic elevated sulfate inputs enhance DMS emissions from northern wetlands.

Plants of the American continent with antiulcer activity.

PubMed

Falcão, H S; Mariath, I R; Diniz, M F F M; Batista, L M; Barbosa-Filho, J M

2008-01-01

Peptic ulcer is a chronic and appalling disease. Today, it is dominant among the diseases that affect the world's population. The principal factors causing this disease are inadequate dietetic habits, prolonged use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, stress and infection by Helicobacter pylori, in addition to other factors of genetic origin. The present work is a literature survey of plant extracts from the American continent that have been reported to show antiulcer activity. This review refers to 58 plants with their families, parts used, type of extract used, model bioassays and their activity. This work intends to aid the researchers in the study of natural products appropriate to the treatment of stomach and intestinal diseases, in general, and peptic ulcer in particular.

Genetic Dominance & Cellular Processes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Seager, Robert D.

2014-01-01

In learning genetics, many students misunderstand and misinterpret what "dominance" means. Understanding is easier if students realize that dominance is not a mechanism, but rather a consequence of underlying cellular processes. For example, metabolic pathways are often little affected by changes in enzyme concentration. This means that…

Process regime, salinity, morphological, and sedimentary trends along the fluvial to marine transition zone of the mixed-energy Mekong River delta, Vietnam

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gugliotta, Marcello; Saito, Yoshiki; Nguyen, Van Lap; Ta, Thi Kim Oanh; Nakashima, Rei; Tamura, Toru; Uehara, Katsuto; Katsuki, Kota; Yamamoto, Seiichiro

2017-09-01

The fluvial to marine transition zone (FMTZ) is the area of coastal rivers in which sedimentation is controlled by the interaction of fluvial and marine processes. This study examines the FMTZ of the Mekong River delta, along a total channel length of 660 km. Methods consist of collection and analysis of channel bed sediment samples, measurements of channel morphological parameters, and recognition of mangrove, molluscan, and diatom species. The process regime, salinity, morphological, and sedimentary trends recognized were used to define two main tracts for this FMTZ: an upstream, fluvial-dominated tract and a downstream, tide-dominated tract. In more detail, they allow the identification of four subzones, from upstream to downstream: 1) fluvial-dominated, tide-affected; 2) fluvial-dominated, tide-influenced; 3) tide-dominated, fluvial-influenced; and 4) tide-dominated, fluvial-affected. Tide-induced water-level changes affect the entire study area and extend into Cambodia. Measured salinity intrusion extends 15 km upstream of the river mouth during wet season, and 50 km during dry season. Brackish water species of mangroves, mollusks, and diatoms, however, occur landward of these limits, suggesting that highly diluted brackish water may reach 160 km upstream of the river mouth during the dry season. In the fluvial-dominated tract, channels are sinuous and show a seaward-deepening trend, whereas width is relatively constant. In the tide-dominated tract, channels are straight, and show seaward-widening and seaward-shallowing trends. Natural levees are present in the fluvial-dominated, tide-affected subzone, but are replaced by mangroves elsewhere along the FMTZ. In the fluvial-dominated tract, mud content is low, sand grain size fines seaward, and gravelly sand and sand are the dominant facies. In the tide-dominated tract, mud content is high, sand grain size is constant, recycled sand is common, and tidal rhythmites are the dominant facies. Mud pebbles are common in sediments throughout a large part of the FMTZ. These trends characterizing the FMTZ of the Mekong River delta seem to be present in other systems and likely represent a general FMTZ pattern. Nonetheless, minor differences may be observed between different types of systems, or because of differences in local conditions. The comprehensive description of trends and their mutual relationships along the FMTZ presented herein provides critical information that can form the basis of a general conceptual model and can help to better understand these complex zones.

Identification of factors influencing the restoration of cyanobacteria-dominated biological soil crusts.

PubMed

Bu, Chongfeng; Wu, Shufang; Yang, Yongsheng; Zheng, Mingguo

2014-01-01

Biological soil crusts (BSCs) cover >35% of the Earth's land area and contribute to important ecological functions in arid and semiarid ecosystems, including erosion reduction, hydrological cycling, and nutrient cycling. Artificial rapid cultivation of BSCs can provide a novel alternative to traditional biological methods for controlling soil and water loss such as the planting of trees, shrubs, and grasses. At present, little is known regarding the cultivation of BSCs in the field due to lack of knowledge regarding the influencing factors that control BSCs growth. Thus, we determined the effects of various environmental factors (shade; watering; N, P, K, and Ca concentrations) on the growth of cyanobacteria-dominated BSCs from the Sonoran Desert in the southwestern United States. The soil surface changes and chlorophyll a concentrations were used as proxies of BSC growth and development. After 4 months, five factors were found to impact BSC growth with the following order of importance: NH4NO3 ≈ watering frequency>shading>CaCO3 ≈ KH2PO4. The soil water content was the primary positive factor affecting BSC growth, and BSCs that were watered every 5 days harbored greater biomass than those watered every 10 days. Groups that received NH4NO3 consistently exhibited poor growth, suggesting that fixed N amendment may suppress BSC growth. The effect of shading on the BSC biomass was inconsistent and depended on many factors including the soil water content and availability of nutrients. KH2PO4 and CaCO3 had nonsignificant effects on BSC growth. Collectively, our results indicate that the rapid restoration of BSCs can be controlled and realized by artificial "broadcasting" cultivation through the optimization of environmental factors.

Phosphorus, nitrogen and chlorophyll-a are significant factors controlling ciliate communities in summer in the northern Beibu Gulf, South China Sea.

PubMed

Wang, Yibo; Zhang, Wenjing; Lin, Yuanshao; Cao, Wenqing; Zheng, Lianming; Yang, Jun

2014-01-01

Ciliates (protozoa) are ubiquitous components of plankton community and play important roles in aquatic ecosystems in regards of their abundance, biomass, diversity and energy turnover. Based on the stratified samples collected from the northern Beibu Gulf in August 2011, species composition, abundance, biomass, diversity and spatial pattern of planktonic ciliates were studied. Furthermore the main environmental factors controlling ciliate communities were determined. A total of 101 species belonging to 44 genera and 7 orders (i.e., Oligotrichida, Haptorida, Euplotida, Sessilida, Pleurostomatida, Scuticociliatida and Tintinnida) were identified. The variation of ciliate communities was significant at horizontal level, but that was not at vertical level. Based on cluster analysis, ciliate communities were divided into three main groups. Redundancy analysis (RDA) revealed that Group A, existing in the waters with higher concentration of phosphorus and nitrogen, was dominated by Tintinnidium primitivum. Group B in the waters with lower temperature and chlorophyll-a concentration, was dominated by Leegaardiella ovalis. Group C, existing in the waters with higher temperature and chlorophyll-a concentration, was dominated by large Strombidium spp. and Mesodinium rubrum. Combining multiple analytic methods, our results strongly supported that phosphorus, nitrogen and chlorophyll-a were the most significant factors affecting the ciliate communities in the northern Beibu Gulf in summer. Concentration of phosphorus and nitrogen primarily influenced ciliate biomass, implying a potential impact of eutrophication on ciliate growth. The correlation with chlorophyll-a concentration, on one hand indicate the response of ciliates to the food availability, and on the other hand, the ciliates containing chloroplasts or endosymbionts may contribute greatly to the chlorophyll-a.

Strategies for Coping in a Complex World: Adherence Behavior Among Older Adults with Chronic Illness

PubMed Central

Ross-Degnan, Dennis; Adams, Alyce S.; Safran, Dana Gelb; Soumerai, Stephen B.

2007-01-01

Background Increasing numbers of medicines increase nonadherence. Little is known about how older adults manage multiple medicines for multiple illnesses. Objectives To explore how older adults with multiple illnesses make choices about medicines. Design Semistructured interviews with older adults taking several medications. Accounts of respondents’ medicine-taking behavior were collected. Participants Twenty community-dwelling seniors with health insurance, in Eastern Massachusetts, aged 67–90, (4–12 medicines, 3–9 comorbidities). Approach Qualitative analysis using constant comparison to explain real choices made about medicines in the past (“historical”) and hypothetical (“future”) choices. Results Respondents reported both past (“historical”) choices and hypothetical (“future”) choices between medicines. Although people discussed effectiveness and future risk of the disease when prompted to prioritize their medicines (future choices), key factors leading to nonadherence (historical choices) were costs and side effects. Specific choices were generally dominated by 1 factor, and respondents rarely reported making explicit trade-offs between different factors. Factors affecting 1 choice were not necessarily the same as those affecting another choice in the same person. There was no evidence of “adherent” personalities. Conclusion Prescribing a new medicine, a change in provider or copayment can provoke new choices about both new and existing medications in older adults with multiple morbidities. PMID:17406952

Using association rule mining to identify risk factors for early childhood caries.

PubMed

Ivančević, Vladimir; Tušek, Ivan; Tušek, Jasmina; Knežević, Marko; Elheshk, Salaheddin; Luković, Ivan

2015-11-01

Early childhood caries (ECC) is a potentially severe disease affecting children all over the world. The available findings are mostly based on a logistic regression model, but data mining, in particular association rule mining, could be used to extract more information from the same data set. ECC data was collected in a cross-sectional analytical study of the 10% sample of preschool children in the South Bačka area (Vojvodina, Serbia). Association rules were extracted from the data by association rule mining. Risk factors were extracted from the highly ranked association rules. Discovered dominant risk factors include male gender, frequent breastfeeding (with other risk factors), high birth order, language, and low body weight at birth. Low health awareness of parents was significantly associated to ECC only in male children. The discovered risk factors are mostly confirmed by the literature, which corroborates the value of the methods. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

HNF-1B specifically regulates the transcription of the {gamma}a-subunit of the Na{sup +}/K{sup +}-ATPase

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

Ferre, Silvia; Veenstra, Gert Jan C.; Bouwmeester, Rianne

2011-01-07

Research highlights: {yields} Defects in HNF-1B transcription factor affect Mg{sup 2+} handling in the distal kidney. {yields} {gamma}a- and {gamma}b- subunits of the Na{sup +}/K{sup +}-ATPase colocalize in the distal convoluted tubule of the nephron. {yields} HNF-1B specifically activates {gamma}a expression. {yields} HNF-1B mutants have a dominant negative effect on wild type HNF-1B activity. {yields} Defective transcription of {gamma}a may promote renal Mg{sup 2+} wasting. -- Abstract: Hepatocyte nuclear factor-1B (HNF-1B) is a transcription factor involved in embryonic development and tissue-specific gene expression in several organs, including the kidney. Recently heterozygous mutations in the HNF1B gene have been identified inmore » patients with hypomagnesemia due to renal Mg{sup 2+} wasting. Interestingly, ChIP-chip data revealed HNF-1B binding sites in the FXYD2 gene, encoding the {gamma}-subunit of the Na{sup +}/K{sup +}-ATPase. The {gamma}-subunit has been described as one of the molecular players in the renal Mg{sup 2+} reabsorption in the distal convoluted tubule (DCT). Of note, the FXYD2 gene can be alternatively transcribed into two main variants, namely {gamma}a and {gamma}b. In the present study, we demonstrated via two different reporter gene assays that HNF-1B specifically acts as an activator of the {gamma}a-subunit, whereas the {gamma}b-subunit expression was not affected. Moreover, the HNF-1B mutations H69fsdelAC, H324S325fsdelCA, Y352finsA and K156E, previously identified in patients with hypomagnesemia, prevented transcription activation of {gamma}a-subunit via a dominant negative effect on wild type HNF1-B. By immunohistochemistry, it was shown that the {gamma}a- and {gamma}b-subunits colocalize at the basolateral membrane of the DCT segment of mouse kidney. On the basis of these data, we suggest that abnormalities involving the HNF-1B gene may impair the relative abundance of {gamma}a and {gamma}b, thus affecting the transcellular Mg{sup 2+} reabsorption in the DCT.« less

Revision of Fontes & Garnier's model for the initial 14C content of dissolved inorganic carbon used in groundwater dating

USGS Publications Warehouse

Han, Liang-Feng; Plummer, Niel

2013-01-01

The widely applied model for groundwater dating using 14C proposed by Fontes and Garnier (F&G) (Fontes and Garnier, 1979) estimates the initial 14C content in waters from carbonate-rock aquifers affected by isotopic exchange. Usually, the model of F&G is applied in one of two ways: (1) using a single 13C fractionation factor of gaseous CO2 with respect to a solid carbonate mineral, εg/s, regardless of whether the carbon isotopic exchange is controlled by soil CO2 in the unsaturated zone, or by solid carbonate mineral in the saturated zone; or (2) using different fractionation factors if the exchange process is dominated by soil CO2 gas as opposed to solid carbonate mineral (typically calcite). An analysis of the F&G model shows an inadequate conceptualization, resulting in underestimation of the initial 14C values (14C0) for groundwater systems that have undergone isotopic exchange. The degree to which the 14C0 is underestimated increases with the extent of isotopic exchange. Examples show that in extreme cases, the error in calculated adjusted initial 14C values can be more than 20% modern carbon (pmc). A model is derived that revises the mass balance method of F&G by using a modified model conceptualization. The derivation yields a “global” model both for carbon isotopic exchange dominated by gaseous CO2 in the unsaturated zone, and for carbon isotopic exchange dominated by solid carbonate mineral in the saturated zone. However, the revised model requires different parameters for exchange dominated by gaseous CO2 as opposed to exchange dominated by solid carbonate minerals. The revised model for exchange dominated by gaseous CO2 is shown to be identical to the model of Mook (Mook, 1976). For groundwater systems where exchange occurs both in the unsaturated zone and saturated zone, the revised model can still be used; however, 14C0 will be slightly underestimated. Finally, in carbonate systems undergoing complex geochemical reactions, such as oxidation of organic carbon, radiocarbon ages are best estimated by inverse geochemical modeling techniques.

Investigating the influence of DNAPL spill characteristics on source zone architecture and mass removal in pool-dominated source zones

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wallace, K. A.; Abriola, L.; Chen, M.; Ramsburg, A.; Pennell, K. D.; Christ, J.

2009-12-01

Multiphase, compositional simulators were employed to investigate the spill characteristics and subsurface properties that lead to pool-dominated, dense non-aqueous phase liquid (DNAPL) source zone architectures. DNAPL pools commonly form at textural interfaces where low permeability lenses restrict the vertical migration of DNAPL, allowing for DNAPL to accumulate, reaching high saturation. Significant pooling has been observed in bench-scale experiments and field settings. However, commonly employed numerical simulations rarely predict the pooling suspected in the field. Given the importance of pooling on the efficacy of mass recovery and the down-gradient contaminant signal, it is important to understand the predominant factors affecting the creation of pool-dominated source zones and their subsequent mass discharge. In this work, contaminant properties, spill characteristics and subsurface permeability were varied to investigate the factors contributing to the development of a pool-dominated source zone. DNAPL infiltration and entrapment simulations were conducted in two- and three-dimensional domains using the University of Texas Chemical Compositional (UTCHEM) simulator. A modified version of MT3DMS was then used to simulate DNAPL dissolution and mass discharge. Numerical mesh size was varied to investigate the importance of numerical model parameters on simulations results. The temporal evolution of commonly employed source zone architecture metrics, such as the maximum DNAPL saturation, first and second spatial moments, and fraction of DNAPL mass located in pools, was monitored to determine how the source zone architecture evolved with time. Mass discharge was monitored to identify the link between source zone architecture and down-gradient contaminant flux. Contaminant characteristics and the presence of extensive low permeability lenses appeared to have the most influence on the development of a pool-dominated source zone. The link between DNAPL mass recovery and contaminant mass discharge was significantly influenced by the fraction of mass residing in DNAPL pools. The greater the fraction of mass residing in DNAPL pools the greater the likelihood for significant reductions in contaminant mass discharge at modest levels of mass removal. These results will help guide numerical and experimental studies on the remediation of pool-dominated source zones and will likely guide future source zone characterization efforts.

Cerebral dominance for speech and handwriting of patients with cortical vascular malformations.

PubMed

Sass, K J; Buchanan, C P; Westerveld, M; Spencer, D D

1994-10-01

Lateralization of speech dominance was established using amobarbital for 22 patients with vascular malformations lateralized to the left cerebral hemisphere. Patients' histories were negative for clinically evident neurological events (e.g., seizures or hemorrhage) prior to adulthood. The vascular lesions were categorized as high flow arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) (n = 4), low flow AVMs (n = 6), cavernous hemangiomas (n = 10), or venous angiomas (n = 2) by reviewing angiographic findings and surgical pathology for those patients whose lesions were excised. Three of the malformations encroached upon primary language areas. The frequency of right hemisphere speech dominance was not significantly elevated in comparison with the normal population, even though the incidence of nonright-handedness was. Ninety-five percent of the patients were left hemisphere dominant for speech: only one patient, with a parietal lobe cavernous hemangioma, was found to be right hemisphere dominant for speech. This malformation did not involve the primary language areas. These findings suggest that vascular malformations do not affect speech dominance as readily as other neurological diseases, but frequently affect manual dominance.

Genotypic diversity in root-endophytic fungi reflects efficient dispersal and environmental adaptation.

PubMed

Glynou, Kyriaki; Ali, Tahir; Kia, Sevda Haghi; Thines, Marco; Maciá-Vicente, Jose G

2017-09-01

Studying community structure and dynamics of plant-associated fungi is the basis for unravelling their interactions with hosts and ecosystem functions. A recent sampling revealed that only a few fungal groups, as defined by internal transcribed spacer region (ITS) sequence similarity, dominate culturable root endophytic communities of nonmycorrhizal Microthlaspi spp. plants across Europe. Strains of these fungi display a broad phenotypic and functional diversity, which suggests a genetic variability masked by ITS clustering into operational taxonomic units (OTUs). The aims of this study were to identify how genetic similarity patterns of these fungi change across environments and to evaluate their ability to disperse and adapt to ecological conditions. A first ITS-based haplotype analysis of ten widespread OTUs mostly showed a low to moderate genotypic differentiation, with the exception of a group identified as Cadophora sp. that was highly diverse. A multilocus phylogeny based on additional genetic loci (partial translation elongation factor 1α, beta-tubulin and actin) and amplified fragment length polymorphism profiling of 185 strains representative of the five dominant OTUs revealed a weak association of genetic differences with geography and environmental conditions, including bioclimatic and soil factors. Our findings suggest that dominant culturable root endophytic fungi have efficient dispersal capabilities, and that their distribution is little affected by environmental filtering. Other processes, such as inter- and intraspecific biotic interactions, may be more important for the local assembly of their communities. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Parental mosaicism is a pitfall in preimplantation genetic diagnosis of dominant disorders.

PubMed

Steffann, Julie; Michot, Caroline; Borghese, Roxana; Baptista-Fernandes, Marcia; Monnot, Sophie; Bonnefont, Jean-Paul; Munnich, Arnold

2014-05-01

PCR amplification on single cells is prone to allele drop-out (PCR failure of one allele), a cause of misdiagnosis in preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD). Owing to this error risk, PGD usually relies on both direct and indirect genetic analyses. When the affected partner is the sporadic case of a dominant disorder, building haplotypes require spermatozoon or polar body testing prior to PGD, but these procedures are cost and time-consuming. A couple requested PGD because the male partner suffered from a dominant Cowden syndrome (CS). He was a sporadic case, but the couple had a first unaffected child and the non-mutated paternal haplotype was tentatively deduced. The couple had a second spontaneous pregnancy and the fetus was found to carry the at-risk haplotype but not the PTEN mutation. The mutation was present in blood from the affected father, but at low level, confirming the somatic mosaicism. Ignoring the possibility of mosaicism in the CS patient would have potentially led to selection of affected embryos. This observation emphasizes the risk of PGD in families at risk to transmit autosomal-dominant disorder when the affected partner is a sporadic case.

Patterns of fish community composition along a river affected by agricultural and urban disturbance in south-central Chile

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

Orrego, Rodrigo; Barra, Ricardo; Chiang, Gustavo

2008-03-01

Patterns of fish community composition in a south-central Chile river were investigated along the altitudinal-spatial and environmental gradient and as a function of anthropogenic factors. The spatial pattern of fish communities in different biocoenotic zones of the Chillan River is influenced by both natural factors such a hydrologic features, habitat, and feeding types, and also by water quality variables which can reduce the diversity and abundance of sensitive species. A principal component analysis incorporating both water quality parameters and biomarker responses of representative fish species was used to evaluate the status of fish communities along the spatial gradient of themore » stream. The abundance and diversity of the fish community changed from a low in the upper reaches where the low pollution-tolerant species such as salmonid dominated, to a reduced diversity in the lower reaches of the river where tolerant browser species such as cypriniformes dominated. Even though the spatial pattern of fish community structure is similar to that found for the Chilean Rivers, the structure of these communities is highly influenced by human disturbance, particularly along the lower reaches of the river.« less

Intergroup conflict: Ecological predictors of winning and consequences of defeat in a wild primate population

PubMed Central

MARKHAM, A. CATHERINE; ALBERTS, SUSAN C.; ALTMANN, JEANNE

2012-01-01

In many social species, competition between groups is a major factor proximately affecting group-level movement patterns and space use and ultimately shaping the evolution of group living and complex sociality. Here we evaluated the factors influencing group-level dominance among 5 social groups of wild baboons (Papio cynocephalus), in particular focusing on the spatial determinants of dominance and the consequences of defeat. When direct conflict occurred between conspecific baboon groups, the winning group was predicted by differences in the number of adult males in each group and/or groups that had used the areas surrounding the encounter location more intensively than their opponent in the preceding 9 or 12 months. Relative intensity of space use over shorter timescales examined (3 and 6 months) was a poor predictor of the interaction’s outcome. Losing groups but not winning groups experienced clear short-term costs. Losing groups used the area surrounding the interaction less following an agonistic encounter (relative to their intensity of use of the area prior to the interaction). These findings offer insight into the influences and consequences of intergroup competition on group-level patterns of space use. PMID:22837555

Environment shapes the fecal microbiome of invasive carp species.

PubMed

Eichmiller, Jessica J; Hamilton, Matthew J; Staley, Christopher; Sadowsky, Michael J; Sorensen, Peter W

2016-08-12

Although the common, silver, and bighead carps are native and sparsely distributed in Eurasia, these fish have become abundant and invasive in North America. An understanding of the biology of these species may provide insights into sustainable control methods. The animal-associated microbiome plays an important role in host health. Characterization of the carp microbiome and the factors that affect its composition is an important step toward understanding the biology and interrelationships between these species and their environments. We compared the fecal microbiomes of common, silver, and bighead carps from wild and laboratory environments using Illumina sequencing of bacterial 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA). The fecal bacterial communities of fish were diverse, with Shannon indices ranging from 2.3 to 4.5. The phyla Proteobacteria, Firmicutes, and Fusobacteria dominated carp guts, comprising 76.7 % of total reads. Environment played a large role in shaping fecal microbial community composition, and microbiomes among captive fishes were more similar than among wild fishes. Although differences among wild fishes could be attributed to feeding preferences, diet did not strongly affect microbial community structure in laboratory-housed fishes. Comparison of wild- and lab-invasive carps revealed five shared OTUs that comprised approximately 40 % of the core fecal microbiome. The environment is a dominant factor shaping the fecal bacterial communities of invasive carps. Captivity alters the microbiome community structure relative to wild fish, while species differences are pronounced within habitats. Despite the absence of a true stomach, invasive carp species exhibited a core microbiota that warrants future study.

Sex differences in the drivers of reproductive skew in a cooperative breeder.

PubMed

Nelson-Flower, Martha J; Flower, Tom P; Ridley, Amanda R

2018-04-16

Many cooperatively breeding societies are characterized by high reproductive skew, such that some socially dominant individuals breed, while socially subordinate individuals provide help. Inbreeding avoidance serves as a source of reproductive skew in many high-skew societies, but few empirical studies have examined sources of skew operating alongside inbreeding avoidance or compared individual attempts to reproduce (reproductive competition) with individual reproductive success. Here, we use long-term genetic and observational data to examine factors affecting reproductive skew in the high-skew cooperatively breeding southern pied babbler (Turdoides bicolor). When subordinates can breed, skew remains high, suggesting factors additional to inbreeding avoidance drive skew. Subordinate females are more likely to compete to breed when older or when ecological constraints on dispersal are high, but heavy subordinate females are more likely to successfully breed. Subordinate males are more likely to compete when they are older, during high ecological constraints, or when they are related to the dominant male, but only the presence of within-group unrelated subordinate females predicts subordinate male breeding success. Reproductive skew is not driven by reproductive effort, but by forces such as intrinsic physical limitations and intrasexual conflict (for females) or female mate choice, male mate-guarding and potentially reproductive restraint (for males). Ecological conditions or "outside options" affect the occurrence of reproductive conflict, supporting predictions of recent synthetic skew models. Inbreeding avoidance together with competition for access to reproduction may generate high skew in animal societies, and disparate processes may be operating to maintain male vs. female reproductive skew in the same species. © 2018 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

A field survey-Staroe lake suffering from atmospheric deposition in the region north of the Arctic Circle.

PubMed

Kikuchi, Ryunosuke; Gorbacheva, Tamara T

2009-06-01

The Arctic holds large stores of minerals, and extracted materials are provided to the world's economy; in this sense, the Arctic issue associated with mining is not local but global. In a part of the Arctic region (the Kola Peninsula, 66-70 degrees N and 28-41 degrees E), metal levels are generally elevated in the lake sediment. There is a question as to what results in elevated metal levels-a natural process (naturally abundant minerals) or an anthropogenic process (mining and metallurgy). In terms of solving this question, Staroe lake located on the Kola Peninsula was researched as a case study. The following parameters were determined in relation with Staroe lake: (1) the current quality of the lake's water-each 1,000-ml sample was collected at a surface point and a deep point (near the bottom layer), and the collected samples were directly analyzed after filtration; (2) atmospheric bulk deposition-bulk deposition was collected using a set of three rainwater samplers near the lake. In addition, bulk deposition was collected in a background site (250 km to the southwest of the smelter complex) as a reference; and (3) sediment profile (plus principal component analysis)-lake-bottom sediment was collected by an open-gravimetric column sampler equipped with an automatic diaphragm. After collection, the sample columns were cut at a 1-cm interval for analysis. Eigenvalues and variances by factor were calculated from the correlation coefficients. The obtained data show that (1) naturally poor elements (Cu, Ni, Si, and SO(4) (2-)) dominantly influence the lake's water quality; (2) they are transported from the anthropogenic sources to the study lake through the atmospheric pathway; (3) mainly the contents of Cu, Ni, Sr, and Ca have influenced the sediment quality since the 1950s, corresponding to the industrial movement; and (4) Cu, Ni, and Sr originate from an anthropogenic source (smelter), and Ca originates from both natural and anthropogenic sources. As compared with the Russian standard (San Pin 2.1.980-00), the contents of NO(3) (-) (50.3 +/- 0.1 mg l(-1)) and particulates (2.3 +/- 0.2 mg l(-1)) exceeded the standard levels (0.7 mg l(-1) NO(3) (-) and 45 mg l(-1) particulates); Staroe lake may be slightly contaminated. However, the contamination factor (comparison with the background data) implies that Staroe lake is considerably contaminated. There is a strong possibility that fine overburden detritus (<0.1 mm diameter) may be transported from an open pit to the study lake by natural forces such as wind. Although it is difficult to suppose that one factor dominantly affects the sediment quality, it follows from a factor analysis that factors 1 and 2 account for about 70% of the total variance: Factor 1 is the most dominant, and factor 2 is the second most dominant in the variability of sediment quality. It is considered that Cu, Sr, and Ni in factor 1 originate from anthropogenic sources because they are poor in sediment rocks. The field survey conducted in Staroe lake can give the following answers to the key objectives: (1) The present water quality is affected by Cu, Ni, Si, and SO(4) (2-) in light of the contamination factor, and these elements originate from anthropogenic sources (the smelter and the open pit) and are transported to the lake through the atmospheric pathway; (2) the sediment profile and statistic analysis show that the lake quality has been influenced by deposition of metals since the 1950s; and (3) Cu, Ni, Sr, and Ca have influenced the sediment quality in light of the most dominant factor-Cu, Ni, and Sr originate from an anthropogenic source, whereas Ca comes from both natural and anthropogenic sources. The presented lake survey shows that the dispersion of human-related pollutants via the atmospheric pathway takes place in the Arctic region. If the current pollution continues without countermeasures, the high-latitude environment may lose its original characteristics; hence, this subject is important when considering how to implement a wide range of environmental protection measures in the Arctic.

Stable isotopes and Digital Elevation Models to study nutrient inputs in high-Arctic lakes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Calizza, Edoardo; Rossi, David; Costantini, Maria Letizia; Careddu, Giulio; Rossi, Loreto

2016-04-01

Ice cover, run-off from the watershed, aquatic and terrestrial primary productivity, guano deposition from birds are key factors controlling nutrient and organic matter inputs in high-Arctic lakes. All these factors are expected to be significantly affected by climate change. Quantifying these controls is a key baseline step to understand what combination of factors subtends the biological productivity in Arctic lakes and will drive their ecological response to environmental change. Basing on Digital Elevation Models, drainage maps, and C and N elemental content and stable isotope analysis in sediments, aquatic vegetation and a dominant macroinvertebrate species (Lepidurus arcticus Pallas 1973) belonging to Tvillingvatnet, Storvatnet and Kolhamna, three lakes located in North Spitsbergen (Svalbard), we propose an integrated approach for the analysis of (i) nutrient and organic matter inputs in lakes; (ii) the role of catchment hydro-geomorphology in determining inter-lake differences in the isotopic composition of sediments; (iii) effects of diverse nutrient inputs on the isotopic niche of Lepidurus arcticus. Given its high run-off and large catchment, organic deposits in Tvillingvatnet where dominated by terrestrial inputs, whereas inputs were mainly of aquatic origin in Storvatnet, a lowland lake with low potential run-off. In Kolhamna, organic deposits seem to be dominated by inputs from birds, which actually colonise the area. Isotopic signatures were similar between samples within each lake, representing precise tracers for studies on the effect of climate change on biogeochemical cycles in lakes. The isotopic niche of L. aricticus reflected differences in sediments between lakes, suggesting a bottom-up effect of hydro-geomorphology characterizing each lake on nutrients assimilated by this species. The presented approach proven to be an effective research pathway for the identification of factors subtending to nutrient and organic matter inputs and transfer within each water body, as well as for the modelling of expected changes in nutrient content associated to changes in isotopic composition of sediments. Key words: nitrogen; carbon, sediment; biogeochemical cycle; climate change; hydro-ecology; isotopic niche; Svalbard

Hemispheric specialization in affective responses, cerebral dominance for language, and handedness: Lateralization of emotion, language, and dexterity.

PubMed

Costanzo, Elsa Yolanda; Villarreal, Mirta; Drucaroff, Lucas Javier; Ortiz-Villafañe, Manuel; Castro, Mariana Nair; Goldschmidt, Micaela; Wainsztein, Agustina Edith; Ladrón-de-Guevara, María Soledad; Romero, Carlos; Brusco, Luis Ignacio; Camprodon, Joan A; Nemeroff, Charles; Guinjoan, Salvador Martín

2015-07-15

Hemispheric specialization in affective responses has received little attention in the literature. This is a fundamental variable to understand circuit dynamics of networks subserving emotion. In this study we put to test a modified "valence" hypothesis of emotion processing, considering that sadness and happiness are processed by each hemisphere in relation to dominance for language and handedness. Mood induction and language activation during functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) were used in 20 right-handed and 20 nonright-handed subjects, focusing on interconnected regions known to play critical roles in affective responses: subgenual cingulate cortex, amygdala, and anterior insular cortex. We observed a consistent relationship between lateralization of affective processing, motor dexterity, and language in individuals with clear right-handedness. Sadness induces a greater activation of right-hemisphere cortical structures in right-handed, left-dominant individuals, which is not evident in nonright-handed subjects who show no consistent hemispheric dominance for language. In anterior insula, right-handed individuals displayed reciprocal activation of either hemisphere depending upon mood valence, whereas amygdala activation was predominantly left-sided regardless of mood valence. Nonright-handed individuals exhibited less consistent brain lateralization of affective processing regardless of language and motor dexterity lateralization. In contrast with traditional views on emotion processing lateralization, hemispheric specialization in affective responses is not a unitary process but is specific to the brain structure being activated. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Water-use-efficiency of annual-dominated and bunchgrass-dominated savanna intercanopy space

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

In semiarid savannas, annual or perennial grasses intercanopy dominance may alter partitioning of ecosystem water and carbon fluxes. This could affect ecosystem water use efficiency, WUEe, the ratio of net ecosystem carbon dioxide exchange (NEE) to evapotranspiration (ET), an important metric of te...

Barrier island community change: What controls it?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dows, B.; Young, D.; Zinnert, J.

2014-12-01

Conversion from grassland to woody dominated communities has been observed globally. In recent decades, this pattern has been observed in coastal communities along the mid-Atlantic U.S. In coastal environments, a suite of biotic and abiotic factors interact as filters to determine plant community structure and distribution. Microclimatic conditions: soil and air temperature, soil moisture and salinity, and light attenuation under grass cover were measured across a grassland-woody encroachment gradient on a Virginia barrier island; to identify the primary factors that mediate this change. Woody establishment was associated with moderately dense (2200 shoots/m2) grass cover, but reduced at high (> 6200 shoots/ m2) and low (< 1250 shoots/ m2) densities. Moderately dense grass cover reduced light attenuation (82.50 % reduction) to sufficiently reduce soil temperature thereby limiting soil moisture evaporation. However, high grass density reduced light attenuation (98.7 % reduction) enough to inhibit establishment of woody species; whereas low grass density attenuated much less light (48.7 % reduction) which allowed for greater soil moisture evaporation. Soil salinity was dynamic as rainfall, tidal inundation, and sea spray produce spatiotemporal variation throughout the barrier island landscape. The importance of light and temperature were compounded as they also indirectly affect soil salinity via their affects on soil moisture. Determining how these biotic and abiotic factors relate to sea level rise and climate change will improve understanding coastal community response as global changes proceed. Understanding how community shifts affect ecosystem function and their potential to affect adjacent systems will also improve predictive ability of coastal ecosystem responses.

The role of latitudinal, genetic and temperature variation in the induction of diapause of Papilio glaucus (Lepidoptera: Papilionidae).

PubMed

Ryan, Sean F; Valella, Patti; Thivierge, Gabrielle; Aardema, Matthew L; Scriber, J Mark

2018-04-01

A key adaptation in insects for dealing with variable environmental conditions is the ability to diapause. The tiger swallowtail butterflies, Papilio glaucus and P. canadensis are ideal species to explore the genetic causes and population genetic consequences of diapause because divergence in this trait is believed to be a salient factor in maintaining a hybrid zone between these species. Yet little is known about the factors that influence diapause induction in this system. Here we explored how spatial (latitudinal), environmental (temperature) and genetic (hybridization) factors affect diapause induction in this system. Specifically, a series of growth chamber experiments using wild caught individuals from across the eastern United States were performed to: (1) evaluate how critical photoperiod varies with latitude, (2) isolate the stage in which induction occurs, (3) test whether changes in temperature affected rates of diapause induction, and (4) explore how the incidence of diapause is affected in hybrid offspring. We find that induction occurs in the larval stage, is not sensitive to a relatively broad range of temperatures, appears to have a complex genetic basis (i.e., is not simply a dominant trait following a Mendelian inheritance pattern) and that the critical photoperiod increases by 0.4 h with each increasing degree in latitude. This work deepens our understanding of how spatial, environmental and genetic variation influences a key seasonal adaptation (diapause induction) in a well-developed ecological model system and will make possible future studies that explore how climatic variation affects the population dynamics and genetics of this system. © 2016 Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences.

Dominant forest tree mycorrhizal type mediates understory plant invasions

Treesearch

Insu Jo; Kevin M. Potter; Grant M. Domke; Songlin Fei

2017-01-01

Forest mycorrhizal type mediates nutrient dynamics, which in turn can influence forest community structure and processes. Using forest inventory data, we explored how dominant forest tree mycorrhizal type affects understory plant invasions with consideration of forest structure and soil properties. We found that arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) dominant forests, which are...

Contribution of indoor and outdoor nitrogen dioxide to indoor air quality of wayside shops.

PubMed

Shuai, Jianfei; Yang, Wonho; Ahn, Hogi; Kim, Sunshin; Lee, Seokyong; Yoon, Sung-Uk

2013-06-01

Indoor nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) concentration is an important factor for personal exposure despite the wide distribution of its sources. Exposure to NO₂ may produce adverse health effects. The aims of this study were to characterize the indoor air quality of wayside shops using multiple NO₂ measurements, and to estimate the contribution of outdoor NO₂ sources such as vehicle emission to indoor air quality. Daily indoor and outdoor NO₂ concentrations were measured for 21 consecutive days in wayside shops (5 convenience stores, 5 coffee shops, and 5 restaurants). Contributions of outdoor NO₂ sources to indoor air quality were calculated with penetration factors and source strength factors by indoor mass balance model in winter and summer, respectively. Most wayside shops had significant differences in indoor and outdoor NO₂ concentrations both in winter and in summer. Indoor NO₂ concentrations in restaurants were twice more than those in convenience stores and coffee shops in winter. While outdoor NO₂ contributions in indoor convenience stores and coffee shops were dominant, indoor NO₂ contributions were dominant in restaurants. These could be explained that indoor NO₂ sources such as gas range and smoking mainly affect indoor concentrations comparing to outdoor sources such as vehicle emission. The indoor mass balance model by multiple measurements suggests that quantitative contribution of outdoor air on indoor air quality might be estimated without measurements of ventilation, indoor generation and decay rate.

Analysis of a minimal Rho-GTPase circuit regulating cell shape

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Holmes, William R.; Edelstein-Keshet, Leah

2016-08-01

Networks of Rho-family GTPases regulate eukaryotic cell polarization and motility by controlling assembly and contraction of the cytoskeleton. The mutually inhibitory Rac-Rho circuit is emerging as a central, regulatory hub that can affect the shape and motility phenotype of eukaryotic cells. Recent experimental manipulation of the amounts of Rac and Rho or their regulators (guanine nucleotide-exchange factors, GTPase-activating proteins, guanine nucleotide dissociation inhibitors) have been shown to bias the prevalence of these different states and promote transitions between them. Here we show that part of this data can be understood in terms of inherent Rac-Rho mutually inhibitory dynamics. We analyze a spatio-temporal mathematical model of Rac-Rho dynamics to produce a detailed set of predictions of how parameters such as GTPase rates of activation and total amounts affect cell decisions (such as Rho-dominated contraction, Rac-dominated spreading, and spatially segregated Rac-Rho polarization). We find that in some parameter regimes, a cell can take on any of these three fates depending on its environment or stimuli. We also predict how experimental manipulations (corresponding to parameter variations) can affect cell shapes observed. Our methods are based on local perturbation analysis (a kind of nonlinear stability analysis), and an approximation of nonlinear feedback by sharp switches. We compare the Rac-Rho model to an even simpler single-GTPase (‘wave-pinning’) model and demonstrate that the overall behavior is inherent to GTPase properties, rather than stemming solely from network topology.

Mutations Preventing Regulated Exon Skipping in MET Cause Osteofibrous Dysplasia

PubMed Central

Gray, Mary J.; Kannu, Peter; Sharma, Swarkar; Neyt, Christine; Zhang, Dongping; Paria, Nandina; Daniel, Philip B.; Whetstone, Heather; Sprenger, Hans-Georg; Hammerschmidt, Philipp; Weng, Angela; Dupuis, Lucie; Jobling, Rebekah; Mendoza-Londono, Roberto; Dray, Michael; Su, Peiqiang; Wilson, Megan J.; Kapur, Raj P.; McCarthy, Edward F.; Alman, Benjamin A.; Howard, Andrew; Somers, Gino R.; Marshall, Christian R.; Manners, Simon; Flanagan, Adrienne M.; Rathjen, Karl E.; Karol, Lori A.; Crawford, Haemish; Markie, David M.; Rios, Jonathan J.; Wise, Carol A.; Robertson, Stephen P.

2015-01-01

The periosteum contributes to bone repair and maintenance of cortical bone mass. In contrast to the understanding of bone development within the epiphyseal growth plate, factors that regulate periosteal osteogenesis have not been studied as intensively. Osteofibrous dysplasia (OFD) is a congenital disorder of osteogenesis and is typically sporadic and characterized by radiolucent lesions affecting the cortical bone immediately under the periosteum of the tibia and fibula. We identified germline mutations in MET, encoding a receptor tyrosine kinase, that segregate with an autosomal-dominant form of OFD in three families and a mutation in a fourth affected subject from a simplex family and with bilateral disease. Mutations identified in all families with dominant inheritance and in the one simplex subject with bilateral disease abolished the splice inclusion of exon 14 in MET transcripts, which resulted in a MET receptor (METΔ14) lacking a cytoplasmic juxtamembrane domain. Splice exclusion of this domain occurs during normal embryonic development, and forced induction of this exon-exclusion event retarded osteoblastic differentiation in vitro and inhibited bone-matrix mineralization. In an additional subject with unilateral OFD, we identified a somatic MET mutation, also affecting exon 14, that substituted a tyrosine residue critical for MET receptor turnover and, as in the case of the METΔ14 mutations, had a stabilizing effect on the mature protein. Taken together, these data show that aberrant MET regulation via the juxtamembrane domain subverts core MET receptor functions that regulate osteogenesis within cortical diaphyseal bone. PMID:26637977

New Alzheimer's disease locus on chromosome 8.

PubMed

Giedraitis, V; Hedlund, M; Skoglund, L; Blom, E; Ingvast, S; Brundin, R; Lannfelt, L; Glaser, A

2006-12-01

Family history is one of the most consistent risk factors for dementia. Therefore, analysis of families with a distinct inheritance pattern of disease can be a powerful approach for the identification of previously unknown disease genes. To map susceptibility regions for Alzheimer's disease. A complete genome scan with 369 microsatellite markers was carried out in 12 extended families collected in Sweden. Age at disease onset ranged from 53 to 78 years, but in 10 of the families there was at least one member with age at onset of < or =65 years. Mutations in known early-onset Alzheimer's disease susceptibility genes have been excluded. All people were genotyped for APOE, but no clear linkage with the epsilon4 allele was observed. Although no common disease locus could be found in all families, in two families an extended haplotype was identified on chromosome 8q shared by all affected members. In one of the families, a non-parametric multimarker logarithm of the odds (LOD) score of 4.2 (p = 0.004) was obtained and analysis based on a dominant model showed a parametric LOD score of 2.4 for this region. All six affected members of this family shared a haplotype of 10 markers spanning about 40 cM. Three affected members in another family also shared a haplotype in the same region. On the basis of our data, we propose the existence of a dominantly acting Alzheimer's disease susceptibility locus on chromosome 8.

Key Impact Factors on Dam Break Fatalities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, D.; Yu, Z.; Song, Y.; Han, D.; Li, Y.

2016-12-01

Dam failures can lead to catastrophes on human society. However, there is a lack of research about dam break fatalities, especially on the key factors that affect fatalities. Based on the analysis of historical dam break cases, most studies have used the regression analysis to explore the correlation between those factors and fatalities, but without implementing optimization to find the dominating factors. In order to understand and reduce the risk of fatalities, this study has proposed a new method to select the impact factors on the fatality. It employs an improved ANN (Artificial Neural Network) combined with LOOCV (Leave-one-out cross-validation) and SFS (Stepwise Forward Selection) approach to explore the nonlinear relationship between impact factors and life losses. It not only considers the factors that have been widely used in the literature but also introduces new factors closely involved with fatalities. Dam break cases occurred in China from 1954 to 2013 are summarized, within which twenty-five cases are selected with a comprehensive coverage of geographic position and temporal variation. Twelve impact factors are taken into account as the inputs, i.e., severity of dam break flood (SF), population at risk (PR), public understanding of dam break (UB), warning time (TW), evacuation condition (EC), weather condition during dam break (WB), dam break mode (MB), water storage (SW), building vulnerability (VB), dam break time (TB), average distance from the affected area to the dam (DD) and preventive measures by government (PG).From those, three key factors of SF, MB and TB are chosen. The proposed method is able to extract the key factors, and the derived fatality model performs well in various types of dam break conditions.

Factors affecting private forest landowner interest in ecosystem management: linking spatial and survey data.

PubMed

Jacobson, Michael G

2002-10-01

Many factors influence forest landowner management decisions. This study examines landowner decisions regarding participation in ecosystem management activities, such as a landscape corridor cutting across their private lands. Landscape corridors are recognized worldwide as an important tool in biodiversity conservation. For ecosystem management activities to occur in areas dominated by a multitude of small private forest landholdings, landowner participation and cooperation is necessary. Data from a survey of landowners combined with an analysis of their land's spatial attributes is used to assess their interest in ecosystem management. Results suggest that spatial attributes are not good predictors of an owner's interest in ecosystem management. Other factors such as attitudes and opinions about the environment are more effective in explaining landowner interest. The results have implications for any land manager using GIS data and implementing ecosystem management activities on private forestland.

What makes people read an online review? The relative effects of posting time and helpfulness on review readership.

PubMed

Lee, Jung

2013-07-01

This study explores the factors that make online customers select which reviews to read among the various ones on the Web. While most of literature on online consumer reviews has conveniently assumed that more helpful reviews would be read by more customers, no empirical study has tested whether the helpfulness assessment actually increases readership. Hence, this study explores various factors affecting consumer review readership and proposes that although helpfulness assessment promotes the readership of a review, the most dominant factor contributing to readership is the time of posting. A review posted late loses a significant chance of being read by consumers even if it is assessed as helpful by other readers. The hypotheses are tested using the data collected from Amazon.com , and the result of the study advises practitioners to display reviews in a manner that lessens the impact of posting time while enhancing the helpfulness voting systems.

Organizational/institutional factors affecting performance in the nuclear power industry

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

Benson, J.L.

1992-01-01

The dramatic macro experiences occurring at Three Mile Island and Chernobyl as well as the cumulative micro experiences represented by sky-rocketing costs and public concerns have demonstrated how the institutionally and organizationally related aspects of the nuclear power industry have dominated and shaped the technical ones. Further, given the relatively stable or evolutionary nature of the technology as it is currently applied, these institutional and organizational factors contain the roots of most of the complications/problems associated with the industry relative to achieving any or all of its future performance objectives (technical, economic, and safety). Some technology transfer was attempted bymore » the author from the field of general systems/cybernetics, which was explicitly aimed at dealing with the organizational/institutional factors, i.e., the problems and issues were approached using principles and methodology substantially different from that typically seen from applications based on the more traditional paradigmic engineering/industrial management orientation.« less

Caring and Dominance Affect Participants’ Perceptions and Behaviors During a Virtual Medical Visit

PubMed Central

Hall, Judith A.; Roter, Debra L.

2008-01-01

BACKGROUND Physician communication style affects patients’ perceptions and behaviors. Two aspects of physician communication style, caring and dominance, are often related in that a high caring physician is usually not dominant and vice versa. OBJECTIVE This research was aimed at testing the sole or joint impact of physician caring and physician dominance on participant perceptions and behavior during the medical visit. PARTICIPANTS AND DESIGN In an experimental design, analog patients (APs) (167 university students) interacted with a computer-generated virtual physician on a computer screen. Participants were randomly assigned to 1 of 4 experimental conditions (physician communication style: high dominance and low caring, high dominance and high caring, low dominance and low caring, or low dominance and high caring). The APs’ verbal and nonverbal behavior during the visit as well as their perception of the virtual physician were assessed. RESULTS Analog patients were able to distinguish dominance and caring dimensions of the virtual physician’s communication. Moreover, APs provided less medical information, spoke less, and agreed more when interacting with a high-dominant compared to a low-dominant physician. They also talked more about emotions and were quicker in taking their turn to speak when interacting with a high-caring compared to a low-caring physician. CONCLUSIONS Dominant and caring physicians elicit different emotional and behavioral responses from APs. Physician dominance reduces patient engagement in the medical dialog and produces submissiveness, whereas physician caring increases patient emotionality. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s11606-008-0512-5) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users. PMID:18259824

Environmental, genetic and social factors affecting the expression of estrus in beef cows.

PubMed

Landaeta-Hernández, Antonio J; Yelich, Joel V; Lemaster, J Willard; Fields, Michael J; Tran, Than; Chase, Chad C; Rae, D Owen; Chenoweth, Peter J

2002-03-01

Genetic, social and environmental factors affecting behavioral estrus were evaluated in Angus (n = 10), Brahman (n = 10) and Senepol (n = 10) cows during a PGF2alpha synchronized estrus and subsequent spontaneous estrus. Cows were equally stratified by breed to two groups of 15. Both groups were pre-synchronized with a modified two-injection PGF2alpha protocol. At the start of the experiment, cows were treated with 25 mg PGF2alpha followed by a second and third administration of 12.5 mg PGF2alpha, 11 and 12 days later to induce synchronized estrus. The subsequent estrus was designated as spontaneous estrus. Behavioral estrus data including the onset and end of estrus, estrous duration and the total number of mounts received for the synchronized and spontaneous estruses were collected using HeatWatch". Interval from the third PGF2alpha, treatment to the onset of a HeatWatch" estrus occurred earlier (P < 0.05) in Angus (31 +/- 5 h) than Brahman (53 +/- 7 h) or Senepol (53 +/- 4 h) cows, with dominant Senepol and Brahman cows taking longer to exhibit estrus after PGF2alpha than subordinate cows. The duration of the synchronized estrus tended to be shorter (P < 0.06) in Senepol (12 +/- 3 h) than in Angus (19 +/- 2 h) or Brahman (17 +/- 2 h) cows. Behavioral estrus data between the two periods were confounded by greater temperature-humidity index (THI) values during spontaneous estrus. The THI during spontaneous estrus appeared (P = 0.09) to affect the duration of estrus (9 +/- 1 h versus 16 +/- 1 h) and did affect (P < 0.0001) the total number of mounts received (8 +/- 4 mounts versus 34 +/- 4 mounts) during spontaneous estrus compared to synchronized estrus. Breed had no effect (P > 0.10) on the duration and total number of mounts received during synchronized and spontaneous estruses. In conclusion, type of estrus (synchronized or spontaneous), THI, social dominance and breed exerted significant effects on characteristics associated with behavioral estrus in beef cattle in subtropical environments.

Main and interactive effects of multiple global-change factors on soil respiration and its components: a meta-analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhou, Xuhui

2014-05-01

Global change usually involves simultaneous changes in multiple environmental factors, which may considerably affect ecosystem structure and functioning and alter ecosystem services to human society. With increased awareness of their potential interactions, some multi-factorial studies have been conducted to investigate their main and interactive effects on carbon (C) cycling in terrestrial ecosystem. However, how multiple global-change factors affected soil respiration (Rs) and its components (i.e., autotrophic (Ra) and heterotrophic respiration (Rh)) remains controversial among individual studies. In this study, we conducted a meta-analysis to examine the main and possible 2- or 3-factor interactive effects with warming (W), elevated CO2 (E), nitrogen addition (N), increased precipitation (I) and drought (D) on Rs and its components from 150 published papers. Our results show that E, W, I and N significantly stimulated Rs by 29.23%, 7.19%, 22.95%, and 16.90% (p<0.05), respectively, while I depressed it by 16.90% (p<0.01). E consistently induced a significant positive effect on both Ra and Rh, while I affected them with an opposite trend. Among nine two-way interactive effects on Rs, synergistic interaction (i.e., the effect of combined treatment > the additive effects of single two main factors) occurred in E×N, E×W, I×N, and D×W, while neutral interaction (i.e., the effect of combined treatment ≡ the additive one) and antagonistic interaction (i.e., the effect of combined treatment < the additive one)was rare, only in I×W for neutral one and in N×W and I×E for the latter. In addition, E×W and E×N displayed synergistic interactions on Rh. The more dominance of synergistic interactions in two-way interactive effects on Rs and Rh may determine a central positive tendency of Rs in future, and affect the feedback of terrestrial C cycle to the climate system correspondingly.

Factors Affecting Loss of Tympanic Membrane Mobility in Acute Otitis Media Model of Chinchilla

PubMed Central

Guan, Xiying; Chen, Yongzheng; Gan, Rong Z.

2014-01-01

Recently we reported that middle ear pressure (MEP), middle ear effusion (MEE), and ossicular changes each contribute to the loss of tympanic membrane (TM) mobility in a guinea pig model of acute otitis media (AOM) induced by S. pneumoniae (Guan and Gan, 2013). However, it is not clear how those factors vary along the course of the disease and whether those effects are reproducible in different species. In this study, a chinchilla AOM model was produced by transbullar injection of Haemophilus influenzae. Mobility of the TM at the umbo was measured by laser vibrometry in two treatment groups: 4 days (4D) and 8 days (8D) post inoculation. These time points represent relatively early and later phases of AOM. In each group, the vibration of the umbo was measured at three experimental stages: unopened, pressure-released, and effusion-removed ears. The effects of MEP and MEE and middle ear structural changes were quantified in each group by comparing the TM mobility at one stage with that of the previous stage. Our findings show that the factors affecting TM mobility do change with the disease time course. The MEP was the dominant contributor to reduction of TM mobility in 4D AOM ears, but showed little effect in 8D ears when MEE filled the tympanic cavity. MEE was the primary factor affecting TM mobility loss in 8D ears, but affected the 4D ears only at high frequencies. After the release of MEP and removal of MEE, residual loss of TM mobility was seen mainly at low frequencies in both 4D and 8D ears, and was associated with middle ear structural changes. Our findings establish that the factors contributing to TM mobility loss in the chinchilla ear were similar to those we reported previously for the guinea pig ears with AOM. Outcomes did not appear to differ between the two major bacterial species causing AOM in these animal models. PMID:24406734

Aspect-related Vegetation Differences Amplify Soil Moisture Variability in Semiarid Landscapes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yetemen, O.; Srivastava, A.; Kumari, N.; Saco, P. M.

2017-12-01

Soil moisture variability (SMV) in semiarid landscapes is affected by vegetation, soil texture, climate, aspect, and topography. The heterogeneity in vegetation cover that results from the effects of microclimate, terrain attributes (slope gradient, aspect, drainage area etc.), soil properties, and spatial variability in precipitation have been reported to act as the dominant factors modulating SMV in semiarid ecosystems. However, the role of hillslope aspect in SMV, though reported in many field studies, has not received the same degree of attention probably due to the lack of extensive large datasets. Numerical simulations can then be used to elucidate the contribution of aspect-driven vegetation patterns to this variability. In this work, we perform a sensitivity analysis to study on variables driving SMV using the CHILD landscape evolution model equipped with a spatially-distributed solar-radiation component that couples vegetation dynamics and surface hydrology. To explore how aspect-driven vegetation heterogeneity contributes to the SMV, CHILD was run using a range of parameters selected to reflect different scenarios (from uniform to heterogeneous vegetation cover). Throughout the simulations, the spatial distribution of soil moisture and vegetation cover are computed to estimate the corresponding coefficients of variation. Under the uniform spatial precipitation forcing and uniform soil properties, the factors affecting the spatial distribution of solar insolation are found to play a key role in the SMV through the emergence of aspect-driven vegetation patterns. Hence, factors such as catchment gradient, aspect, and latitude, define water stress and vegetation growth, and in turn affect the available soil moisture content. Interestingly, changes in soil properties (porosity, root depth, and pore-size distribution) over the domain are not as effective as the other factors. These findings show that the factors associated to aspect-related vegetation differences amplify the soil moisture variability of semi-arid landscapes.

Natural and anthropogenic factors affecting the shallow groundwater quality in a typical irrigation area with reclaimed water, North China Plain.

PubMed

Gu, Xiaomin; Xiao, Yong; Yin, Shiyang; Pan, Xingyao; Niu, Yong; Shao, Jingli; Cui, Yali; Zhang, Qiulan; Hao, Qichen

2017-09-22

In this study, the hydrochemical characteristics of shallow groundwater were analyzed to get insight into the factors affecting groundwater quality in a typical agricultural dominated area of the North China Plain. Forty-four shallow groundwater samples were collected for chemical analysis. The water type changes from Ca·Na-HCO 3 type in grass land to Ca·Na-Cl (+NO 3 ) type and Na (Ca)-Cl (+NO 3 +SO 4 ) type in construction and facility agricultural land, indicating the influence of human activities. The factor analysis and geostatistical analysis revealed that the two major factors contributing to the groundwater hydrochemical compositions were the water-rock interaction and contamination from sewage discharge and agricultural fertilizers. The major ions (F, HCO 3 ) and trace element (As) in the shallow groundwater represented the natural origin, while the nitrate and sulfate concentrations were related to the application of fertilizer and sewage discharge in the facility agricultural area, which was mainly affected by the human activities. The values of pH, total dissolved solids, electric conductivity, and conventional component (K, Ca, Na, Mg, Cl) in shallow groundwater increased from grass land and cultivated land, to construction land and to facility agriculture which were originated from the combination sources of natural processes (e.g., water-rock interaction) and human activities (e.g., domestic effluents). The study indicated that both natural processes and human activities had influences on the groundwater hydrochemical compositions in shallow groundwater, while anthropogenic processes had more contribution, especially in the reclaimed water irrigation area.

Transitions and coexistence along a grazing gradient in the Eurasian steppe

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ren, Haiyan; Taube, Friedelm; Zhang, Yingjun; Bai, Yongfei; Hu, Shuijin

2017-04-01

Ecological resilience theory has often been applied to explain species coexistence and range condition assessment of various community states and to explicate the dynamics of ecosystems. Grazing is a primary disturbance that can alter rangeland resilience by causing hard-to-reverse transitions in grasslands. Yet, how grazing affects the coexistence of plant functional group (PFG) and transition remains unclear. We conducted a six-year grazing experiment in a typical steppe of Inner Mongolia, using seven grazing intensities (0, 1.5, 3.0, 4.5, 6.0, 7.5 and 9.0 sheep/ hectare) and two grazing systems (i.e. a continuous annual grazing as in the traditional grazing system, and a mixed grazing system combining grazing and haymaking), to examine grazing effects on plant functional group shifts and species coexistence in the semi-arid grassland system. Our results indicate that the relative richness of dominant bunchgrasses and forbs had a compensatory coexistence at all grazing intensities, and the richness of rhizomatous grasses fluctuated but was persistent. The relative productivity of dominant bunchgrasses and rhizomatous grasses had compensatory interactions with grazing intensity and grazing system. Dominant bunchgrasses and rhizomatous grasses resist grazing effects by using their dominant species functional traits: high specific leaf area and low leaf nitrogen content. Our results suggest that: 1. Stabilizing mechanisms beyond grazing management are more important in determining plant functional group coexistence and ecological resilience. 2. Plant functional group composition is more important in influencing ecosystem functioning than diversity. 3. Ecosystem resilience at a given level is related to the biomass of dominant PFG, which is determined by a balanced shift between dominant species biomass. The relatively even ecosystem resilience along the grazing gradient is attributed to the compensatory interactions of dominant species in their biomass variations. Community stability may rely on constantly regulating internal PFGs composition to maintain functional stability in grassland ecosystems. In the semi-arid grassland system, environmental factors mediate grazing effects on PFG transition, leading to homogeneous grassland dominated by bunchgrass.

Dominant Drop mutants are gain-of-function alleles of the muscle segment homeobox gene (msh) whose overexpression leads to the arrest of eye development.

PubMed

Mozer, B A

2001-05-15

Dominant Drop (Dr) mutations are nearly eyeless and have additional recessive phenotypes including lethality and patterning defects in eye and sensory bristles due to cis-regulatory lesions in the cell cycle regulator string (stg). Genetic analysis demonstrates that the dominant small eye phenotype is the result of separate gain-of-function mutations in the closely linked muscle segment homeobox (msh) gene, encoding a homeodomain transcription factor required for patterning of muscle and nervous system. Reversion of the Dr(Mio) allele was coincident with the generation of lethal loss-of-function mutations in msh in cis, suggesting that the dominant eye phenotype is the result of ectopic expression. Molecular genetic analysis revealed that two dominant Dr alleles contain lesions upstream of the msh transcription start site. In the Dr(Mio) mutant, a 3S18 retrotransposon insertion is the target of second-site mutations (P-element insertions or deletions) which suppress the dominant eye phenotype following reversion. The pattern of 3S18 expression and the absence of msh in eye imaginal discs suggest that transcriptional activation of the msh promoter accounts for ectopic expression. Dr dominant mutations arrest eye development by blocking the progression of the morphogenetic furrow leading to photoreceptor cell loss via apoptosis. Gal4-mediated ubiquitous expression of msh in third-instar larvae was sufficient to arrest the morphogenetic furrow in the eye imaginal disc and resulted in lethality prior to eclosion. Dominant mutations in the human msx2 gene, one of the vertebrate homologs of msh, are associated with craniosynostosis, a disease affecting cranial development. The Dr mutations are the first example of gain-of-function mutations in the msh/msx gene family identified in a genetically tractible model organism and may serve as a useful tool to identify additional genes that regulate this class of homeodomain proteins. Copyright 2001 Academic Press.

Osteosarcoma inheritance in two families of Scottish deerhounds.

PubMed

Dillberger, John E; McAtee, Sara Ann

2017-01-01

Osteosarcoma is the most common neoplastic disease in Scottish Deerhounds. For Deerhounds, a 2007 population-based study concluded that a single dominant genetic factor largely governed disease risk. For Greyhounds, Rottweilers, and Irish Wolfhounds, a 2013 genome-wide association study found multiple genetic markers in each breed, with each marker only weakly associated with the disease. We obtained from two breeders the pedigrees, age (if alive) or age at death, and osteosarcoma status for two families of Scottish Deerhounds, designated Cohorts K and T. A dog was considered unaffected only if it was osteosarcoma-free and at least 8.5 years old. We analyzed the data in two ways, by assuming either a single recessive genetic factor or a single dominant genetic factor with high penetrance. Cohort K contained 54 evaluable dogs representing 12 litters. Cohort T contained 56 evaluable dogs representing eight litters. Osteosarcoma seemed clearly heritable in both cohorts; however, having a parent with osteosarcoma raised a pup's risk of developing osteosarcoma to 38% for Cohort K but 78% for Cohort T, suggesting the possibility of different genetic risk factors in each cohort. In Cohort K, osteosarcoma inheritance fit well with a single, recessive, autosomal risk factor, although we could not rule out the possibility of a single dominant risk factor with incomplete penetrance. In Cohort T, inheritance could be explained well by a single, dominant, autosomal risk factor but was inconsistent with recessive expression. Inheritance of osteosarcoma in two Scottish Deerhound families could be explained well by a single genetic risk factor residing on an autosome, consistent with a 2007 report. In one family, inheritance was consistent with dominant expression, as previously reported. In the other family, inheritance fit better with recessive expression, although the possibility of a dominant genetic factor influenced by one or more other genetic factors could not be ruled out. In either case, the results suggest that there may be at least two different genetic risk factors for osteosarcoma in Deerhounds.

Test of an antifouling treatment on tuna fish-cages in Boston Bay, Port Lincoln, South Australia.

PubMed

Svane, Ib; Cheshire, Anthony; Barnett, Jeremy

2006-01-01

A test of the antifouling properties of Wattyl NetClear was conducted on fish farms containing southern bluefin tuna (Thunnus maccoyii) during a 6-month period (February-July 2002). Wattyl NetClear is a water-based synthetic latex-based coating where the active antifouling agent is a mixture of two isothiazolinones likely to affect both biochemical conditioning and bacterial colonisation. The development of fouling was monitored using underwater stereo-photogrammetry on 3 treated and 3 untreated net cages with the main factors treatment, depth and cage nested within treatment. A significant treatment and depth effect was found but variable through time and in some instances with significant cage effects. By the end of the study, the difference in fouling load between treated and untreated nets was 14.7%. In total 72% of all free-space data points were on treated nets. The dominating fouling organisms were Enteromorpha sp. and sponges with low settlement of blue mussel and paper oysters. Passive deposition of tuna faeces contributed significantly to the cover. The largest cover of fouling was observed in April-May with a dominance of sponges in June-July. Enteromorpha sp. dominated shallow depths while sponges dominated at deeper levels. Tuna faeces were distributed independent of depth but varied with time. The results showed that fouling of fish cages consisted of both active settlement and passive deposition, the latter independent on antifouling treatment.

EVOLUTIONARY PERSPECTIVES IN A MUTUALISM OF SEPIOLID SQUID AND BIOLUMINESCENT BACTERIA: COMBINED USAGE OF MICROBIAL EXPERIMENTAL EVOLUTION AND TEMPORAL POPULATION GENETICS

PubMed Central

Soto, W.; Punke, E. B.; Nishiguchi, M. K.

2013-01-01

The symbiosis between marine bioluminescent Vibrio bacteria and the sepiolid squid Euprymna is a model for studying animal–bacterial Interactions. Vibrio symbionts native to particular Euprymna species are competitively dominant, capable of outcompeting foreign Vibrio strains from other Euprymna host species. Despite competitive dominance, secondary colonization events by invading nonnative Vibrio fischeri have occurred. Competitive dominance can be offset through superior nonnative numbers and advantage of early start host colonization by nonnatives, granting nonnative vibrios an opportunity to establish beachheads in foreign Euprymna hosts. Here, we show that nonnative V. fischeri are capable of rapid adaptation to novel sepiolid squid hosts by serially passaging V. fischeri JRM200 (native to Hawaiian Euprymna scolopes) lines through the novel Australian squid host E. tasmanica for 500 generations. These experiments were complemented by a temporal population genetics survey of V. fischeri, collected from E. tasmanica over a decade, which provided a perspective from the natural history of V. fischeri evolution over 15,000–20,000 generations in E. tasmanica. No symbiont anagenic evolution within squids was observed, as competitive dominance does not purge V. fischeri genetic diversity through time. Instead, abiotic factors affecting abundance of V. fischeri variants in the planktonic phase sustain temporal symbiont diversity, a property itself of ecological constraints imposed by V. fischeri host adaptation. PMID:22519773

Diatom-driven recolonization of microbial mat-dominated siliciclastic tidal flat sediments.

PubMed

Pan, Jerónimo; Cuadrado, Diana G; Bournod, Constanza N

2017-10-01

Modern microbial mats and biofilms play a paramount role in sediment biostabilization. When sporadic storms affect tidal flats of Bahía Blanca Estuary, the underlying siliciclastic sediment is exposed by physical disruption of the mat, and in a few weeks' lapse, a microbial community re-establishes. With the objective of studying colonization patterns and the ecological succession of microorganisms at the scale of these erosional structures, these were experimentally made and their biological recolonization followed for 8 weeks, with replication in winter and spring. Motile pennate diatoms led the initial colonization following two distinct patterns: a dominance by Cylindrotheca closterium in winter and by naviculoid and nitzschioid diatoms in spring. During the first 7 days, cell numbers increased 2- to 17-fold. Cell densities further increased exhibiting sigmoidal community growth, reaching 2.9-8.9 × 106 cells cm-3 maxima around day 30; centric diatoms maintained low densities throughout. In 56 days after removal of the original mat, filamentous cyanobacteria that dominate mature mats did not establish a significant biomass, leading to the rejection of the hypothesis that cyanobacteria would drive the colonization. The observed dominance of pennate diatoms is attributed to extrinsic factors determined by tidal flooding, and intrinsic ones, e.g. motility, nutrient affinity and high growth rate. © FEMS 2017. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Lessons learned from multifrequency acoustic studies of zooplankton and micronekton in the western Antarctic Peninsula and the Gulf of Maine

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lavery, Andone C.; Lawson, Gareth L.; Wiebe, Peter H.

2005-09-01

A series of acoustic surveys of zooplankton and micronekton have been performed in the Gulf of Maine (GOM), off the northeast United States, and along the western Antarctic Peninsula (WAP). Similar techniques were used to survey these regions, including multifrequency acoustic backscatter (43, 120, 200, 420, 1000 kHz), MOCNESS, CTD, VPR, and in some instances physical microstructure measurements. The GOM is characterized by heterogeneous zooplankton communities in which biomass is dominated by abundant millimeter sized copepods, but the scattering is frequently dominated by a smaller number of strong scatterers, such as shelled pteropods and gas-bearing siphonophores. Heterogeneous zooplankton communities are also observed in the WAP, but patches of comparatively large (40 mm) Antarctic krill are present and often dominate the scattering. In both regions, striking patterns are evident in the backscatter that can be related to the biological community structure and physical processes. Differences in community structure, however, strongly affect the quantitative inferences that can be made based on the acoustic data. Combining direct biological and environmental information with recently developed scattering models has allowed dominant scatterers to be identified and inferences to be made regarding the physical factors influencing backscatter variability, though only under limited conditions. Highlights from these studies and lessons learned regarding our ability to interpret multifrequency acoustics are presented.

[Distributions of Mental Disorders and Psychosocial Pressures in Children and Adolescence of a Psychiatric Health Care Population].

PubMed

Belhadj Kouider, Esmahan; Dupont, Marc; Lorenz, Alfred L; Petermann, Franz

2016-07-01

Distributions in children's or adolescents' mental disorders or in psychosocial pressures were demonstrated. The health care population in child- and adolescent psychiatric institutions of Bremen in 2005 - 2012 (N = 7190) was analyzed. Amongst other burden factors pressures in school context or abnormal social environments increased significantly. Adjustment stress disorders or externalizing disorders were dominant, but the prevalence in affective and anxiety disorders increased considerably. The co-operation with school authorities or agencies should be intensified. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

Elucidation of the factors affecting the oxidative activity of Acremonium sp. HI-25 ascorbate oxidase by an electrochemical approach

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

Murata, Kenichi; Nakamura, Nobuhumi; Ohno, Hiroyuki

Steady-state kinetics of Acremonium sp. HI-25 ascorbate oxidase toward p-hydroquinone derivatives have been examined by using an electrochemical analysis based on the theory of steady-state bioelectrocatalysis. The electrochemical technique has enabled one to examine the influence of electronic and chemical properties of substrates on the activity. It was proven that the oxidative activity of ascorbate oxidase was dominated by the highly selective substrate-binding affinity based on electrostatic interaction beyond the one-electron redox potential difference between ascorbate oxidase's type 1 copper site and substrate.

A splice-site mutation affecting the paired box of PAX3 in a three generation family with Waardenburg syndrome type I (WS1).

PubMed

Attaie, A; Kim, E; Wilcox, E R; Lalwani, A K

1997-06-01

Waardenburg syndrome, an autosomal dominant disorder characterized by sensorineural hearing loss, pigmentary disturbances and other developmental defects, is the most frequent form of congenital deafness in humans. Mutations in the PAX3 gene, a transcription factor expressed during embryonic development, is associated with WS types I and III. Here we report the identification of a novel acceptor splice site mutation (86-2 A-->G) in the paired domain of the human PAX3 gene causing WS type I in a three generation family.

Time-Dependent Behavior of a Graphite/Thermoplastic Composite and the Effects of Stress and Physical Aging

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gates, Thomas S.; Feldman, Mark

1995-01-01

Experimental studies were performed to determine the effects of stress and physical aging on the matrix dominated time dependent properties of IM7/8320 composite. Isothermal tensile creep/aging test techniques developed for polymers were adapted for testing of the composite material. Time dependent transverse and shear compliance's for an orthotropic plate were found from short term creep compliance measurements at constant, sub-T(8) temperatures. These compliance terms were shown to be affected by physical aging. Aging time shift factors and shift rates were found to be a function of temperature and applied stress.

Fundamental factors affecting biomass enzymatic reactivity.

PubMed

Chang, V S; Holtzapple, M T

2000-01-01

Poplar wood was treated with peracetic acid, KOH, and ball milling to produce 147 model lignocelluloses with a broad spectrum of lignin contents, acetyl contents, and crystallinity indices (CrIs), respectively. An empirical model was identified that describes the roles of these three properties in enzymatic hydrolysis. Lignin content and CrI have the greatest impact on biomass digestibility, whereas acetyl content has a minor impact. The digestibility of several lime-treated biomass samples agreed with the empirical model. Lime treatment removes all acetyl groups and a moderate amount of lignin and increases CrI slightly; lignin removal is the dominant benefit from lime treatment.

High prevalence of mutations affecting the splicing process in a Spanish cohort with autosomal dominant retinitis pigmentosa

PubMed Central

Ezquerra-Inchausti, Maitane; Barandika, Olatz; Anasagasti, Ander; Irigoyen, Cristina; López de Munain, Adolfo; Ruiz-Ederra, Javier

2017-01-01

Retinitis pigmentosa is the most frequent group of inherited retinal dystrophies. It is highly heterogeneous, with more than 80 disease-causing genes 27 of which are known to cause autosomal dominant RP (adRP), having been identified. In this study a total of 29 index cases were ascertained based on a family tree compatible with adRP. A custom panel of 31 adRP genes was analysed by targeted next-generation sequencing using the Ion PGM platform in combination with Sanger sequencing. This allowed us to detect putative disease-causing mutations in 14 out of the 29 (48.28%) families analysed. Remarkably, around 38% of all adRP cases analysed showed mutations affecting the splicing process, mainly due to mutations in genes coding for spliceosome factors (SNRNP200 and PRPF8) but also due to splice-site mutations in RHO. Twelve of the 14 mutations found had been reported previously and two were novel mutations found in PRPF8 in two unrelated patients. In conclusion, our results will lead to more accurate genetic counselling and will contribute to a better characterisation of the disease. In addition, they may have a therapeutic impact in the future given the large number of studies currently underway based on targeted RNA splicing for therapeutic purposes. PMID:28045043

Observed correlations between aerosol and cloud properties in an Indian Ocean trade cumulus regime

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pistone, Kristina; Praveen, Puppala S.; Thomas, Rick M.; Ramanathan, Veerabhadran; Wilcox, Eric M.; Bender, Frida A.-M.

2017-04-01

There are multiple factors which affect the micro- and macrophysical properties of clouds, including the atmospheric vertical structure and dominant meteorological conditions in addition to aerosol concentration, all of which may be coupled to one another. In the quest to determine aerosol effects on clouds, these potential relationships must be understood. As bio- and fossil fuel combustion has increased in southeast Asia, corresponding increases in atmospheric aerosol pollution have been seen over the surrounding regions. These emissions notably include black carbon (BC) aerosols, which absorb rather than reflect solar radiation, affecting the atmosphere over the Indian Ocean through direct warming in addition to modifying cloud microphysical properties. The CARDEX (Cloud, Aerosol, Radiative forcing, Dynamics EXperiment) field campaign was conducted during the winter monsoon season (February and March) of 2012 in the northern Indian Ocean, a region dominated by trade cumulus clouds. During CARDEX, small unmanned aircraft were deployed, measuring aerosol, radiation, cloud, water vapor fluxes, and meteorological properties while a surface observatory collected continuous measurements of atmospheric precipitable water vapor (PWV), water vapor fluxes, surface and total-column aerosol, and cloud liquid water path (LWP). We present observations which indicate a positive correlation between aerosol and cloud LWP only when considering cases with low atmospheric water vapor (PWV)

The abundance and importance value of tree in “Sendang Kalimah Toyyibah” surrounding and its implication to the spring

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wiryani, Erry; Murningsih; Jumari

2018-05-01

One important factor affecting sustainability of spring is composition of vegetation around it. “Sendang Kalimah Toyyibah” is one of many springs in Semarang with intensive utilization. Vulnerability of spring can be monitored by dominant vegetation species indicated by vegetation importance value indices, especially for tree. This research aimed to study the variation of tree species around “Sendang Kalimah Toyyibah”, to analyze the importance value index of tree species and to analyze the implication of tree species which had dominant importance value index on “Sendang Kalimah Toyyibah” spring. Data collection was conducted via line transect with the length of 200 m on 4 directions which were defined based on the stream direction and the spring as the central point. Each transect has 4 observation plots occupying 20 x 20 m2. Data collection was including tree species, abundance, presence frequency and basal area of tree. Data analysis was conducted for vegetation importance value index. The result showed that around “Sendang Kalimah Toyyibah” there were 28 tree species inwhich the abundance was dominated by Mahogany (33 individuals stands), Albizia (31 stands), Coffee (20 stands), Coconut (18 stands), Mangosteen (16 stands) and Banana (16 stands). Vegetation importance value index around “Sendang Kalimah Toyyibah” was dominated by the above 7 treeswith important values (IV) respectively species including Mahogany (28,97%), Albizia (26,70%), Mangosteen (23,47%), Java Black Bamboo (22,18%), Coffee (19,23%), Coconut (17,98%) and Durian (16,41%). Cumulatively, these 7 treesspecieses dominated the importance value of tree around “Sendang Kalimah Toyyibah” which was 154,95%. These dominant species had represented the ecosystem function in infiltration, filtration and absorption of water which were required for spring ecosystem sustainability.

[Research advances in the effects of environmental factors on the growth and development of Aurelia spp].

PubMed

Wang, Jian-Yan; Yu, Zhi-Gang; Zhen, Yu; Mi, Tie-Zhu; Yao, Qing-Zhen; Wang, Guo-Shan

2012-11-01

Aurelia spp. is a cosmopolitan coastal species, and also, one dominant species of large jellyfish in the coastal waters of China. In recent years, Aurelia spp. bloom events occur frequently in the world, causing severe damage to marine ecosystems, coastal economy, and society development. Aurelia spp. has a complicated life history comprising a benthic asexually-reproducing polyp generation and a sexually-reproducing medusa generation, and various vegetative reproduction (budding, strobilation, and podocyst production) and sexual reproduction. Surrounding physical and biological factors affect each growth stage of Aurelia spp., especially the juvenile stage of planktonic-benthic life cycle, which has major effect on the population dynamics of Aurelia spp. This paper reviewed the research advances in the effects of environmental factors on Aurelia spp. at its different growth and development stages, and discussed some problems worthy of further study, aimed to provide useful reference for the research of the key factors controlling the jellyfish blooms in coastal waters of China.

Identifying the principal driving factors of water ecosystem dependence and the corresponding indicator species in a pilot City, China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, C. S.; Shao, N. F.; Yang, S. T.; Xiang, H.; Lou, H. Z.; Sun, Y.; Yang, Z. Y.; Zhang, Y.; Yu, X. Y.; Zhang, C. B.; Yu, Q.

2018-01-01

The world's aquatic ecosystems yield numerous vital services, which are essential to human existence but have deteriorated seriously in recent years. By studying the mechanisms of interaction between ecosystems and habitat processes, the constraining factors can be identified, and this knowledge can be used to improve the success rate of ecological restoration initiatives. At present, there is insufficient data on the link between hydrological, water quality factors and the changes in the structure of aquatic communities to allow any meaningful study of driving factors of aquatic ecosystems. In this study, the typical monitoring stations were selected by fuzzy clustering analysis based on the spatial and temporal distribution characteristics of water ecology in Jinan City, the first pilot city for the construction of civilized aquatic ecosystems in China. The dominant species identification model was used to identify the dominant species of the aquatic community. The driving effect of hydrological and water quality factors on dominant species was analyzed by Canonical Correspondence Analysis. Then, the principal factors of aquatic ecosystem dependence were selected. The results showed that there were 10 typical monitoring stations out of 59 monitoring sites, which were representative of aquatic ecosystems, 9 dominant fish species, and 20 dominant invertebrate species. The selection of factors for aquatic ecosystem dependence in Jinan were highly influenced by its regional conditions. Chemical environmental parameters influence the temporal and spatial variation of invertebrate much more than that of fish in Jinan City. However, the methodologies coupling typical monitoring stations selection, dominant species determination and driving factors identification were certified to be a cost-effective way, which can provide in-deep theoretical and technical directions for the restoration of aquatic ecosystems elsewhere.

Distribution of soft-bottom macrofauna in the deep open Baltic Sea in relation to environmental variability

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Laine, Ari O.

2003-05-01

To analyse the large-scale distribution of soft-bottom macrofauna in the open Baltic Sea, samples for species abundance and biomass were collected in 1996-1997. Benthic community structure was used to classify and describe different assemblages and the observed distribution of communities was related to environmental factors. Distinct benthic assemblages were found that were dominated by only a few species ( Harmothoe sarsi, Saduria entomon, Monoporeia affinis, Pontoporeia femorata and Macoma balthica). These assemblages were related to different subareas and/or depth zones of the Baltic Sea. Salinity or the combined effects of salinity, dissolved oxygen and sediment organic matter content best explained the patterns in community distribution, indicating the importance of hydrography and sediment quality as structuring factors of the macrozoobenthos communities. When compared to long-term studies on Baltic macrozoobenthos it is evident that the results represent only a momentary state in the succession of the open-sea communities, which have been affected by past changes in hydrography, and will be subject to future changes in accordance with the variable environment, affected by climate.

Factors Affecting Domestic Water Consumption in Rural Households upon Access to Improved Water Supply: Insights from the Wei River Basin, China

PubMed Central

Fan, Liangxin; Liu, Guobin; Wang, Fei; Geissen, Violette; Ritsema, Coen J.

2013-01-01

Comprehensively understanding water consumption behavior is necessary to design efficient and effective water use strategies. Despite global efforts to identify the factors that affect domestic water consumption, those related to domestic water use in rural regions have not been sufficiently studied, particularly in villages that have gained access to improved water supply. To address this gap, we investigated 247 households in eight villages in the Wei River Basin where three types of improved water supply systems are implemented. Results show that domestic water consumption in liters per capita per day was significantly correlated with water supply pattern and vegetable garden area, and significantly negatively correlated with family size and age of household head. Traditional hygiene habits, use of water appliances, and preference for vegetable gardening remain dominant behaviors in the villages with access to improved water supply. Future studies on rural domestic water consumption should pay more attention to user lifestyles (water appliance usage habits, outdoor water use) and cultural backgrounds (age, education). PMID:23977190

Factors affecting domestic water consumption in rural households upon access to improved water supply: insights from the Wei River Basin, China.

PubMed

Fan, Liangxin; Liu, Guobin; Wang, Fei; Geissen, Violette; Ritsema, Coen J

2013-01-01

Comprehensively understanding water consumption behavior is necessary to design efficient and effective water use strategies. Despite global efforts to identify the factors that affect domestic water consumption, those related to domestic water use in rural regions have not been sufficiently studied, particularly in villages that have gained access to improved water supply. To address this gap, we investigated 247 households in eight villages in the Wei River Basin where three types of improved water supply systems are implemented. Results show that domestic water consumption in liters per capita per day was significantly correlated with water supply pattern and vegetable garden area, and significantly negatively correlated with family size and age of household head. Traditional hygiene habits, use of water appliances, and preference for vegetable gardening remain dominant behaviors in the villages with access to improved water supply. Future studies on rural domestic water consumption should pay more attention to user lifestyles (water appliance usage habits, outdoor water use) and cultural backgrounds (age, education).

Field measurement and analysis of climatic factors affecting dune mobility near Grand Falls on the Navajo Nation, southwestern United States

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bogle, Rian; Redsteer, Margaret Hiza; Vogel, John M.

2015-01-01

Aeolian sand covers extensive areas of the Navajo Nation in the southwestern United States. Much of this sand is currently stabilized by vegetation, although many drier parts of these Native lands also have active and partly active dunes. Current prolonged drought conditions that started in the mid-1990s are producing significant changes in dune mobility. Reactivation of regional aeolian deposits due to drought or increasing aridity from rising temperatures resulting from climate change could have serious consequences for human and animal populations, agriculture, grazing, and infrastructure. To understand and document the current and future potential for mobility, seasonally repeated surveys were used to track the location of multiple active barchan dunes. By utilizing Real-Time Kinematic GPS field surveys and simultaneously collecting in-situ meteorological data, it is possible to examine climatic parameters and seasonal variations that affect dune mobility and their relative influences. Through analysis of the recorded data, we examined the fit of various climate parameters, and demonstrate that under the current prolonged drought, wind power is the dominant factor controlling dune mobility.

Non-auditory factors affecting urban soundscape evaluation.

PubMed

Jeon, Jin Yong; Lee, Pyoung Jik; Hong, Joo Young; Cabrera, Densil

2011-12-01

The aim of this study is to characterize urban spaces, which combine landscape, acoustics, and lighting, and to investigate people's perceptions of urban soundscapes through quantitative and qualitative analyses. A general questionnaire survey and soundwalk were performed to investigate soundscape perception in urban spaces. Non-auditory factors (visual image, day lighting, and olfactory perceptions), as well as acoustic comfort, were selected as the main contexts that affect soundscape perception, and context preferences and overall impressions were evaluated using an 11-point numerical scale. For qualitative analysis, a semantic differential test was performed in the form of a social survey, and subjects were also asked to describe their impressions during a soundwalk. The results showed that urban soundscapes can be characterized by soundmarks, and soundscape perceptions are dominated by acoustic comfort, visual images, and day lighting, whereas reverberance in urban spaces does not yield consistent preference judgments. It is posited that the subjective evaluation of reverberance can be replaced by physical measurements. The categories extracted from the qualitative analysis revealed that spatial impressions such as openness and density emerged as some of the contexts of soundscape perception. © 2011 Acoustical Society of America

Soil moisture dynamics and dominant controls at different spatial scales over semiarid and semi-humid areas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Suo, Lizhu; Huang, Mingbin; Zhang, Yongkun; Duan, Liangxia; Shan, Yan

2018-07-01

Soil moisture dynamics plays an active role in ecological and hydrological processes, and it depends on a large number of environmental factors, such as topographic attributes, soil properties, land use types, and precipitation. However, studies must still clarify the relative significance of these environmental factors at different soil depths and at different spatial scales. This study aimed: (1) to characterize temporal and spatial variations in soil moisture content (SMC) at four soil layers (0-40, 40-100, 100-200, and 200-500 cm) and three spatial scales (plot, hillslope, and region); and (2) to determine their dominant controls in diverse soil layers at different spatial scales over semiarid and semi-humid areas of the Loess Plateau, China. Given the high co-dependence of environmental factors, partial least squares regression (PLSR) was used to detect relative significance among 15 selected environmental factors that affect SMC. Temporal variation in SMC decreased with increasing soil depth, and vertical changes in the 0-500 cm soil profile were divided into a fast-changing layer (0-40 cm), an active layer (40-100 cm), a sub-active layer (100-200 cm), and a relatively stable layer (200-500 cm). PLSR models simulated SMC accurately in diverse soil layers at different scales; almost all values for variation in response (R2) and goodness of prediction (Q2) were >0.5 and >0.0975, respectively. Upper and lower layer SMCs were the two most important factors that influenced diverse soil layers at three scales, and these SMC variables exhibited the highest importance in projection (VIP) values. The 7-day antecedent precipitation and 7-day antecedent potential evapotranspiration contributed significantly to SMC only at the 0-40 cm soil layer. VIP of soil properties, especially sand and silt content, which influenced SMC strongly, increased significantly after increasing the measured scale. Mean annual precipitation and potential evapotranspiration also influenced SMC at the regional scale significantly. Overall, this study indicated that dominant controls of SMC varied among three spatial scales on the Loess Plateau, and VIP was a function of spatial scale and soil depth.

Evidence and implications of recent and projected climate change in Alaska's forest ecosystems

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wolken, Jane M.; Hollingsworth, Teresa N.; Rupp, T. Scott; Chapin, Stuart III; Trainor, Sarah F.; Barrett, Tara M.; Sullivan, Patrick F.; McGuire, A. David; Euskirchen, Eugénie S.; Hennon, Paul E.; Beever, Erik A.; Conn, Jeff S.; Crone, Lisa K.; D'Amore, David V.; Fresco, Nancy; Hanley, Thomas A.; Kielland, Knut; Kruse, James J.; Patterson, Trista; Schuur, Edward A.G.; Verbyla, David L.; Yarie, John

2011-01-01

The structure and function of Alaska's forests have changed significantly in response to a changing climate, including alterations in species composition and climate feedbacks (e.g., carbon, radiation budgets) that have important regional societal consequences and human feedbacks to forest ecosystems. In this paper we present the first comprehensive synthesis of climate-change impacts on all forested ecosystems of Alaska, highlighting changes in the most critical biophysical factors of each region. We developed a conceptual framework describing climate drivers, biophysical factors and types of change to illustrate how the biophysical and social subsystems of Alaskan forests interact and respond directly and indirectly to a changing climate. We then identify the regional and global implications to the climate system and associated socio-economic impacts, as presented in the current literature. Projections of temperature and precipitation suggest wildfire will continue to be the dominant biophysical factor in the Interior-boreal forest, leading to shifts from conifer- to deciduous-dominated forests. Based on existing research, projected increases in temperature in the Southcentral- and Kenai-boreal forests will likely increase the frequency and severity of insect outbreaks and associated wildfires, and increase the probability of establishment by invasive plant species. In the Coastal-temperate forest region snow and ice is regarded as the dominant biophysical factor. With continued warming, hydrologic changes related to more rapidly melting glaciers and rising elevation of the winter snowline will alter discharge in many rivers, which will have important consequences for terrestrial and marine ecosystem productivity. These climate-related changes will affect plant species distribution and wildlife habitat, which have regional societal consequences, and trace-gas emissions and radiation budgets, which are globally important. Our conceptual framework facilitates assessment of current and future consequences of a changing climate, emphasizes regional differences in biophysical factors, and points to linkages that may exist but that currently lack supporting research. The framework also serves as a visual tool for resource managers and policy makers to develop regional and global management strategies and to inform policies related to climate mitigation and adaptation.

Interaction between parental environment and genotype affects plant and seed performance in Arabidopsis.

PubMed

He, Hanzi; de Souza Vidigal, Deborah; Snoek, L Basten; Schnabel, Sabine; Nijveen, Harm; Hilhorst, Henk; Bentsink, Leónie

2014-12-01

Seed performance after dispersal is highly dependent on parental environmental cues, especially during seed formation and maturation. Here we examine which environmental factors are the most dominant in this respect and whether their effects are dependent on the genotypes under investigation. We studied the influence of light intensity, photoperiod, temperature, nitrate, and phosphate during seed development on five plant attributes and thirteen seed attributes, using 12 Arabidopsis genotypes that have been reported to be affected in seed traits. As expected, the various environments during seed development resulted in changed plant and/or seed performances. Comparative analysis clearly indicated that, overall, temperature plays the most dominant role in both plant and seed performance, whereas light has a prominent impact on plant traits. In comparison to temperature and light, nitrate mildly affected some of the plant and seed traits while phosphate had even less influence on those traits. Moreover, clear genotype-by-environment interactions were identified. This was shown by the fact that individual genotypes responded differentially to the environmental conditions. Low temperature significantly increased seed dormancy and decreased seed longevity of NILDOG1 and cyp707a1-1, whereas low light intensity increased seed dormancy and decreased seed longevity of NILDOG3 and NILDOG6. This also indicates that different genetic and molecular pathways are involved in the plant and seed responses. By identifying environmental conditions that affect the dormancy vs longevity correlation in the same way as previously identified naturally occurring loci, we have identified selective forces that probably shaped evolution for these important seed traits. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Experimental Biology.

X-linked dominant retinitis pigmentosa in an American family

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

McGuire, R.E.; Daiger, S.P.; Blanton, S.H.

1994-09-01

Retinitis pigmentosa is a genetically heterogeneous disease with autosomal dominant (adRP), autosomal recessive and X-linked forms. At least 3 forms of X-linked retinitis pigmentosa have been reported: RP2 which maps to Xp11.4-p 11.23, RP3 which maps to Xp21.1 and RP6, which maps to Xp21.3-p21.1. The X-linked forms of retinitis pigmentosa are generally considered to be recessive as female carriers are not affected or are much less affected than males. Here we report a five generation American family with X-linked retinitis pigmentosa in which both males and females are significantly affected. The disease locus in this family appears to be distinctmore » from RP2 and RP3. The American family (UTAD054) presents with early-onset retinitis pigmentosa. The family appeared to fit an autosomal dominant pattern; however, linkage testing excluded all known adRP loci. Absence of male-to-male transmission in the pedigree suggested the possibility of X-linked dominant inheritance. Thus we tested six microsatellite markers that map to Xp (DXS987, DXS989, DXS993, DXS999, DXS1003 and DXS1110). Of these, DXS989 showed tight linkage with one allele (199) showing a 100% concordance with disease status. The odds favoring an X-linked dominant mode of inheritance in this family, versus autosomal dominant, are 10{sup 5}:1. In addition, recombinations for DXS999, and dXS1110, the two markers flanking DXS989, were observed in affected individuals. These data map the disease locus in this family to a 9 mb region on the X chromosome between Xp22.11 and Xp21.41. In addition, the recombinant individuals exclude close linkage to RP2 and RP3. The observance of high penetrance in females indicates that this family has X-linked dominant retinitis pigmentosa. We suggest that this mode of inheritance should be considered in other families with dominant retinitis pigmentosa but an absence of male-to-male transmission.« less

Dominant forest tree mycorrhizal type mediates understory plant invasions

Treesearch

Insu Jo; Kevin M. Potter; Grant M. Domke; Songlin Fei

2018-01-01

Forest mycorrhizal type mediates nutrient dynamics, which in turn can influence forest community structure and processes. Using forest inventory data, we explored how dominant forest tree myc- orrhizal type affects understory plant invasions with consideration of forest structure and soil properties. We found that arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) dominant forests, which are...

Geomorphic threshold conditions for gully erosion in Southwestern Iran (Boushehr-Samal watershed)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nazari Samani, Aliakbar; Ahmadi, Hassan; Jafari, Mohammad; Boggs, Guy; Ghoddousi, Jamal; Malekian, Arash

2009-06-01

Globally, a large amount of research has been dedicated to furthering our understanding of the factors and mechanisms affecting gully erosion. However, despite the importance of gully erosion in arid and semi arid regions of Iran there has been no comprehensive study of the geomorphic threshold conditions and factors influencing gully initiation. The aim of this article is to investigate the gullying processes and threshold conditions of permanent gullies in an arid region of Iran based upon examination of the slope-area ( S = αA-β) relationship. The data were collected through field and laboratory studies as well as Digital Elevation Model (DEM) analyses. In total, 97 active headcuts were identified across the three study sites and classified based on dominant initiation process including piping, landsliding and overland flow. Soil properties, including EC, SAR and soil texture, as well as landuse practices were found to be the major factors initiating piping and bank gullies. All gullies initiated by landsliding and seepage processes were found to be located in steep areas (28-40% slope) with their distribution further influenced by the lithology and presence of a cohesionless sand layer within the soil profile. An inverse relationship between upslope area ( A) and local slope ( S), in which the α and β coefficients varied, was further investigated based on the dominant gullying process and land use. Gullies occurring in the rangelands that were dominated by overland flow had the strongest relationship while landsliding dominated gullies did not have a statistically significant S- A relationship. In comparison to theoretical and literature based relationships for gully initiation, relatively low values for β were obtained (-0.182 to -0.266), possibly influenced by the presence of seepage and subsurface processes in many gullies. However, this is consistent with other studies in arid regions and may reflect greater potential for gullying in arid zones due to low vegetation cover and high variation in rainfall. In addition, the soil attributes together with land use practices influenced gully initiation thresholds. Application of the solved S- A relation for predicting vulnerable areas to gullying indicates that it is possible to predict the location of gullies with an acceptable level of accuracy; however other environmental factors should be integrated with the S- A relationship to more accurately identify the location of permanent gullies in arid regions.

Shape-dependent hydrogen-storage properties in Pd nanocrystals: which does hydrogen prefer, octahedron (111) or cube (100)?

PubMed

Li, Guangqin; Kobayashi, Hirokazu; Dekura, Shun; Ikeda, Ryuichi; Kubota, Yoshiki; Kato, Kenichi; Takata, Masaki; Yamamoto, Tomokazu; Matsumura, Syo; Kitagawa, Hiroshi

2014-07-23

Pd octahedrons and cubes enclosed by {111} and {100} facets, respectively, have been synthesized for investigation of the shape effect on hydrogen-absorption properties. Hydrogen-storage properties were investigated using in situ powder X-ray diffraction, in situ solid-state (2)H NMR and hydrogen pressure-composition isotherm measurements. With these measurements, it was found that the exposed facets do not affect hydrogen-storage capacity; however, they significantly affect the absorption speed, with octahedral nanocrystals showing the faster response. The heat of adsorption of hydrogen and the hydrogen diffusion pathway were suggested to be dominant factors for hydrogen-absorption speed. Furthermore, in situ solid-state (2)H NMR detected for the first time the state of (2)H in a solid-solution (Pd + H) phase of Pd nanocrystals at rt.

Germline Missense Mutations Affecting KRAS Isoform B Are Associated with a Severe Noonan Syndrome Phenotype

PubMed Central

Carta, Claudio; Pantaleoni, Francesca; Bocchinfuso, Gianfranco; Stella, Lorenzo; Vasta, Isabella; Sarkozy, Anna; Digilio, Cristina; Palleschi, Antonio; Pizzuti, Antonio; Grammatico, Paola; Zampino, Giuseppe; Dallapiccola, Bruno; Gelb, Bruce D.; Tartaglia, Marco

2006-01-01

Noonan syndrome (NS) is a developmental disorder characterized by short stature, facial dysmorphia, congenital heart disease, and multiple skeletal and hematologic defects. NS is an autosomal dominant trait and is genetically heterogeneous. Gain of function of SHP-2, a protein tyrosine phosphatase that positively modulates RAS signaling, is observed in nearly 50% of affected individuals. Here, we report the identification of heterozygous KRAS gene mutations in two subjects exhibiting a severe NS phenotype with features overlapping those of cardiofaciocutaneous and Costello syndromes. Both mutations were de novo and affected exon 6, which encodes the C-terminal portion of KRAS isoform B but does not contribute to KRAS isoform A. Structural analysis indicated that both substitutions (Val152Gly and Asp153Val) perturb the conformation of the guanine ring–binding pocket of the protein, predicting an increase in the guanine diphosphate/guanine triphosphate (GTP) dissociation rate that would favor GTP binding to the KRASB isoform and bypass the requirement for a guanine nucleotide exchange factor. PMID:16773572

The physiological response of two green calcifying algae from the Great Barrier Reef towards high dissolved inorganic and organic carbon (DIC and DOC) availability.

PubMed

Meyer, Friedrich Wilhelm; Vogel, Nikolas; Teichberg, Mirta; Uthicke, Sven; Wild, Christian

2015-01-01

Increasing dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) concentrations associated with ocean acidification can affect marine calcifiers, but local factors, such as high dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentrations through sewage and algal blooms, may interact with this global factor. For calcifying green algae of the genus Halimeda, a key tropical carbonate producer that often occurs in coral reefs, no studies on these interactions have been reported. These data are however urgently needed to understand future carbonate production. Thus, we investigated the independent and combined effects of DIC (pCO2 402 μatm/ pHtot 8.0 and 996 μatm/ pHtot 7.7) and DOC (added as glucose in 0 and 294 μmol L-1) on growth, calcification and photosynthesis of H. macroloba and H. opuntia from the Great Barrier Reef in an incubation experiment over 16 days. High DIC concentrations significantly reduced dark calcification of H. opuntia by 130 % and led to net dissolution, but did not affect H. macroloba. High DOC concentrations significantly reduced daily oxygen production of H. opuntia and H. macroloba by 78 % and 43 %, respectively, and significantly reduced dark calcification of H. opuntia by 70%. Combined high DIC and DOC did not show any interactive effects for both algae, but revealed additive effects for H. opuntia where the combination of both factors reduced dark calcification by 162 % compared to controls. Such species-specific differences in treatment responses indicate H. opuntia is more susceptible to a combination of high DIC and DOC than H. macroloba. From an ecological perspective, results further suggest a reduction of primary production for Halimeda-dominated benthic reef communities under high DOC concentrations and additional decreases of carbonate accretion under elevated DIC concentrations, where H. opuntia dominates the benthic community. This may reduce biogenic carbonate sedimentation rates and hence the buffering capacity against further ocean acidification.

Physical predictors, behavioural/emotional attributes and neurochemical determinants of dominant behaviour.

PubMed

Chichinadze, Konstantin; Chichinadze, Nodar; Gachechiladze, Ledi; Lazarashvili, Ann; Nikolaishvili, Marina

2014-11-01

Significant differences in physical and behavioural/emotional/cognitive predictors and attributes, as well as of neurochemical inducers of behaviour, between dominant and subordinate animals are discussed. It is still unknown whether these factors are the causes of differences between dominants and subordinates, or vice versa whether the differences between dominants and subordinates are the origin of differences in these factors. The possibility is discussed that no differences exist among juveniles in the concentrations of neurochemical agents (known in the literature as determinants of dominance) between the brains of future dominants and future subordinates. We describe a study design that makes the assessment of the 'original' neurochemical profile of the brain possible. © 2014 The Authors. Biological Reviews © 2014 Cambridge Philosophical Society.

Origin and spatial distribution of metals in moss samples in Albania: A hotspot of heavy metal contamination in Europe.

PubMed

Lazo, Pranvera; Steinnes, Eiliv; Qarri, Flora; Allajbeu, Shaniko; Kane, Sonila; Stafilov, Trajce; Frontasyeva, Marina V; Harmens, Harry

2018-01-01

This study presents the spatial distribution of 37 elements in 48 moss samples collected over the whole territory of Albania and provides information on sources and factors controlling the concentrations of elements in the moss. High variations of trace metals indicate that the concentrations of elements are affected by different factors. Relations between the elements in moss, geochemical interpretation of the data, and secondary effects such as redox conditions generated from local soil and/or long distance atmospheric transport of the pollutants are discussed. Zr normalized data, and the ratios of different elements are calculated to assess the origin of elements present in the current moss samples with respect to different geogenic and anthropogenic inputs. Factor analysis (FA) is used to identify the most probable sources of the elements. Four dominant factors are identified, i.e. natural contamination; dust emission from local mining operations; atmospheric transport of contaminants from local and long distance sources; and contributions from air borne marine salts. Mineral particle dust from local emission sources is classified as the most important factor affecting the atmospheric deposition of elements accumulated in the current moss samples. The open slag dumps of mining operation in Albania is probably the main factor contributing to high contents of Cr, Ni, Fe, Ti and Al in the moss. Enrichment factors (EF) were calculated to clarify whether the elements in the present moss samples mainly originate from atmospheric deposition and/or local substrate materials. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Factors Affecting Public-Supply Well Vulnerability in Two Karst Aquifers

PubMed Central

Musgrove, MaryLynn; Katz, Brian G; Fahlquist, Lynne S; Crandall, Christy A; Lindgren, Richard J

2014-01-01

Karst aquifers occur in a range of climatic and geologic settings. Nonetheless, they are commonly characterized by their vulnerability to water-quality impairment. Two karst aquifers, the Edwards aquifer in south-central Texas and the Upper Floridan aquifer in western Florida, were investigated to assess factors that control the movement of contaminants to public-supply wells (PSWs). The geochemistry of samples from a selected PSW or wellfield in each aquifer was compared with that from nearby monitoring wells and regional PSWs. Geochemistry results were integrated with age tracers, flow modeling, and depth-dependent data to refine aquifer conceptual models and to identify factors that affect contaminant movement to PSWs. The oxic Edwards aquifer is vertically well mixed at the selected PSW/wellfield, although regionally the aquifer is geochemically variable downdip. The mostly anoxic Upper Floridan aquifer is affected by denitrification and also is geochemically variable with depth. In spite of considerable differences in geology and hydrogeology, the two aquifers are similarly vulnerable to anthropogenic contamination. Vulnerability in studied PSWs in both aquifers is strongly influenced by rapid karst flowpaths and the dominance of young (<10 years) groundwater. Vulnerability was demonstrated by the frequent detection of similar constituents of concern in both aquifers (nitrate, atrazine, deethylatrazine, tetrachloroethene, and chloroform). Specific consideration of water-quality protection efforts, well construction and placement, and aquifer response times to land-use changes and contaminant loading are discussed, with implications for karst groundwater management. PMID:24841501

Factors affecting public-supply well vulnerability in two karst aquifers

USGS Publications Warehouse

Musgrove, MaryLynn; Katz, Brian G.; Fahlquist, Lynne S.; Crandall, Christy A.; Lindgren, Richard J.

2014-01-01

Karst aquifers occur in a range of climatic and geologic settings. Nonetheless, they are commonly characterized by their vulnerability to water-quality impairment. Two karst aquifers, the Edwards aquifer in south-central Texas and the Upper Floridan aquifer in western Florida, were investigated to assess factors that control the movement of contaminants to public-supply wells (PSWs). The geochemistry of samples from a selected PSW or wellfield in each aquifer was compared with that from nearby monitoring wells and regional PSWs. Geochemistry results were integrated with age tracers, flow modeling, and depth-dependent data to refine aquifer conceptual models and to identify factors that affect contaminant movement to PSWs. The oxic Edwards aquifer is vertically well mixed at the selected PSW/wellfield, although regionally the aquifer is geochemically variable downdip. The mostly anoxic Upper Floridan aquifer is affected by denitrification and also is geochemically variable with depth. In spite of considerable differences in geology and hydrogeology, the two aquifers are similarly vulnerable to anthropogenic contamination. Vulnerability in studied PSWs in both aquifers is strongly influenced by rapid karst flowpaths and the dominance of young (<10 years) groundwater. Vulnerability was demonstrated by the frequent detection of similar constituents of concern in both aquifers (nitrate, atrazine, deethylatrazine, tetrachloroethene, and chloroform). Specific consideration of water-quality protection efforts, well construction and placement, and aquifer response times to land-use changes and contaminant loading are discussed, with implications for karst groundwater management.

Influence of dominant- as compared with nondominant-side symptoms on Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand and Western Ontario Rotator Cuff scores in patients with rotator cuff tendinopathy.

PubMed

Christiansen, David Høyrup; Michener, Lori; Roy, Jean-Sébastien

2018-02-13

The Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand (DASH) questionnaire and the Western Ontario Rotator Cuff (WORC) index are 2 widely used patient-reported questionnaires in individuals with rotator cuff (RC) tendinopathy. In contrast to the WORC index, for which the items are specific to the affected shoulder, the items of the DASH questionnaire assess the ability to perform activities regardless of the arm used. The objective of this study is to determine whether scores on the DASH questionnaire and WORC index are affected if the symptoms are on the dominant or nondominant side in individuals with RC tendinopathy. Given the number of items that can be influenced by dominance, the hypothesis is that DASH scores will be impacted by the side of the symptoms. Individuals with RC tendinopathy (N = 149) completed questions on symptomatology and hand dominance, the DASH questionnaire, and the WORC index. Differences in total scores (independent t test) and single items (Wilcoxon rank sum test) were compared between groups of participants with dominant-side symptoms and those without dominant-side symptoms. No significant differences were observed for WORC or DASH total scores when comparing participants with and without symptoms on their dominant side. Single-item comparison revealed more items being affected by symptom side on the DASH questionnaire (6 of 30 items) than on the WORC index (2 of 21 items). The side of the symptoms does not influence the DASH and WORC total scores, as there are no systematic differences between individuals with and without symptoms in their dominant shoulder. However, the presence of dominant symptoms does influence item scores more on the DASH questionnaire than on the WORC index. Copyright © 2018 Journal of Shoulder and Elbow Surgery Board of Trustees. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Effects of two-handed task training on upper limb function of chronic hemiplegic patients after stroke

PubMed Central

Yang, Byung Il; Song, Bo Kyoung; Joung, Sang Mi

2017-01-01

[Purpose] The purpose of this study was to determine whether two-handed task training is effective on motor learning of injured cerebral cortex activation and upper extremity function recovery after stroke. [Subjects and Methods] Two hemiplegic subjects participated in this study: one patient was affected on the dominant side of the body and the other was affected on the non-dominant side of the body, and both scored in the range of 58–66 in the Fugl-Meyer assessment. The excitability of the corticospinal tract and Manual Function Test were examined. [Results] The excitability of the corticospinal tract and the Manual Function Test showed significant differences in the activation of both sides of the cerebral cortex and in the variation in learning effect of upper extremity motor function recovery in patients with hemiplegic non-dominant hand (left). [Conclusion] The results suggested that two-handed task training had a different influence on dominant hand (right) and non-dominant hand (left) motor recovery. PMID:28210051

Managing Complexity: Exploring Decision Making on Medication by Young Adults with ADHD.

PubMed

Druedahl, Louise C; Kälvemark Sporrong, Sofia

2018-04-19

Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) causes difficulties with hyperactivity, impulsivity and inattention. Treatment of ADHD includes both medication and non-pharmacological options. Knowledge of treatment preferences by young adults with ADHD is sparse. The objective of this study was to explore the beliefs and experiences of young adults with ADHD related to their medication treatment decisions. Data were collected in Denmark in 2016 through a focus group and individual in-depth interviews. Conventional content analysis was used. Ten young adults with ADHD (22-to 29-year-old) participated. Three major themes were identified: (1) the patient’s right to choose concerning ADHD medicine; (2) the patient’s decision of whether or not to treat ADHD with medication; and (3) factors affecting the patient’s decision on whether to take ADHD medication or not. The latter theme contained 15 factors, which were distributed across three levels: individual, between-individuals, and societal. The dominant factors were increasing quality of life and improving oneself e.g., improving social skills. For counselling at the pharmacy and by prescribers, it is important to be aware of the different factors that affect young adult patients’ decisions on whether to take ADHD medication or not. This knowledge will aid to understand reasons for non-adherence and to determine appropriate treatment for the individual patient.

Factors affecting the distribution of hydrocarbon contaminants and hydrogeochemical parameters in a shallow sand aquifer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Jin-Yong; Cheon, Jeong-Yong; Lee, Kang-Kun; Lee, Seok-Young; Lee, Min-Hyo

2001-07-01

The distributions of hydrocarbon contaminants and hydrogeochemical parameters were investigated in a shallow sand aquifer highly contaminated with petroleum hydrocarbons leaked from solvent storage tanks. For these purposes, a variety of field investigations and studies were performed, which included installation of over 100 groundwater monitoring wells and piezometers at various depths, soil logging and analyses during well and piezometer installation, chemical analysis of groundwater, pump tests, and slug tests. Continuous water level monitoring at three selected wells using automatic data-logger and manual measuring at other wells were also conducted. Based on analyses of the various investigations and tests, a number of factors were identified to explain the distribution of the hydrocarbon contaminants and hydrogeochemical parameters. These factors include indigenous biodegradation, hydrostratigraphy, preliminary pump-and-treat remedy, recharge by rainfall, and subsequent water level fluctuation. The permeable sandy layer, in which the mean water table elevation is maintained, provided a dominant pathway for contaminant transport. The preliminary pump-and-treat action accelerated the movement of the hydrocarbon contaminants and affected the redox evolution pattern. Seasonal recharge by rain, together with indigenous biodegradation, played an important role in the natural attenuation of the petroleum hydrocarbons via mixing/dilution and biodegradation. The water level fluctuations redistributed the hydrocarbon contaminants by partitioning them into the soil and groundwater. The identified factors are not independent but closely inter-correlated.

Posterior tibial slope as a risk factor for anterior cruciate ligament rupture in soccer players.

PubMed

Senişik, Seçkin; Ozgürbüz, Cengizhan; Ergün, Metin; Yüksel, Oğuz; Taskiran, Emin; Işlegen, Cetin; Ertat, Ahmet

2011-01-01

Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is the primary stabilizer of the knee. An impairment of any of the dynamic or static stability providing factors can lead to overload on the other factors and ultimately to deterioration of knee stability. This can result in anterior tibial translation and rupture of the ACL. The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of tibial slope on ACL injury risk on soccer players. A total of 64 elite soccer players and 45 sedentary controls were included in this longitudinal and controlled study. The angle between the tibial mid-diaphysis line and the line between the anterior and posterior edges of the medial tibial plateau was measured as the tibial slope via lateral radiographs. Individual player exposure, and injuries sustained by the participants were prospectively recorded. Eleven ACL injuries were documented during the study period. Tibial slope was not different between soccer players and sedentary controls. Tibial slope in the dominant and non-dominant legs was greater for the injured players compared to the uninjured players. The difference reached a significant level only for the dominant legs (p < 0.001). While the tibial slopes of the dominant and non-dominant legs were not different on uninjured players (p > 0.05), a higher tibial slope was observed in dominant legs of injured players (p < 0.05). Higher tibial slope on injured soccer players compared to the uninjured ones supports the idea that the tibial slope degree might be an important risk factor for ACL injury. Key pointsDominant legs' tibial slopes of the injured players were significantly higher compared to the uninjured players (p < 0.001).Higher tibial slope was determined in dominant legs compared to the non-dominant side, for the injured players (p = 0.042). Different tibial slope measures in dominant and non-dominant legs might be the result of different loading and/or adaptation patterns in soccer.

Symptom onset in autosomal dominant Alzheimer disease

PubMed Central

Acosta-Baena, Natalia; Aisen, Paul S.; Bird, Thomas; Danek, Adrian; Fox, Nick C.; Goate, Alison; Frommelt, Peter; Ghetti, Bernardino; Langbaum, Jessica B.S.; Lopera, Francisco; Martins, Ralph; Masters, Colin L.; Mayeux, Richard P.; McDade, Eric; Moreno, Sonia; Reiman, Eric M.; Ringman, John M.; Salloway, Steve; Schofield, Peter R.; Sperling, Reisa; Tariot, Pierre N.; Xiong, Chengjie; Morris, John C.; Bateman, Randall J.

2014-01-01

Objective: To identify factors influencing age at symptom onset and disease course in autosomal dominant Alzheimer disease (ADAD), and develop evidence-based criteria for predicting symptom onset in ADAD. Methods: We have collected individual-level data on ages at symptom onset and death from 387 ADAD pedigrees, compiled from 137 peer-reviewed publications, the Dominantly Inherited Alzheimer Network (DIAN) database, and 2 large kindreds of Colombian (PSEN1 E280A) and Volga German (PSEN2 N141I) ancestry. Our combined dataset includes 3,275 individuals, of whom 1,307 were affected by ADAD with known age at symptom onset. We assessed the relative contributions of several factors in influencing age at onset, including parental age at onset, age at onset by mutation type and family, and APOE genotype and sex. We additionally performed survival analysis using data on symptom onset collected from 183 ADAD mutation carriers followed longitudinally in the DIAN Study. Results: We report summary statistics on age at onset and disease course for 174 ADAD mutations, and discover strong and highly significant (p < 10−16, r2 > 0.38) correlations between individual age at symptom onset and predicted values based on parental age at onset and mean ages at onset by mutation type and family, which persist after controlling for APOE genotype and sex. Conclusions: Significant proportions of the observed variance in age at symptom onset in ADAD can be explained by family history and mutation type, providing empirical support for use of these data to estimate onset in clinical research. PMID:24928124

Nitrogen deposition does not enhance Sphagnum decomposition.

PubMed

Manninen, S; Kivimäki, S; Leith, I D; Leeson, S R; Sheppard, L J

2016-11-15

Long-term additions of nitrogen (N) to peatlands have altered bryophyte growth, species dominance, N content in peat and peat water, and often resulted in enhanced Sphagnum decomposition rate. However, these results have mainly been derived from experiments in which N was applied as ammonium nitrate (NH4NO3), neglecting the fact that in polluted areas, wet deposition may be dominated either by NO3(-) or NH4(+). We studied effects of elevated wet deposition of NO3(-) vs. NH4(+) alone (8 or 56kgNha(-1)yr(-1) over and above the background of 8kgNha(-1)yr(-1) for 5 to 11years) or combined with phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) on Sphagnum quality for decomposers, mass loss, and associated changes in hummock pore water in an ombrotrophic bog (Whim). Adding N, especially as NH4(+), increased N concentration in Sphagnum, but did not enhance mass loss from Sphagnum. Mass loss seemed to depend mainly on moss species and climatic factors. Only high applications of N affected hummock pore water chemistry, which varied considerably over time. Overall, C and N cycling in this N treated bog appeared to be decoupled. We conclude that moss species, seasonal and annual variation in climatic factors, direct negative effects of N (NH4(+) toxicity) on Sphagnum production, and indirect effects (increase in pH and changes in plant species dominance under elevated NO3(-) alone and with PK) drive Sphagnum decomposition and hummock C and N dynamics at Whim. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Composition and structure of Pinus koraiensis mixed forest respond to spatial climatic changes.

PubMed

Zhang, Jingli; Zhou, Yong; Zhou, Guangsheng; Xiao, Chunwang

2014-01-01

Although some studies have indicated that climate changes can affect Pinus koraiensis mixed forest, the responses of composition and structure of Pinus koraiensis mixed forests to climatic changes are unknown and the key climatic factors controlling the composition and structure of Pinus koraiensis mixed forest are uncertain. Field survey was conducted in the natural Pinus koraiensis mixed forests along a latitudinal gradient and an elevational gradient in Northeast China. In order to build the mathematical models for simulating the relationships of compositional and structural attributes of the Pinus koraiensis mixed forest with climatic and non-climatic factors, stepwise linear regression analyses were performed, incorporating 14 dependent variables and the linear and quadratic components of 9 factors. All the selected new models were computed under the +2°C and +10% precipitation and +4°C and +10% precipitation scenarios. The Max Temperature of Warmest Month, Mean Temperature of Warmest Quarter and Precipitation of Wettest Month were observed to be key climatic factors controlling the stand densities and total basal areas of Pinus koraiensis mixed forest. Increased summer temperatures and precipitations strongly enhanced the stand densities and total basal areas of broadleaf trees but had little effect on Pinus koraiensis under the +2°C and +10% precipitation scenario and +4°C and +10% precipitation scenario. These results show that the Max Temperature of Warmest Month, Mean Temperature of Warmest Quarter and Precipitation of Wettest Month are key climatic factors which shape the composition and structure of Pinus koraiensis mixed forest. Although the Pinus koraiensis would persist, the current forests dominated by Pinus koraiensis in the region would all shift and become broadleaf-dominated forests due to the dramatic increase of broadleaf trees under the future global warming and increased precipitation.

Survival and dominant transmission of "lethal" platyspondylic dwarfism of the "West coast" types.

PubMed

Omran, H; Uhl, M; Brandis, M; Wolff, G

2000-03-01

Torrance, San Diego, and Luton types ("West coast" types) of neonatal platyspondylic short-limbed dwarfism are suspected to be caused by dominant mutations that are obligatorily lethal. We report on an affected mother, who passed the disease to her daughter, confirming dominant disease transmission. Survival of the mother indicates a wider phenotypic spectrum.

Keystone predators (eastern newts, Notophthalmus viridescens) reduce the impacts of an aquatic invasive species

USGS Publications Warehouse

Smith, Kimberly G.

2006-01-01

Predation, competition, and their interaction are known to be important factors that influence the structure of ecological communities. In particular, in those cases where a competitive hierarchy exists among prey species, the presence of certain keystone predators can result in enhanced diversity in the prey community. However, little is known regarding the influence of keystone predator presence on invaded prey communities. Given the widespread occurrence of invasive species and substantial concern regarding their ecological impacts, studies on this topic are needed. In this study I used naturalistic replications of an experimental tadpole assemblage to assess the influence of predatory eastern newts, Notophthalmus viridescens, on the outcome of interspecific competition among native and nonindigenous tadpoles. When newts were absent, the presence of the tadpoles of one invasive species, the Cuban treefrog, Osteopilus septentrionalis, resulted in decreased survival and growth rate of the dominant native species, Bufo terrestris, and dominance of the tadpole assemblage by O. septentrionalis. However, the presence of one adult newt generally reduced or eliminated the negative impacts of O. septentrionalis tadpoles, resulting in comparable survival and performance of native species in invaded and noninvaded treatments. Differential mortality among the tadpole species suggests that newts preyed selectively on O. septentrionalis tadpoles, supporting the hypothesis that newts acted as keystone predators in the invaded assemblage. The presence of nonindigenous larval cane toads, Bufo marinus, did not significantly affect native species, and this species was not negatively affected by the presence of newts. Collectively, these results suggest that eastern newts significantly modified the competitive hierarchy of the invaded tadpole assemblage and reduced the impacts of a competitively superior invasive species. If general, these results suggest that the presence of certain species may be an essential factor regulating the ecological impacts of biological invasions.

Replicative genetic association study between functional polymorphisms in AVPR1A and social behavior scales of autism spectrum disorder in the Korean population.

PubMed

Yang, So Young; Kim, Soon Ae; Hur, Gang Min; Park, Mira; Park, Jong-Eun; Yoo, Hee Jeong

2017-01-01

Arginine vasopressin has been shown to affect social and emotional behaviors, which is mediated by the arginine vasopressin receptor (AVPR1A). Genetic polymorphisms in the AVPR1A promoter region have been identified to be associated with susceptibility to social deficits in autism spectrum disorder (ASD). We hypothesize that alleles of polymorphisms in the promoter region of AVPR1A may differentially interact with certain transcriptional factors, which in turn affect quantitative traits, such as sociality, in children with autism. We performed an association study between ASD and polymorphisms in the AVPR1A promoter region in the Korean population using a family-based association test (FBAT). We evaluated the correlation between genotypes and the quantitative traits that are related to sociality in children with autism. We also performed a promoter assay in T98G cells and evaluated the binding affinities of transcription factors to alleles of rs7294536. The polymorphisms-RS1, RS3, rs7294536, and rs10877969-were analyzed. Under the dominant model, RS1-310, the shorter allele, was preferentially transmitted. The FBAT showed that the rs7294536 A allele was also preferentially transmitted in an additive and dominant model under the bi-allelic mode. When quantitative traits were used in the FBAT, rs7294536 and rs10877969 were statistically significant in all genotype models and modes. Luciferase and electrophoretic mobility-shift assays suggest that the rs7294536 A/G allele results in a Nf-κB binding site that exhibits differential binding affinities depending on the allele. These results demonstrate that polymorphisms in the AVPR1A promoter region might be involved in pathophysiology of ASD and in functional regulation of the expression of AVPR1A .

The Role of the Dynamic Sensory Perception in the Reformulation of Shakes: Use of TDS for Studying the Effect of Milk, Fiber, and Flavor Addition.

PubMed

Tomadoni, Barbara; Fiszman, Susana; Moreira, María R; Tarrega, Amparo

2018-01-01

Various factors need to be taken into account when reformulating a food or beverage. The food components, not only macronutrients but also minor ingredients such as flavoring agents, could affect the perception of the sensory sensations, importantly their dynamic aspects, as rising and duration, which are not normally considered. The novelty of this approach is the study of the effects of the addition of several ingredients (fiber, extra milk powder, and strawberry flavoring) on the dynamic perception of a food item (strawberry shakes) using the temporal dominance of sensations (TDS) technique. The occurrence and duration of the key sensory sensations (acid, natural strawberry flavor, thick, sweet, candy strawberry flavor, and milk flavor) extracted from the TDS curves were analyzed and linked to the composition factors and liking and expectations of satiety scores. For example, the addition of flavoring increased the liking scores (increments ranging from 0.3 to 1.1) that was linked to the attenuation of acid sensation; and the addition of extra milk powder increased the expectation of satiety scores (increments ranging from 0.5 to 0.7) that was linked to the perception of early thick sensation in the mouth. In general, the more complex sensory profiles the higher liking and expectations of satiety. This work is a case study on how temporal sensory methods can contribute important information on the actual perception of food during consumption. Depending on the ingredients added these sensory properties appear at different times and with different dominance during evaluation affecting liking or fullness expectations. In consequence, the temporal sensory properties should be taken into account when designing or reformulating food. © 2017 Institute of Food Technologists®.

Factors affecting water quality and net flux of solutes in two stream basins in the Quabbin Reservoir drainage basin, central Massachusetts,1983-85

USGS Publications Warehouse

Rittmaster, R.L.; Shanley, J.B.

1995-01-01

The factors that affect stream-water quality were studied at West Branch Swift River (Swift River), and East Branch Fever Brook (Fever Brook), two forested watersheds that drain into the Quabbin Reservoir, central Massachusetts, from December 1983 through August 1985. Spatial and temporal variations of chemistry of precipitation, surface water; and ground water and the linkages between chemical changes and hydrologic processes were used to identify the mechanisms that control stream chemistry. Precipitation chemistry was dominated by hydrogen ion (composite p.H 4.23), sulfate, and nitrate. Inputs of hydrogen and nitrate from pre- cipitation were almost entirely retained in the basins, whereas input of sulfate was approximately balanced by export by streamflow draining the basins. Both streams were poorly buffered, with mean pH near 5.7, mean alkalinity less than 30 microequivalents per liter, and sulfate concen- trations greater than 130 microequivalents per liter. Sodium and chloride, derived primarily from highway deicing salts, were the dominant solutes at Fever Brook. After adjustments for deicing salts, fluxes of base cations during the 21-month study were 2,014 and 1,429 equivalents per hectare in Swift River and Fever Brook, respectively. Base cation fluxes were controlled primarily by weathering of hornblende (Fever Brook) and plagioclase (Swift River). The overall weathering rate was greater in the Swift River Basin because easily weathered gabbro underlies one subbasin which comprises 11.2 percent of the total basin area but contributed about 77 percent of the total alkalinity. Alkalinity export was nearly equal in the two basins, however, because some alkalinity was generated in wetlands in the Fever Brook Basin through bacterial sulfate reduction coupled with organic-carbon oxidation.

Mineralogy and evolution of the surface of Mars: A review

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chevrier, V.; Mathé, P. E.

2007-02-01

We review the mineralogy of the surface of Mars, using data from various sources, including in situ characterisations performed by landers, remote observations from orbit, and studies of the SNC meteorites. We also discuss the possible alteration processes and the factor controlling them, and try to relate the mineralogical observations to the chemical evolution of the surface materials on Mars in order to identify the dominant process(es). Then we try to describe a possible chemical and mineralogical evolution of the surface materials, resulting from weathering driven by the abundance and activity of water. Even if weathering is the dominant process responsible for the surface evolution, all observations suggest that it is strongly affected locally in time and space by various other processes including hydrothermalism, volcanism, evaporites, meteoritic impacts and aeolian erosion. Nevertheless, the observed phases on the surface of Mars globally depend on the evolution of the weathering conditions. This hypothesis, if confirmed, could give a new view of the evolution of the martian surface, roughly in three steps. The first would correspond to clay-type weathering process in the Noachian, under a probable thick H 2O/CO 2-rich atmosphere. Then, during the Hesperian when water became scarcer and its activity sporadic, linked to volcanic activity, sulfate-type acidic weathering process would have been predominant. The third period would be like today, a very slow weathering by strongly oxidising agents (H 2O 2, O 2) in cold and dry conditions, through solid-gas or solid-films of water resulting frost-thaw and/or acid fog. This would favour poorly crystalline phases, mainly iron (oxy) hydroxides. But in this scenario many questions remain about the transition between these processes, and about the factors affecting the evolution of the weathering process.

The Development of Humeral Retrotorsion and Its Relationship to Throwing Sports.

PubMed

Greenberg, Elliot M; Fernandez-Fernandez, Alicia; Lawrence, J Todd R; McClure, Philip

2015-01-01

Several investigations have noted that throwing athletes exhibit a more posteriorly oriented humeral head (humeral retrotorsion) in the dominant arm. This asymmetry is believed to represent an adaptive response to the stress of throwing that occurs during childhood. The significance of this alteration and factors that affect its development are currently not clear. Basic science, research studies, and review articles were searched through PubMed with search terms including humeral torsion, humeral retrotorsion, and with 1 of the following: pediatric, adult, baseball, pitching, shoulder, and range of motion. The references from each article were reviewed for further inclusion. This review included articles through March 2015. Clinical review. Level 4. The throwing motion creates stressors that result in bony adaptations that occur while skeletally immature. These osseous changes likely contribute to the observed shift in the arc of rotational range of motion noted in throwing athletes and may play a protective role against injury. However, too much or too little retrotorsion may predispose the shoulder to injury. The degree of "optimal" humeral retrotorsion and factors that influence its development are not fully understood. Evidence supports the assertion that the throwing motion creates stressors that alter bony anatomy while young. It is important to determine what specific factors affect this adaptation and its relationship to injury. © 2015 The Author(s).

[Variation characteristics and influencing factors of actual evapotranspiration under various vegetation types: A case study in the Huaihe River Basin, China.

PubMed

Wu, Rong Jun; Xing, Xiao Yong

2016-06-01

The actual evapotranspiration was modelled utilizing the boreal ecosystem productivity simulator (BEPS) in Huaihe River Basin from 2001 to 2012. In the meantime, the quantitative analyses of the spatial-temporal variations of actual evapotranspiration characteristics and its influencing factors under different vegetation types were conducted. The results showed that annual evapotranspiration gradually decreased from southeast to northwest, tended to increase annually, and the monthly change for the average annual evapotranspiration was double-peak curve. The differences of evapotranspiration among vegetation types showed that the farmland was the largest contributor for the evapotranspiration of Huaihe Basin. The annual actual evapotranspiration of the mixed forest per unit area was the largest, and that of the bare ground per unit area was the smallest. The changed average annual evapotranspiration per unit area for various vegetation types indicated an increased tendency other than the bare ground, with a most significant increase trend for the evergreen broadleaf forest. The thermodynamic factors (such as average temperature) were the dominant factors affecting the actual evapotranspiration in the Huaihe Basin, followed by radiation and moisture factors.

The challenges of climate for energy markets

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2009-09-01

Among the many complex issues of technology, governance, and market design affecting the : electricity sector, climate policy has become dominant. From the perspective of a nonspecialist looking at this changing dominance, a quiz illuminates some of ...

Hand dominance in intravenous drug using patients does not affect peripheral venous access sites identified by ultrasound.

PubMed

Kaban, Nicole L; Avitabile, Nicholas C; Siadecki, Sebastian D; Saul, Turandot

2016-06-01

The peripheral veins in the arms and forearms of patients with a history of intravenous (IV) drug use may be sclerosed, calcified, or collapsed due to damage from previous injections. These patients may consequently require alternative, more invasive types of vascular access including central venous or intraosseous catheters. We investigated the relationship between hand dominance and the presence of patent upper extremity (UE) veins specifically in patients with a history of IV drug-use. We predicted that injection into the non-dominant UE would occur with a higher frequency than the dominant UE, leading to fewer damaged veins in the dominant UE. If hand dominance affects which upper extremity has more patent veins, providers could focus their first vascular access attempt on the dominant upper extremity. Adult patients were approached for enrollment if they provided a history of IV drug use into one of their upper extremities. Each upper extremity was examined with a high frequency linear transducer in 3 areas: the antecubital crease, forearm and the proximal arm. The number of fully compressible veins ≥1.8 mm in diameter was recorded for each location. The mean vein difference between the numbers of veins in the dominant versus the non-dominant UE was -1.5789. At a .05 significance level, there was insufficient evidence to suggest the number of compressible veins between patients' dominant and non-dominant arms was significantly different (P = .0872.) The number of compressible veins visualized with ultrasound was not greater in the dominant upper extremity as expected. Practitioners may gain more information about potential peripheral venous access sites by asking patients their previous injection practice patterns. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The influence of current mood state, number of previous affective episodes and predominant polarity on insight in bipolar disorder.

PubMed

de Assis da Silva, Rafael; Mograbi, Daniel C; Camelo, Evelyn Vieira Miranda; Peixoto, Ursula; Santana, Cristina Maria Teixeira; Landeira-Fernandez, Jesus; Morris, Robin G; Cheniaux, Elie

2017-11-01

Although many studies have explored the effect of current affective episodes on insight into bipolar disorder, the potential interaction between current mood state and previous affective episodes has not been consistently investigated. To explore the influence of dominant polarity, number of previous affective episodes and current affective state on insight in bipolar disorder patients in euthymia or mania. A total of 101 patients with bipolar disorder were recruited for the study, including 58 patients in euthymia (30 with no defined predominant polarity and 28 with manic predominant polarity) and 43 in mania (26 with no defined predominant polarity and 17 with manic predominant polarity). Patients underwent a clinical assessment and insight was evaluated through the Insight Scale for Affective Disorders. Bipolar disorder patients in mania had worse insight than those in euthymia, with no effect of dominant polarity. In addition, positive psychotic symptoms showed a significant effect on insight and its inclusion as a covariate eliminated differences related to mood state. Finally, the number of previous manic or depressive episodes did not correlate with insight level. Mania is a predictor of loss of insight into bipolar disorder. However, it is possible that its contribution is linked to the more frequent presence of psychotic symptoms in this state. Dominant polarity and number/type of previous affective episodes have a limited impact on insight.

Optic neuropathies--importance of spatial distribution of mitochondria as well as function.

PubMed

Yu Wai Man, C Y; Chinnery, P F; Griffiths, P G

2005-01-01

Optic neuropathies such as Leber's hereditary optic neuropathy, dominant optic atrophy and toxic amblyopia are an important cause of irreversible visual failure. Although they are associated with a defect of mitochondrial energy production, their pathogenesis is poorly understood. A common feature to all these disorders is relatively selective degeneration of the papillomacular bundle of retinal ganglion cells resulting central or caecocentral visual field defects. The striking similarity in the pattern of clinical involvement seen with these disparate disorders suggests a common pathway in their aetiology. The existing hypothesis that the optic nerve head has higher energy demands than other tissues making it uniquely dependent on oxidative phosporylation is not satisfactory. First, other ocular tissues such as photoreceptors, which are more dependent on oxidative phosporylation are not affected. Second, other mitochondrial disorders, which have a greater impact on mitochondrial energy function, do not affect the optic nerve. The optic nerve head has certain unique ultra structural features. Ganglion cell axons exit the eye through a perforated collagen plate, the lamina cribrosa. There is a sharp discontinuity in the density of mitochondria at the optic nerve head, with a very high concentration in the prelaminar nerve fibre layer and low concentration behind the lamina. This has previously been attributed to a mechanical hold up of axoplasmic flow, which has itself been proposed as a factor in the pathogenesis of a number of optic neuropathies. More recent evidence shows that mitochondrial distribution reflects the different energy requirements of the unmyelinated prelaminar axons in comparison to the myelinated retrolaminar axons. The heterogeous distribution of mitochondria is actively maintained to support conduction through the optic nerve head. We propose that factors that disrupt the heterogeneous distribution of mitochondria can result in ganglion cell death. Evidence for this comes from studies of cultured cells with the dominant optic atrophy mutation in which mitochondrial distribution is altered and from some forms of hereditary spastic paraparesis which are associated with optic atrophy. The responsible mutations do not affect ATP production until late in the disease but do affect mitochondrial arrangement, again showing that mitochondrial distribution as well as energy production by individual mitochondria may be important in the pathogenesis of ganglion cell death. Greater understanding of the factors localising mitochondria within the ganglion cell axon in particular the interaction with cytoskeleton is required to formulate new treatments. Boosting energy production alone may not be an effective treatment.

Functional and structural comparison of visual lateralization in birds – similar but still different

PubMed Central

Ströckens, Felix

2014-01-01

Vertebrate brains display physiological and anatomical left-right differences, which are related to hemispheric dominances for specific functions. Functional lateralizations likely rely on structural left-right differences in intra- and interhemispheric connectivity patterns that develop in tight gene-environment interactions. The visual systems of chickens and pigeons show that asymmetrical light stimulation during ontogeny induces a dominance of the left hemisphere for visuomotor control that is paralleled by projection asymmetries within the ascending visual pathways. But structural asymmetries vary essentially between both species concerning the affected pathway (thalamo- vs. tectofugal system), constancy of effects (transient vs. permanent), and the hemisphere receiving stronger bilateral input (right vs. left). These discrepancies suggest that at least two aspects of visual processes are influenced by asymmetric light stimulation: (1) visuomotor dominance develops within the ontogenetically stronger stimulated hemisphere but not necessarily in the one receiving stronger bottom-up input. As a secondary consequence of asymmetrical light experience, lateralized top-down mechanisms play a critical role in the emergence of hemispheric dominance. (2) Ontogenetic light experiences may affect the dominant use of left- and right-hemispheric strategies. Evidences from social and spatial cognition tasks indicate that chickens rely more on a right-hemispheric global strategy whereas pigeons display a dominance of the left hemisphere. Thus, behavioral asymmetries are linked to a stronger bilateral input to the right hemisphere in chickens but to the left one in pigeons. The degree of bilateral visual input may determine the dominant visual processing strategy when redundant encoding is possible. This analysis supports that environmental stimulation affects the balance between hemispheric-specific processing by lateralized interactions of bottom-up and top-down systems. PMID:24723898

From facilitation to competition: temperature-driven shift in dominant plant interactions affects population dynamics in seminatural grasslands.

PubMed

Olsen, Siri L; Töpper, Joachim P; Skarpaas, Olav; Vandvik, Vigdis; Klanderud, Kari

2016-05-01

Biotic interactions are often ignored in assessments of climate change impacts. However, climate-related changes in species interactions, often mediated through increased dominance of certain species or functional groups, may have important implications for how species respond to climate warming and altered precipitation patterns. We examined how a dominant plant functional group affected the population dynamics of four co-occurring forb species by experimentally removing graminoids in seminatural grasslands. Specifically, we explored how the interaction between dominants and subordinates varied with climate by replicating the removal experiment across a climate grid consisting of 12 field sites spanning broad-scale temperature and precipitation gradients in southern Norway. Biotic interactions affected population growth rates of all study species, and the net outcome of interactions between dominants and subordinates switched from facilitation to competition with increasing temperature along the temperature gradient. The impacts of competitive interactions on subordinates in the warmer sites could primarily be attributed to reduced plant survival. Whereas the response to dominant removal varied with temperature, there was no overall effect of precipitation on the balance between competition and facilitation. Our findings suggest that global warming may increase the relative importance of competitive interactions in seminatural grasslands across a wide range of precipitation levels, thereby favouring highly competitive dominant species over subordinate species. As a result, seminatural grasslands may become increasingly dependent on disturbance (i.e. traditional management such as grazing and mowing) to maintain viable populations of subordinate species and thereby biodiversity under future climates. Our study highlights the importance of population-level studies replicated under different climatic conditions for understanding the underlying mechanisms of climate change impacts on plants. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Genetic linkage of autosomal dominant juvenile glaucoma to 1q21-q31 in three affected pedigrees

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

Wiggs, J.L.; Paglinauan, C.; Fine, A.

1994-05-15

Glaucoma is a common disorder that results in irreversible damage to the optic nerve, causing absolute blindness. In most cases, the optic nerve is damaged by an elevation of the intraocular pressure that is the result of an abnormality in the normal drainage function of the trabecular meshwork. A family history of glaucoma is an important risk factor for the disease, suggesting that genetic defects predisposing to this condition are likely. Three pedigrees segregating an autosomal dominant juvenile glaucoma demonstrated significant linkage to a group of closely spaced markers on chromosome 1. These results confirm the initial mapping of thismore » disease and suggest that this region on chromosome 1 contains an important locus for juvenile glaucoma. The authors describe recombination events that improve the localization of the responsible gene, reducing the size of the candidate region from 30 to 12 cM. 27 refs., 2 figs., 1 tab.« less

Reproductive motivation and family-size preferences among Nigerian men.

PubMed

Isiugo-Abanihe, U C

1994-01-01

Data collected from 3,073 couples in four Nigerian cities and one semi-urban settlement were used to examine reproductive decision-making and male motivation for large family size. The report concludes that the characteristic male-dominant and patrilineal traditions support large family size and that men's reproductive motivation, to a large extent, affects the reproductive behavior of their wives. Therefore, the factors influencing men's reproductive outcomes and intentions are considered important for fertility transition in Nigeria. Male education, age at marriage, monogamy, interspousal communication, and intention not to rely on children for old-age support are significantly related to smaller actual family size and preferences for smaller families, while being in a male-dominant family setting has a strong relation with large family size and preferences for larger families. The policy implication of this study is the need for programs targeted at men and designed to change their attitudes about population matters and motivate them, and hence their wives, to produce smaller families.

Differentiating aversive conditioning in bistable perception: Avoidance of a percept vs. salience of a stimulus.

PubMed

Wilbertz, Gregor; Sterzer, Philipp

2018-05-01

Alternating conscious visual perception of bistable stimuli is influenced by several factors. In order to understand the effect of negative valence, we tested the effect of two types of aversive conditioning on dominance durations in binocular rivalry. Participants received either aversive classical conditioning of the stimuli shown alone between rivalry blocks, or aversive percept conditioning of one of the two possible perceptual choices during rivalry. Both groups showed successful aversive conditioning according to skin conductance responses and affective valence ratings. However, while classical conditioning led to an immediate but short-lived increase in dominance durations of the conditioned stimulus, percept conditioning yielded no significant immediate effect but tended to decrease durations of the conditioned percept during extinction. These results show dissociable effects of value learning on perceptual inference in situations of perceptual conflict, depending on whether learning relates to the decision between conflicting perceptual choices or the sensory stimuli per se. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Experimental climate change weakens the insurance effect of biodiversity.

PubMed

Eklöf, Johan S; Alsterberg, Christian; Havenhand, Jonathan N; Sundbäck, Kristina; Wood, Hannah L; Gamfeldt, Lars

2012-08-01

Ecosystems are simultaneously affected by biodiversity loss and climate change, but we know little about how these factors interact. We predicted that climate warming and CO (2) -enrichment should strengthen trophic cascades by reducing the relative efficiency of predation-resistant herbivores, if herbivore consumption rate trades off with predation resistance. This weakens the insurance effect of herbivore diversity. We tested this prediction using experimental ocean warming and acidification in seagrass mesocosms. Meta-analyses of published experiments first indicated that consumption rate trades off with predation resistance. The experiment then showed that three common herbivores together controlled macroalgae and facilitated seagrass dominance, regardless of climate change. When the predation-vulnerable herbivore was excluded in normal conditions, the two resistant herbivores maintained top-down control. Under warming, however, increased algal growth outstripped control by herbivores and the system became algal-dominated. Consequently, climate change can reduce the relative efficiency of resistant herbivores and weaken the insurance effect of biodiversity. © 2012 Blackwell Publishing Ltd/CNRS.

Magnetic field enhancement of generation-recombination and shot noise in organic light emitting diodes

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

Djidjou, T. K.; Basel, Tek; Rogachev, A.

We have studied the effect of magnetic field on noise in series of 2-methoxy-5-(2′-ethylhexyloxy)-1,4-phenylenevinylene-based organic light emitting diodes with dominant hole injection, dominant electron injection, and balanced electron and hole injection. The noise spectra of the balanced devices revealed the generation-recombination (g-r) noise term, which we associated with bimolecular electron-hole recombination. The presence of the g-r noise term is correlated with the strong organic magnetoresistance (up to 25%) observed in the balanced devices. The noise spectra also have the shot noise contribution with the Fano factor 0.25–0.4. We found that time constant of the g-r term decreases and the magnitudemore » of shot noise increases when magnetic field is applied. This behavior can be consistently explained within the polaron-polaron model of organic magnetoresistance. We have not found any evidence that the magnetoresistance in studied devices is affected by traps.« less

The global susceptibility of coastal forage fish to competition by large jellyfish.

PubMed

Schnedler-Meyer, Nicolas Azaña; Mariani, Patrizio; Kiørboe, Thomas

2016-11-16

Competition between large jellyfish and forage fish for zooplankton prey is both a possible cause of jellyfish increases and a concern for the management of marine ecosystems and fisheries. Identifying principal factors affecting this competition is therefore important for marine management, but the lack of both good quality data and a robust theoretical framework have prevented general global analyses. Here, we present a general mechanistic food web model that considers fundamental differences in feeding modes and predation pressure between fish and jellyfish. The model predicts forage fish dominance at low primary production, and a shift towards jellyfish with increasing productivity, turbidity and fishing. We present an index of global ecosystem susceptibility to shifts in fish-jellyfish dominance that compares well with data on jellyfish distributions and trends. The results are a step towards better understanding the processes that govern jellyfish occurrences globally and highlight the advantage of considering feeding traits in ecosystem models. © 2016 The Author(s).

Binding Site Turnover Produces Pervasive Quantitative Changes in Transcription Factor Binding between Closely Related Drosophila Species

PubMed Central

Trapnell, Cole; Davidson, Stuart; Pachter, Lior; Chu, Hou Cheng; Tonkin, Leath A.; Biggin, Mark D.; Eisen, Michael B.

2010-01-01

Changes in gene expression play an important role in evolution, yet the molecular mechanisms underlying regulatory evolution are poorly understood. Here we compare genome-wide binding of the six transcription factors that initiate segmentation along the anterior-posterior axis in embryos of two closely related species: Drosophila melanogaster and Drosophila yakuba. Where we observe binding by a factor in one species, we almost always observe binding by that factor to the orthologous sequence in the other species. Levels of binding, however, vary considerably. The magnitude and direction of the interspecies differences in binding levels of all six factors are strongly correlated, suggesting a role for chromatin or other factor-independent forces in mediating the divergence of transcription factor binding. Nonetheless, factor-specific quantitative variation in binding is common, and we show that it is driven to a large extent by the gain and loss of cognate recognition sequences for the given factor. We find only a weak correlation between binding variation and regulatory function. These data provide the first genome-wide picture of how modest levels of sequence divergence between highly morphologically similar species affect a system of coordinately acting transcription factors during animal development, and highlight the dominant role of quantitative variation in transcription factor binding over short evolutionary distances. PMID:20351773

Spartina alterniflora genotype influences facilitation and suppression of high marsh species colonizing an early successional salt marsh

USGS Publications Warehouse

Proffitt, C.E.; Chiasson, R.L.; Owens, A.B.; Edwards, K.R.; Travis, S.E.

2005-01-01

1. Genetically based phenotypic and ecotypic variation in a dominant plant species can influence ecological functions and patterns of recruitment by other species in plant communities. However, the nature and degree of importance of genotypic differences is poorly understood in most systems. 2. The dominant salt marsh species, Spartina alterniflora, is known to induce facultative and competitive effects in different plant species, and the outcomes of interactions can be affected by nutrients and flooding stress. Clonal genotypes, which maintained their different plant architecture phenotypes throughout 31 months of a field experiment, underwent considerable genet-specific senescence in their centres over the last 12 months. 3. Different clonal genotypes and different locations (robust edges vs. senescent centres) permitted significantly different levels of light penetration of the canopy (14.8-77.6%), thus establishing spatial heterogeneity for this important environmental factor. 4. S. alterniflora clonal genotype influenced the degree of suppression of the previously dominant Salicornia bigelovii as well as facilitation of recruitment and growth by other plant species. Aster subulatus and Atriplex, patula performed better in Spartina clone centres, and experienced reduced growth in Salicornia-dominated areas. 5. Four other high marsh species (Borrichia frutescens, Aster tenuifolius, Iva frutescens and Limonium carolinianum) colonized only into Spartina clones but not into the Salicornia-dominated area. 6. These results suggest that differences in clone size, centre senescence, stem density, height, total stem length and biomass in different genotypes of a dominant marsh plant species can influence recruitment and growth of other plant species. The spatial pattern of habitat heterogeneity is, at least in part, dependent on the genotypic diversity, and possibly the genetic diversity, of such foundation species. 7. We hypothesize that as genotypic diversity increases in populations of a dominant plant species like S. alterniflora, the number and diversity of interactions with other species will increase as well. ?? 2005 British Ecological Society.

Scale-Dependent Habitat Selection and Size-Based Dominance in Adult Male American Alligators

PubMed Central

Strickland, Bradley A.; Vilella, Francisco J.; Belant, Jerrold L.

2016-01-01

Habitat selection is an active behavioral process that may vary across spatial and temporal scales. Animals choose an area of primary utilization (i.e., home range) then make decisions focused on resource needs within patches. Dominance may affect the spatial distribution of conspecifics and concomitant habitat selection. Size-dependent social dominance hierarchies have been documented in captive alligators, but evidence is lacking from wild populations. We studied habitat selection for adult male American alligators (Alligator mississippiensis; n = 17) on the Pearl River in central Mississippi, USA, to test whether habitat selection was scale-dependent and individual resource selectivity was a function of conspecific body size. We used K-select analysis to quantify selection at the home range scale and patches within the home range to determine selection congruency and important habitat variables. In addition, we used linear models to determine if body size was related to selection patterns and strengths. Our results indicated habitat selection of adult male alligators was a scale-dependent process. Alligators demonstrated greater overall selection for habitat variables at the patch level and less at the home range level, suggesting resources may not be limited when selecting a home range for animals in our study area. Further, diurnal habitat selection patterns may depend on thermoregulatory needs. There was no relationship between resource selection or home range size and body size, suggesting size-dependent dominance hierarchies may not have influenced alligator resource selection or space use in our sample. Though apparent habitat suitability and low alligator density did not manifest in an observed dominance hierarchy, we hypothesize that a change in either could increase intraspecific interactions, facilitating a dominance hierarchy. Due to the broad and diverse ecological roles of alligators, understanding the factors that influence their social dominance and space use can provide great insight into their functional role in the ecosystem. PMID:27588947

Scale-dependent habitat selection and size-based dominance in adult male American alligators

USGS Publications Warehouse

Strickland, Bradley A.; Vilella, Francisco; Belant, Jerrold L.

2016-01-01

Habitat selection is an active behavioral process that may vary across spatial and temporal scales. Animals choose an area of primary utilization (i.e., home range) then make decisions focused on resource needs within patches. Dominance may affect the spatial distribution of conspecifics and concomitant habitat selection. Size-dependent social dominance hierarchies have been documented in captive alligators, but evidence is lacking from wild populations. We studied habitat selection for adult male American alligators (Alligator mississippiensis; n = 17) on the Pearl River in central Mississippi, USA, to test whether habitat selection was scale-dependent and individual resource selectivity was a function of conspecific body size. We used K-select analysis to quantify selection at the home range scale and patches within the home range to determine selection congruency and important habitat variables. In addition, we used linear models to determine if body size was related to selection patterns and strengths. Our results indicated habitat selection of adult male alligators was a scale-dependent process. Alligators demonstrated greater overall selection for habitat variables at the patch level and less at the home range level, suggesting resources may not be limited when selecting a home range for animals in our study area. Further, diurnal habitat selection patterns may depend on thermoregulatory needs. There was no relationship between resource selection or home range size and body size, suggesting size-dependent dominance hierarchies may not have influenced alligator resource selection or space use in our sample. Though apparent habitat suitability and low alligator density did not manifest in an observed dominance hierarchy, we hypothesize that a change in either could increase intraspecific interactions, facilitating a dominance hierarchy. Due to the broad and diverse ecological roles of alligators, understanding the factors that influence their social dominance and space use can provide great insight into their functional role in the ecosystem.

Intestinal Master Transcription Factor CDX2 Controls Chromatin Access for Partner Transcription Factor Binding

PubMed Central

Verzi, Michael P.; Shin, Hyunjin; San Roman, Adrianna K.

2013-01-01

Tissue-specific gene expression requires modulation of nucleosomes, allowing transcription factors to occupy cis elements that are accessible only in selected tissues. Master transcription factors control cell-specific genes and define cellular identities, but it is unclear if they possess special abilities to regulate cell-specific chromatin and if such abilities might underlie lineage determination and maintenance. One prevailing view is that several transcription factors enable chromatin access in combination. The homeodomain protein CDX2 specifies the embryonic intestinal epithelium, through unknown mechanisms, and partners with transcription factors such as HNF4A in the adult intestine. We examined enhancer chromatin and gene expression following Cdx2 or Hnf4a excision in mouse intestines. HNF4A loss did not affect CDX2 binding or chromatin, whereas CDX2 depletion modified chromatin significantly at CDX2-bound enhancers, disrupted HNF4A occupancy, and abrogated expression of neighboring genes. Thus, CDX2 maintains transcription-permissive chromatin, illustrating a powerful and dominant effect on enhancer configuration in an adult tissue. Similar, hierarchical control of cell-specific chromatin states is probably a general property of master transcription factors. PMID:23129810

Distribution patterns of phytoplankton in the Changjiang River estuary and adjacent waters in spring 2009

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kong, Fanzhou; Xu, Zijun; Yu, Rencheng; Yuan, Yongquan; Zhou, Mingjiang

2016-09-01

The Changjiang River estuary and adjacent waters are one of the most notable regions for red tides/harmful algal blooms in China's coastal waters. In this study, phytoplankton samples were collected and analyzed during the outbreak stage of red tides in May 2009. It was found that dinoflagellates, Prorocentrum donghaiense and Karenia mikimotoi, and diatoms, Skeletonema spp. and Paralia sulcata, were the major taxa dominating the phytoplankton community. Cluster analysis, non-metric multidimensional scaling (NMDS) and analysis of similarities (ANOSIM) was conducted on a data matrix including taxa composition and cell abundance of the phytoplankton samples. The analyses categorized the samples into three groups at a similarity level of 30%. Group I was characterized by estuarine diatoms and distributed mainly in the highly turbid estuarine region. Group II, which was dominated by the diatom Skeletonema spp. and represented the red tide of Skeletonema spp., was situated around Group I in the sea area west of 122°50'E. Group III was characterized by a high proportion of dinoflagellates and was found further offshore compared with Groups I and II. Group III was further divided into two subgroups (III-S1 and III-S2) at a similarity level of 40%. Group III-S1 was characterized by the presence of the benthic diatom P. sulcata, representing phytoplankton samples collected either from the bottom or from the sea area affected by upwelling. Group III-S2 was dominated by dinoflagellates and represented red tides formed by P. donghaiense and K. mikimotoi. A gradual change of red-tide causative species was observed from the estuary to the offshore sea area, from diatoms to armored dinoflagellates and then unarmored dinoflagellates. Environmental factors associated with each group, and thus affecting the distribution of phytoplankton and red tides, are discussed.

Monoallelic Mutations to DNAJB11 Cause Atypical Autosomal-Dominant Polycystic Kidney Disease.

PubMed

Cornec-Le Gall, Emilie; Olson, Rory J; Besse, Whitney; Heyer, Christina M; Gainullin, Vladimir G; Smith, Jessica M; Audrézet, Marie-Pierre; Hopp, Katharina; Porath, Binu; Shi, Beili; Baheti, Saurabh; Senum, Sarah R; Arroyo, Jennifer; Madsen, Charles D; Férec, Claude; Joly, Dominique; Jouret, François; Fikri-Benbrahim, Oussamah; Charasse, Christophe; Coulibaly, Jean-Marie; Yu, Alan S; Khalili, Korosh; Pei, York; Somlo, Stefan; Le Meur, Yannick; Torres, Vicente E; Harris, Peter C

2018-05-03

Autosomal-dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) is characterized by the progressive development of kidney cysts, often resulting in end-stage renal disease (ESRD). This disorder is genetically heterogeneous with ∼7% of families genetically unresolved. We performed whole-exome sequencing (WES) in two multiplex ADPKD-like pedigrees, and we analyzed a further 591 genetically unresolved, phenotypically similar families by targeted next-generation sequencing of 65 candidate genes. WES identified a DNAJB11 missense variant (p.Pro54Arg) in two family members presenting with non-enlarged polycystic kidneys and a frameshifting change (c.166_167insTT) in a second family with small renal and liver cysts. DNAJB11 is a co-factor of BiP, a key chaperone in the endoplasmic reticulum controlling folding, trafficking, and degradation of secreted and membrane proteins. Five additional multigenerational families carrying DNAJB11 mutations were identified by the targeted analysis. The clinical phenotype was consistent in the 23 affected members, with non-enlarged cystic kidneys that often evolved to kidney atrophy; 7 subjects reached ESRD from 59 to 89 years. The lack of kidney enlargement, histologically evident interstitial fibrosis in non-cystic parenchyma, and recurring episodes of gout (one family) suggested partial phenotypic overlap with autosomal-dominant tubulointerstitial diseases (ADTKD). Characterization of DNAJB11-null cells and kidney samples from affected individuals revealed a pathogenesis associated with maturation and trafficking defects involving the ADPKD protein, PC1, and ADTKD proteins, such as UMOD. DNAJB11-associated disease is a phenotypic hybrid of ADPKD and ADTKD, characterized by normal-sized cystic kidneys and progressive interstitial fibrosis resulting in late-onset ESRD. Copyright © 2018 American Society of Human Genetics. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Spatiotemporal behavior of floods and droughts and their impacts on agriculture in China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Qiang; Gu, Xihui; Singh, Vijay P.; Kong, Dongdong; Chen, Xiaohong

2015-08-01

China is an agricultural country with the largest population in the world. However, intensification of droughts and floods and amplification of precipitation extremes are having critical negative impacts on agriculture. In this study, flood- and drought-affected, flood- and drought-damaged crop areas, and also flood- and drought-induced agricultural loss from 29 provinces across China are analyzed in both space and time. Results indicate the following: (1) Large parts of China are dominated by intensified floods. Comparatively, spatial ranges dominated by intensifying drought hazards are smaller than those by intensifying flood hazards. (2) Drought intensity is increasing in northwest China with moderate changes in the degree of influence. Increasing flood intensity can be observed in northwest, southwest and central China. However, flood risks are higher in arid regions such as northwest China and drought risks are higher in humid regions such as southwest China. (3) Agreements are identified between abrupt behaviors of flood-affected and -destroyed crop areas. The change points of flood-affected and -destroyed crop areas is in the 1980s in northeast, north and central China and in the 1990s in south and southwest China. Nevertheless, spatial patterns of the change points in the drought-affected and -destroyed crop areas are sporadic but not confirmative. (4) Flood- and drought-induced losses of agricultural production have significant increasing trends in most parts of China. The loss rate and loss magnitude of agriculture before change points are significantly higher than those after change points. (5) Generally, amplifications of precipitation extremes, decreasing consecutive wet days and increasing consecutive dry days in both space and time are the major driving factors behind the changes of drought- and flood-affected, and -destroyed crop areas and their impacts on agriculture across China. These results are theoretically and practically relevant for planning and management of agricultural activities and may help provide a theoretical framework for similar studies in other regions of the globe.

On Studying Common Factor Dominance and Approximate Unidimensionality in Multicomponent Measuring Instruments with Discrete Items

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Raykov, Tenko; Marcoulides, George A.

2018-01-01

This article outlines a procedure for examining the degree to which a common factor may be dominating additional factors in a multicomponent measuring instrument consisting of binary items. The procedure rests on an application of the latent variable modeling methodology and accounts for the discrete nature of the manifest indicators. The method…

Coastal urbanisation affects microbial communities on a dominant marine holobiont.

PubMed

Marzinelli, Ezequiel M; Qiu, Zhiguang; Dafforn, Katherine A; Johnston, Emma L; Steinberg, Peter D; Mayer-Pinto, Mariana

2018-01-01

Host-associated microbial communities play a fundamental role in the life of eukaryotic hosts. It is increasingly argued that hosts and their microbiota must be studied together as 'holobionts' to better understand the effects of environmental stressors on host functioning. Disruptions of host-microbiota interactions by environmental stressors can negatively affect host performance and survival. Substantial ecological impacts are likely when the affected hosts are habitat-forming species (e.g., trees, kelps) that underpin local biodiversity. In marine systems, coastal urbanisation via the addition of artificial structures is a major source of stress to habitat formers, but its effect on their associated microbial communities is unknown. We characterised kelp-associated microbial communities in two of the most common and abundant artificial structures in Sydney Harbour-pier-pilings and seawalls-and in neighbouring natural rocky reefs. The kelp Ecklonia radiata is the dominant habitat-forming species along 8000 km of the temperate Australian coast. Kelp-associated microbial communities on pilings differed significantly from those on seawalls and natural rocky reefs, possibly due to differences in abiotic (e.g., shade) and biotic (e.g., grazing) factors between habitats. Many bacteria that were more abundant on kelp on pilings belonged to taxa often associated with macroalgal diseases, including tissue bleaching in Ecklonia . There were, however, no differences in kelp photosynthetic capacity between habitats. The observed differences in microbial communities may have negative effects on the host by promoting fouling by macroorganisms or by causing and spreading disease over time. This study demonstrates that urbanisation can alter the microbiota of key habitat-forming species with potential ecological consequences.

Tracing environmental aetiological factors of chronic kidney diseases in the dry zone of Sri Lanka-A hydrogeochemical and isotope approach.

PubMed

Wickramarathna, Sudeera; Balasooriya, Shyamalie; Diyabalanage, Saranga; Chandrajith, Rohana

2017-12-01

Chronic kidney disease of unknown aetiologies (CKDu) is increasingly recognized in tropical regions and is now considered a global health problem. A detailed hydrogeochemical investigation has been performed in three CKDu hotspots in Sri Lanka to assess the geo-environmental aetiological factors influencing this disease. A total of 71 ground- and 26 surface water samples were collected from Girandurukotte, Wilgamuwa and Nikawewa regions and analysed for major constituents and trace elements. The affected regions are dominated by Ca-Mg-HCO 3 facies groundwater that is mainly controlled by silicate weathering. Higher levels of fluoride associated with higher hardness is the main feature of groundwater from CKDu regions compared to non-CKDu regions. Results showed that 65% of the wells in the affected regions exceeded the fluoride concentration of 0.5mg/L. Environmental isotopes of groundwater in the CKDu regions are represented by the regression line of δ 2 H=5.42δ 18 O-3.59 (r 2 =0.916) with a clear isotopic differentiation between local precipitation and groundwater. None of the trace elements exceeded the recommended scales and in most cases levels are negligible in both surface and groundwater in study areas. Therefore, the involvement of trace elements such as Cd, As and Pb can be ignored as causative factors for CKDu. This study highlights the synergistic influence of fluoride and hardness that could enhance the disease, and thereby refute earlier theories that attribute trace elements as causative factors for CKDu. Higher hardness in drinking water also restricts sufficient water uptake, particularly by farmers and which affects the physiological, biochemical and nutritional requirements. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

Seasonal Dynamics of Trace Elements in Tidal Salt Marsh Soils as Affected by the Flow-Sediment Regulation Regime

PubMed Central

Bai, Junhong; Xiao, Rong; Zhao, Qingqing; Lu, Qiongqiong; Wang, Junjing; Reddy, K. Ramesh

2014-01-01

Soil profiles were collected in three salt marshes with different plant species (i.e. Phragmites australis, Tamarix chinensis and Suaeda salsa) in the Yellow River Delta (YRD) of China during three seasons (summer and fall of 2007 and the following spring of 2008) after the flow-sediment regulation regime. Total elemental contents of As, Cd, Cu, Pb and Zn were determined using inductively coupled plasma atomic absorption spectrometry to investigate temporal variations in trace elements in soil profiles of the three salt marshes, assess the enrichment levels and ecological risks of these trace elements in three sampling seasons and identify their influencing factors. Trace elements did not change significantly along soil profiles at each site in each sampling season. The highest value for each sampling site was observed in summer and the lowest one in fall. Soils in both P. australis and S. salsa wetlands tended to have higher trace element levels than those in T. chinensis wetland. Compared to other elements, both Cd and As had higher enrichment factors exceeding moderate enrichment levels. However, the toxic unit (TU) values of these trace elements did not exceed probable effect levels. Correlation analysis showed that these trace elements were closely linked to soil properties such as moisture, sulfur, salinity, soil organic matter, soil texture and pH values. Principal component analysis showed that the sampling season affected by the flow-sediment regulation regime was the dominant factor influencing the distribution patterns of these trace elements in soils, and plant community type was another important factor. The findings of this study could contribute to wetland conservation and management in coastal regions affected by the hydrological engineering. PMID:25216278

Physiological Laterality of Superficial Cerebral Veins on Susceptibility-Weighted Imaging.

PubMed

Matsushima, Satoshi; Shimizu, Tetsuya; Gomi, Taku; Fukuda, Kunihiko

The purpose of this study is to evaluate whether laterality of the superficial cerebral veins can be seen on susceptibility-weighted imaging (SWI) in patients with no intracranial lesions that affect venous visualization. We retrospectively evaluated 386 patients who underwent brain magnetic resonance imaging including SWI in our institute. Patients with a lesion with the potential to affect venous visualization on SWI were excluded. Two neuroradiologists visually evaluated the findings and scored the visualization of the superficial cerebral veins. Of the 386 patients, 315 (81.6%) showed no obvious laterality on venous visualization, 64 (16.6%) showed left-side dominant laterality, and 7 (1.8%) showed right-side dominant laterality. Left-side dominant physiological laterality exists in the visualization of the superficial cerebral veins on SWI. Therefore, when recognizing left-side dominant laterality of the superficial cerebral veins on SWI, the radiologist must also consider the possibility of physiological laterality.

Somatic and germline mosaicism for a mutation of the PHEX gene can lead to genetic transmission of X-linked hypophosphatemic rickets that mimics an autosomal dominant trait.

PubMed

Goji, Katsumi; Ozaki, Kayo; Sadewa, Ahmad H; Nishio, Hisahide; Matsuo, Masafumi

2006-02-01

Familial hypophosphatemic rickets is usually transmitted as an X-linked dominant disorder (XLH), although autosomal dominant forms have also been observed. Genetic studies of these disorders have identified mutations in PHEX and FGF23 as the causes of X-linked dominant disorder and autosomal dominant forms, respectively. The objective of the study was to describe the molecular genetic findings in a family affected by hypophosphatemic rickets with presumed autosomal dominant inheritance. We studied a family in which the father and the elder of his two daughters, but not the second daughter, were affected by hypophosphatemic rickets. The pedigree interpretation of the family suggested that genetic transmission of the disorder occurred as an autosomal dominant trait. Direct nucleotide sequencing of FGF23 and PHEX revealed that the elder daughter was heterozygous for an R567X mutation in PHEX, rather than FGF23, suggesting that the genetic transmission occurred as an X-linked dominant trait. Unexpectedly, the father was heterozygous for this mutation. Single-nucleotide primer extension and denaturing HPLC analysis of the father using DNA from single hair roots revealed that he was a somatic mosaic for the mutation. Haplotype analysis confirmed that the father transmitted the genotypes for 18 markers on the X chromosome equally to his two daughters. The fact that the father transmitted the mutation to only one of his two daughters indicated that he was a germline mosaic for the mutation. Somatic and germline mosaicism for an X-linked dominant mutation in PHEX may mimic autosomal dominant inheritance.

CT contrast predicts pancreatic cancer treatment response to verteporfin-based photodynamic therapy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jermyn, Michael; Davis, Scott C.; Dehghani, Hamid; Huggett, Matthew T.; Hasan, Tayyaba; Pereira, Stephen P.; Bown, Stephen G.; Pogue, Brian W.

2014-04-01

The goal of this study was to determine dominant factors affecting treatment response in pancreatic cancer photodynamic therapy (PDT), based on clinically available information in the VERTPAC-01 trial. This trial investigated the safety and efficacy of verteporfin PDT in 15 patients with locally advanced pancreatic adenocarcinoma. CT scans before and after contrast enhancement from the 15 patients in the VERTPAC-01 trial were used to determine venous-phase blood contrast enhancement and this was correlated with necrotic volume determined from post-treatment CT scans, along with estimation of optical absorption in the pancreas for use in light modeling of the PDT treatment. Energy threshold contours yielded estimates for necrotic volume based on this light modeling. Both contrast-derived venous blood content and necrotic volume from light modeling yielded strong correlations with observed necrotic volume (R2 = 0.85 and 0.91, respectively). These correlations were much stronger than those obtained by correlating energy delivered versus necrotic volume in the VERTPAC-01 study and in retrospective analysis from a prior clinical study. This demonstrates that contrast CT can provide key surrogate dosimetry information to assess treatment response. It also implies that light attenuation is likely the dominant factor in the VERTPAC treatment response, as opposed to other factors such as drug distribution. This study is the first to show that contrast CT provides needed surrogate dosimetry information to predict treatment response in a manner which uses standard-of-care clinical images, rather than invasive dosimetry methods.

Dynamic Changes of Photosynthetic Picoeukaryotes Composition in the Northwestern Pacific Ocean Revealed by High-Throughput Tag Sequencing of Plastid 16S rRNA Gene

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Choi, D. H.; Noh, J. H.; Selph, K. E.; Lee, C. M.

2016-02-01

Photosynthetic picoeukaryotes (PPEs) are major oceanic primary producers. However, the diversity of such communities remains poorly understood, especially in the northwestern (NW) Pacific. We investigated the abundance and diversity of PPEs, and recorded environmental variables, along a transect from the coast to the open Pacific Ocean. High-throughput tag sequencing (using the MiSeq system) revealed the diversity of plastid 16S rRNA genes. The dominant PPEs changed at the class level along the transect. Prymnesiophyceae were the only dominant PPEs in the warm pool of the NW Pacific, but Mamiellophyceae dominated in coastal waters of the East China Sea. Phylogenetically, most Prymnesiophyceae sequences could not be resolved at lower taxonomic levels because no close relatives have been cultured. Within the Mamiellophyceae, the genera Micromonas and Ostreococcus dominated in marginal coastal areas affected by open water, whereas Bathycoccus dominated in the lower euphotic depths of open oligotrophic waters. Cryptophyceae and Phaeocystis (of the Prymnesiophyceae) dominated in areas affected principally by coastal water. We also defined the biogeographical distributions of Chrysophyceae, Prasinophyceae, Bacillariophyceaea, and Pelagophyceae. These distributions were influenced by temperature, salinity, and chlorophyll a and nutrient concentrations.

Exploring Intrinsic and Extrinsic Motivations to Participate in a Crowdsourcing Project to Support Blind and Partially Sighted Students.

PubMed

Layas, Fatma; Petrie, Helen

2016-01-01

There have been a number of crowdsourcing projects to support people with disabilities. However, there is little exploration of what motivates people to participate in such crowdsourcing projects. In this study we investigated how different motivational factors can affect the participation of people in a crowdsourcing project to support visually disabled students. We are developing "DescribeIT", a crowdsourcing project to support blind and partially students by having sighted people describe images in digital learning resources. We investigated participants' behavior of the DescribeIT project using three conditions: one intrinsic motivation condition and two extrinsic motivation conditions. The results showed that participants were significantly intrinsically motivated to participate in the DescribeIT project. In addition, participants' intrinsic motivation dominated the effect of the two extrinsic motivational factors in the extrinsic conditions.

Vasotocin increases dominance in the weakly electric fish Brachyhypopomus gauderio.

PubMed

Perrone, Rossana; Silva, Ana

2016-10-01

Animals establish social hierarchies through agonistic behavior. The recognition of the own and others social ranks is crucial for animals that live in groups to avoid costly constant conflicts. Weakly electric fish are valuable model systems for the study of agonistic behavior and its neuromodulation, given that they display conspicuous electrocommunication signals that are generated by a very well-known electromotor circuit. Brachyhypopomus gauderio is a gregarious electric fish, presents a polygynous breeding system, morphological and electrophysiological sexual dimorphism during the breeding season, and displays a typical intrasexual reproduction-related aggression. Dominants signal their social status by increasing their electric organ discharge (EOD) rate after an agonistic encounter (electric dominance). Subordinates only occasionally produce transient electric signals (chirps and offs). The hypothalamic neuropeptide arginine-vasotocin (AVT) and its mammalian homologue, arginine- vasopressin (AVP) are key modulators of social behavior across vertebrates. In this study, we focus on the role of AVT on dominance establishment in Brachyhypopomus gauderio by analyzing the effects of pharmacological manipulations of the AVT system in potential dominants. AVT exerts a very specific direct effect restricted only to EOD rate, and is responsible for the electric dominance. Unexpectedly, AVT did not affect the intensity of aggression in either contender. Nor was the time structure affected by AVT administration. We also present two interesting examples of the interplay between contenders by evaluating how AVT modulations, even when directed to one individual, affect the behavior of the dyad as a unit. First, we found that V1a AVT receptor antagonist Manning Compound (MC) induces a reversion in the positive correlation between dominants' and subordinates' attack rates, observed in both control and AVT treated dyads, suggesting that an endogenous AVT tone modulates aggressive interactions. Second, we confirmed that AVT administered to dominants induces an increase in the submissive transient electric signals in subordinates. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

A broader view of justice.

PubMed

Jecker, Nancy S

2008-10-01

In this paper I argue that a narrow view of justice dominates the bioethics literature. I urge a broader view. As bioethicists, we often conceive of justice using a medical model. This model focuses attention at a particular point in time, namely, when someone who is already sick seeks access to scarce or expensive services. A medical model asks how we can fairly distribute those services. The broader view I endorse requires looking upstream, and asking how disease and suffering came about. In contrast to a medical model, a social model of justice considers how social determinants affect the health of a population. For example, social factors such as access to clean drinking water, education, safe workplaces, and police protection, profoundly affect risk for disease and early death. I examine one important social determinant of health, health care coverage, to show the limits of a medical model and the merits of a broader view.

Gyrotropic Zener tunneling and nonlinear IV curves in the zero-energy Landau level of graphene in a strong magnetic field.

PubMed

Laitinen, Antti; Kumar, Manohar; Hakonen, Pertti; Sonin, Edouard

2018-01-12

We have investigated tunneling current through a suspended graphene Corbino disk in high magnetic fields at the Dirac point, i.e. at filling factor ν = 0. At the onset of the dielectric breakdown the current through the disk grows exponentially before ohmic behaviour, but in a manner distinct from thermal activation. We find that Zener tunneling between Landau sublevels dominates, facilitated by tilting of the source-drain bias potential. According to our analytic modelling, the Zener tunneling is strongly affected by the gyrotropic force (Lorentz force) due to the high magnetic field.

Determinative factors of competitive advantage between aerobic bacteria for niches at the air-liquid interface.

PubMed

Yamamoto, Kyosuke; Haruta, Shin; Kato, Souichiro; Ishii, Masaharu; Igarashi, Yasuo

2010-01-01

We focused on bacterial interspecies relationships at the air-liquid interface where the formation of pellicles by aerobes was observed. Although an obligate aerobe (Brevibacillus sp. M1-5) was initially dominant in the pellicle population, a facultative aerobe (Pseudoxanthomonas sp. M1-3) emerged and the viability of M1-5 rapidly decreased due to severe competition for oxygen. Supplementation of the medium with carbohydrates allowed the two species to coexist at the air-liquid interface. These results indicate that the population dynamics within pellicles are primarily governed by oxygen utilization which was affected by a combination of carbon sources.

The importance of subsurface geology for water source and vegetation communities in Cherokee Marsh, Wisconsin

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kurtz, A.M.; Bahr, J.M.; Carpenter, Q.J.; Hunt, R.J.

2007-01-01

Restoration of disturbed wetland systems is an important component of wetland mitigation, yet uncertainty remains about how hydrologic processes affect biologic processes and wetlands patterns. To design more effective restoration strategies and re-establish native plant communities in disturbed wetlands, it is imperative to understand undisturbed systems. A site within Cherokee Marsh located in Madison, Wisconsin, USA, contains a relatively undisturbed area of wetland consisting of plant communities common within the prairie landscape including a fen, sedge meadow, and shallow marsh. These distinct communities are found within an area of minimal topographic relief, yet transitions from one community to the next occur over short distances. This study sought to characterize the geologic, hydrologic, and chemical gradients associated with these shifts in vegetation to gain insight into the factors controlling the spatial differences in dominant plant species, which could be critical for restoration success. Vegetation analyses revealed a transition of dominant sedge species, which appeared to correspond to changes in hydrology from a ground-water dominated to a surface-water dominated system (as determined by water isotopes). Along the same vegetation transect, subsurface coring results show a heterogeneous composition of peat and till with lateral and vertical variations in stratigraphy, which relates to variability in ground-water discharge as evidenced by hydroperiods and stable isotope composition. Applications of this type of approach throughout the glaciated terrains of the midwestern and northeastern United States and Canada can improve future wetland restoration and management. ?? 2007, The Society of Wetland Scientists.

The neural basis of visual dominance in the context of audio-visual object processing.

PubMed

Schmid, Carmen; Büchel, Christian; Rose, Michael

2011-03-01

Visual dominance refers to the observation that in bimodal environments vision often has an advantage over other senses in human. Therefore, a better memory performance for visual compared to, e.g., auditory material is assumed. However, the reason for this preferential processing and the relation to the memory formation is largely unknown. In this fMRI experiment, we manipulated cross-modal competition and attention, two factors that both modulate bimodal stimulus processing and can affect memory formation. Pictures and sounds of objects were presented simultaneously in two levels of recognisability, thus manipulating the amount of cross-modal competition. Attention was manipulated via task instruction and directed either to the visual or the auditory modality. The factorial design allowed a direct comparison of the effects between both modalities. The resulting memory performance showed that visual dominance was limited to a distinct task setting. Visual was superior to auditory object memory only when allocating attention towards the competing modality. During encoding, cross-modal competition and attention towards the opponent domain reduced fMRI signals in both neural systems, but cross-modal competition was more pronounced in the auditory system and only in auditory cortex this competition was further modulated by attention. Furthermore, neural activity reduction in auditory cortex during encoding was closely related to the behavioural auditory memory impairment. These results indicate that visual dominance emerges from a less pronounced vulnerability of the visual system against competition from the auditory domain. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Parasite infracommunities of a specialized marine fish species in a compound community dominated by generalist parasites.

PubMed

Lanfranchi, A L; Rossin, M A; Timi, J T

2009-12-01

The structure and composition of parasite communities of Mullus argentinae were analysed under two alternative hypotheses in a sample of 75 specimens caught off Mar del Plata, Argentina (38 degrees 27'S, 57 degrees 90'W). The first, based on the dominance of trophically transmitted larval parasites of low host-specificity among fish species in the region, predicts that infracommunities will be random subsets of regionally available species. The second, based on previous studies on other mullids, predicts that infracommunities will be dominated by adult digeneans. The parasite fauna of goatfishes was mainly composed of endoparasites, with metacercariae of Prosorhynchus australis accounting for most individual parasites and greatly affecting infracommunity descriptors. Its importance was reinforced by the low number of trophically transmitted larval parasites. Both hypotheses were refuted; parasite communities were not dominated either by trophically transmitted larval parasites of low host-specificity or by adult digeneans. Prosorhynchus australis was the only species displaying any degree of phylogenetic specificity. Therefore, the influence of phylogenetic factors seems to exceed that of ecological ones in determining the observed structure of infracommunities. However, it is precisely host ecology that allows P. australis to become the determinant of infracommunity structure by constraining the acquisition of other parasites. Studies aiming to determine the relative importance of evolutionary and ecological processes as structuring forces of parasite communities should take into account not only the identity and specificity of their component parasites, but also their availability in the compound community.

Influence of refractive correction on ocular dominance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nakayama, Nanami; Kawamorita, Takushi; Uozato, Hiroshi

2010-07-01

We investigated the effects of refractive correction and refractive defocus on the assessment of sensory ocular dominance. In 25 healthy subjects (4 males and 21 females) aged between 20 and 31 years, a quantitative measurement of sensory ocular dominance was performed with refractive correction and the addition of a positive lens on the dominant eye. Sensory ocular dominance was measured with a chart using binocular rivalry targets. The reversal point changed after the addition of a +1.00 D lens on the dominant eye in all subjects. However, sighting ocular dominance and stereopsis did not change after the addition of a positive lens on the dominant eye ( P > 0:05, Wilcoxon test). These results suggest that refractive correction affects sensory ocular dominance, indicating the possible development of a new type of occlusion for amblyopia in the future.

Brain Hemisphere Dominance: Building the Whole-Brain Singer

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Boyd, Amanda R.

2012-01-01

The concept of brain hemisphere dominance serves as the basis for many educational learning theories. The dominant brain hemisphere guides the learning process, but both hemispheres are necessary for true learning to take place. This treatise outlines and analyzes the dominance factor, a learning theory developed by Dr. Carla Hannaford, which…

Microbial polychlorinated biphenyl dechlorination in sediments by electrical stimulation: The effect of adding acetate and nonionic surfactant.

PubMed

Yu, Hui; Wan, Hui; Feng, Chunhua; Yi, Xiaoyun; Liu, Xiaoping; Ren, Yuan; Wei, Chaohai

2017-02-15

The necessity for developing an efficient and cost-effective in situ bioremediation technology for sediments contaminated with polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) has prompted the application of low-voltage electrical fields to anaerobic digestion systems. Here we show that the use of a sediment-based bio-electrochemical reactor (BER) poised at a potential of -0.50V (vs. a standard calomel electrode, SCE) substantially enhanced the reduction of 2,3,4,5-tetrachlorobiphenyl (PCB 61) when acetate was added as a carbon source. The addition of surfactant Tween 80 to the BER further accelerated the PCB 61 transformation. The comparative study of closed- and open-circuit reactors demonstrated the enrichment conditions affecting the bacterial community structure, the dominant dechlorination metabolisms, and thus the extent, the rate and the products of the reduction of PCBs. The dominant bacterial dechlorinators detected in the BERs in the presence of acetate and Tween 80 are Dehalogenimonas, Dehalobacter, Sulfuricurvum, Dechloromonas and Geobacter, which should be responsible for PCB dechlorination. This study improves understanding of the key factors influencing dechlorination activity in sediment-based BERs polarized at a low potential, as well as the metabolic mechanisms dominating in the PCB dechlorination process. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Land use mediates riverine nitrogen export under the dominant influence of human activities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Binhui; Chang, Scott X.; Lam, Shu Kee; Erisman, Jan Willem; Gu, Baojing

2017-09-01

Riverine nitrogen (N) export is a crucial process that links upstream and downstream ecosystems and coastal zones. However, the driving forces of riverine N export that is closely related to water N pollution are still not well understood. In this study, we used a mass balance approach to quantify the sources of N discharge and analyzed the effect of land use composition on riverine N export, taking Zhejiang Province, China as a case study. We found that the total reactive N discharge to rivers in Zhejiang increased from 0.22 to 0.26 Tg yr-1 from 2000 to 2015. At the watershed scale, our estimate of N export agrees well with the monitored riverine N concentration in the eight major watersheds in Zhejiang. Direct discharge of domestic wastewater and effluents from wastewater treatment plants are dominant sources of riverine N export, followed by agricultural non-point sources. Although riverine N export increases with the increasing proportion of urban and agricultural land uses, we did not find any relationship between land use change and changes in riverine N export. This suggests that the dominant factor affecting riverine N export should be human activities (e.g. wastewater discharge and fertilization level), while land use only mediates riverine N export.

The Vertical Distribution of Sediment Archaeal Community in the “Black Bloom” Disturbing Zhushan Bay of Lake Taihu

PubMed Central

Fan, Xianfang; Xing, Peng

2016-01-01

Using the Illumina sequencing technology, we investigated the vertical distribution of archaeal community in the sediment of Zhushan Bay of Lake Taihu, where the black bloom frequently occurred in summer. Overall, the Miscellaneous Crenarchaeotal Group (MCG), Deep Sea Hydrothermal Vent Group 6 (DHVEG-6), and Methanobacterium dominated the archaeal community. However, we observed significant difference in composition of archaeal community among different depths of the sediment. DHVEG-6 dominated in the surface layer (0–3 cm) sediment. Methanobacterium was the dominating archaeal taxa in the L2 (3–6 cm) and L3 (6–10) sediment. MCG was most abundant in the L4 (10–15 cm) and L5 (15–20 cm) sediment. Besides, DHVEG-6 was significantly affected by the concentration of total phosphorus (TP). And loss on ignition (LOI) was an important environmental factor for Methanobacterium. As the typical archaeal taxa in the surface layer sediment, DHVEG-6 and Methanobacterium might be more adapted to abundant substrate supply from cyanobacterial blooms and take active part in the biomass transformation. We propose that DHVEG-6 and Methanobacterium could be the key archaeal taxa correlated with the “black bloom” formation in Zhushan Bay. PMID:26884723

Flexibility of internal and external glenohumeral rotation of junior female tennis players and its correlation with performance ranking.

PubMed

Chiang, Ching-Cheng; Hsu, Chih-Chia; Chiang, Jinn-Yen; Chang, Weng-Cheng; Tsai, Jong-Chang

2016-12-01

[Purpose] The purpose of this study was to compare the internal and external rotation of the dominant and nondominant shoulders of adolescent female tennis players. The correlation between the shoulder rotation range of motion and the player's ranking was also analyzed. [Subjects and Methods] Twenty-one female junior tennis players who were 13 to 18 years old participated in this study. A standard goniometer was used to measure the internal and external rotation of both glenohumeral joints. The difference in internal and external rotation was calculated as the glenohumeral rotation deficit. The year-end ranking of each player was obtained from the Chinese Taipei Tennis Association. [Results] The internal rotation of the dominant shoulder was significantly smaller than that of the nondominant shoulder. Moreover, player ranking was significantly and negatively correlated with the internal rotation range of motion of both shoulders. On the other hand, the correlations of the internal and external rotation ranges of motion with the age, height, and weight were not significant. [Conclusion] The flexibility of the glenohumeral internal rotation is smaller in the dominant shoulder than of the nondominant shoulder in these junior female tennis players. Flexibility of the glenohumeral internal rotation may be a factor affecting performance in junior female tennis players.

[Effects of large bio-manipulation fish pen on community structure of crustacean zooplankton in Meiliang Bay of Taihu Lake].

PubMed

Ke, Zhi-Xin; Xie, Ping; Guo, Long-Gen; Xu, Jun; Zhou, Qiong

2012-08-01

In 2005, a large bio-manipulation pen with the stock of silver carp and bighead carp was built to control the cyanobacterial bloom in Meiliang Bay of Taihu Lake. This paper investigated the seasonal variation of the community structure of crustacean zooplankton and the water quality within and outside the pen. There were no significant differences in the environmental parameters and phytoplankton biomass within and outside the pen. The species composition and seasonal dynamics of crustacean zooplankton within and outside the pen were similar, but the biomass of crustacean zooplankton was greatly suppressed by silver carp and bighead carp. The total crustacean zooplankton biomass and cladocerans biomass were significantly lower in the pen (P < 0.05). In general, silver carp and bighead carp exerted more pressure on cladoceran species than on copepod species. A distinct seasonal succession of crustacean zooplankton was observed in the Bay. Many crustacean species were only dominated in given seasons. Large-sized crustacean (mainly Daphnia sp. and Cyclops vicnus) dominated in winter and spring, while small-sized species (mainly Bosmina sp., Ceriodaphnia cornuta, and Limnoithona sinensis) dominated in summer and autumn. Canonical correspondence analysis showed that water transparency, temperature, and phytoplankton biomass were the most important factors affecting the seasonal succession of the crustacean.

Autosomal Dominant Growth Hormone Deficiency (Type II).

PubMed

Alatzoglou, Kyriaki S; Kular, Dalvir; Dattani, Mehul T

2015-06-01

Isolated growth hormone deficiency (IGHD) is the commonest pituitary hormone deficiency resulting from congenital or acquired causes, although for most patients its etiology remains unknown. Among the known factors, heterozygous mutations in the growth hormone gene (GH1) lead to the autosomal dominant form of GHD, also known as type II GHD. In many cohorts this is the commonest form of congenital isolated GHD and is mainly caused by mutations that affect the correct splicing of GH-1. These mutations cause skipping of the third exon and lead to the production of a 17.5-kDa GH isoform that exerts a dominant negative effect on the secretion of the wild type GH. The identification of these mutations has clinical implications for the management of patients, as there is a well-documented correlation between the severity of the phenotype and the increased expression of the 17.5-kDa isoform. Patients with type II GHD have a variable height deficit and severity of GHD and may develop additional pituitary hormone defiencies over time, including ACTH, TSH and gonadotropin deficiencies. Therefore, their lifelong follow-up is recommended. Detailed studies on the effect of heterozygous GH1 mutations on the trafficking, secretion and action of growth hormone can elucidate their mechanism on a cellular level and may influence future treatment options for GHD type II.

The microbial community of a passive biochemical reactor treating arsenic, zinc, and sulfate-rich seepage.

PubMed

Baldwin, Susan Anne; Khoshnoodi, Maryam; Rezadehbashi, Maryam; Taupp, Marcus; Hallam, Steven; Mattes, Al; Sanei, Hamed

2015-01-01

Sulfidogenic biochemical reactors (BCRs) for metal removal that use complex organic carbon have been shown to be effective in laboratory studies, but their performance in the field is highly variable. Successful operation depends on the types of microorganisms supported by the organic matrix, and factors affecting the community composition are unknown. A molecular survey of a field-based BCR that had been removing zinc and arsenic for over 6 years revealed that the microbial community was dominated by methanogens related to Methanocorpusculum sp. and Methanosarcina sp., which co-occurred with Bacteroidetes environmental groups, such as Vadin HA17, in places where the organic matter was more degraded. The metabolic potential for organic matter decomposition by Ruminococcaceae was prevalent in samples with more pyrolyzable carbon. Rhodobium- and Hyphomicrobium-related genera within the Rhizobiales order that have the metabolic potential for dark hydrogen fermentation and methylotrophy, and unclassified Comamonadaceae were the dominant Proteobacteria. The unclassified environmental group Sh765B-TzT-29 was an important Delta-Proteobacteria group in this BCR that co-occurred with the dominant Rhizobiales operational taxonomic units. Organic matter degradation is one driver for shifting the microbial community composition and therefore possibly the performance of these bioreactors over time.

Moments of Teaching and Learning in a Children's Hospital: Affects, Textures, and Temporalities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ehret, Christian

2018-01-01

Although nonrepresentational theory has enriched anthropologists' understanding of affect in social and cultural life, it has a short history in education research, where representational paradigms dominate. This article develops nonrepresentational theories of moments, temporal textures, and affective pedagogies in order to evoke affects of…

Modeling Vascularized Bone Regeneration Within a Porous Biodegradable CaP Scaffold Loaded with Growth Factors

PubMed Central

Sun, X; Kang, Y; Bao, J; Zhang, Y; Yang, Y; Zhou, X

2013-01-01

Osteogenetic microenvironment is a complex constitution in which extracellular matrix (ECM) molecules, stem cells and growth factors each interact to direct the coordinate regulation of bone tissue development. Importantly, angiogenesis improvement and revascularization are critical for osteogenesis during bone tissue regeneration processes. In this study, we developed a three-dimensional (3D) multi-scale system model to study cell response to growth factors released from a 3D biodegradable porous calcium phosphate (CaP) scaffold. Our model reconstructed the 3D bone regeneration system and examined the effects of pore size and porosity on bone formation and angiogenesis. The results suggested that scaffold porosity played a more dominant role in affecting bone formation and angiogenesis compared with pore size, while the pore size could be controlled to tailor the growth factor release rate and release fraction. Furthermore, a combination of gradient VEGF with BMP2 and Wnt released from the multi-layer scaffold promoted angiogenesis and bone formation more readily than single growth factors. These results demonstrated that the developed model can be potentially applied to predict vascularized bone regeneration with specific scaffold and growth factors. PMID:23566802

Is heart rate variability (HRV) an adequate tool for evaluating human emotions? - A focus on the use of the International Affective Picture System (IAPS).

PubMed

Choi, Kwang-Ho; Kim, Junbeom; Kwon, O Sang; Kim, Min Ji; Ryu, Yeon Hee; Park, Ji-Eun

2017-05-01

Because human emotion varies greatly among individuals and is a qualitative factor, measuring it with any degree of accuracy is very difficult. Heart rate variability (HRV), which is used in evaluations of the autonomic nervous system (ANS), is used to evaluate human emotions. This study examines the validity of HRV as a tool to evaluate emotions using the International Affective Picture System (IAPS). For experimentation, five photos were selected for each of the categories of "happy," "unhappy", and "neutral" from among the images provided by the IAPS. The subjects were required to complete the Self-Assessment Manikin (SAM) after being shown each picture. We extracted the R-R interval (RRI) value of each photo from the PPG, as well as the valence, arousal, and dominance value of each photo from the SAM to analyze their correlation. As results, there was significant positive correlation with valence and significant negative correlation with dominance in the photo simulation associated with the "unhappy" emotion, only when the arousal value exceeded a critical value. Therefore, the findings of this study suggest that it is possible to use an HRV-based evaluation only when a high level of emotion is induced by visual stimulation. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Binding of SEC11 Indicates Its Role in SNARE Recycling after Vesicle Fusion and Identifies Two Pathways for Vesicular Traffic to the Plasma Membrane[OPEN

PubMed Central

Karnik, Rucha; Zhang, Ben; Waghmare, Sakharam; Aderhold, Christin; Grefen, Christopher; Blatt, Michael R.

2015-01-01

SNARE (soluble N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive factor attachment protein receptor) proteins drive vesicle fusion in all eukaryotes and contribute to homeostasis, pathogen defense, cell expansion, and growth in plants. Two homologous SNAREs, SYP121 (=SYR1/PEN1) and SYP122, dominate secretory traffic to the Arabidopsis thaliana plasma membrane. Although these proteins overlap functionally, differences between SYP121 and SYP122 have surfaced, suggesting that they mark two discrete pathways for vesicular traffic. The SNAREs share primary cognate partners, which has made separating their respective control mechanisms difficult. Here, we show that the regulatory protein SEC11 (=KEULE) binds selectively with SYP121 to affect secretory traffic mediated by this SNARE. SEC11 rescued traffic block by dominant-negative (inhibitory) fragments of both SNAREs, but only in plants expressing the native SYP121. Traffic and its rescue were sensitive to mutations affecting SEC11 interaction with the N terminus of SYP121. Furthermore, the domain of SEC11 that bound the SYP121 N terminus was itself able to block secretory traffic in the wild type and syp122 but not in syp121 mutant Arabidopsis. Thus, SEC11 binds and selectively regulates secretory traffic mediated by SYP121 and is important for recycling of the SNARE and its cognate partners. PMID:25747882

Hydrographic processes driven by seasonal monsoon system affect siphonophore assemblages in tropical-subtropical waters (western North Pacific Ocean).

PubMed

Lo, Wen-Tseng; Yu, Shwu-Feng; Hsieh, Hung-Yen

2014-01-01

This work is a part of the Taiwan Cooperative Oceanic Fisheries Investigation, the first large scale hydrographic and plankton survey around Taiwan (21-26°N, 119-123°E). The present study examined the influence of hydrodynamic and biological variables driven by monsoon system on the siphonophore assemblages through an annual cycle in 2004. Calycophorans, namely Chelophyes appendiculata, Diphyes chamissonis, Lensia subtiloides, Bassia bassensis, and Muggiaea atlantica, were the most dominant siphonophore species. Maximum abundance of these dominant species generally occurred during the warm period (May and August), while M. atlantica had a significantly peak abundance in February. Although no apparently temporal difference in siphonophore abundance was observed in the study, siphonophore assemblage was more diverse in August than in other sampling times. Result of a cluster analysis indicated that assemblage structure of siphonophores in the waters around Taiwan varied at temporal and spatial scales during the sampling period. The intrusions of the Kuroshio Branch Current and China Coastal Current to the study area play an important role on the transportation of siphonophores. Also, the distribution of siphonophore assemblage was closely related to the hydrographic characteristics, with temperature, chlorophyll a concentration, and zooplankton abundance being the major environmental factors affecting the spatio-temporal variability of siphonophores. This study contributes substantially to the new knowledge of the siphonophore assemblage in the tropical-temperate waters of Taiwan.

Choosing organics: a path analysis of factors underlying the selection of organic food among Australian consumers.

PubMed

Lockie, Stewart; Lyons, Kristen; Lawrence, Geoffrey; Grice, Janet

2004-10-01

Path analysis of attitudinal, motivational, demographic and behavioural factors influencing food choice among Australian consumers who had consumed at least some organic food in the preceding 12 months showed that concern with the naturalness of food and the sensory and emotional experience of eating were the major determinants of increasing levels of organic consumption. Increasing consumption was also related to other 'green consumption' behaviours such as recycling and to lower levels of concern with convenience in the purchase and preparation of food. Most of these factors were, in turn, strongly affected by gender and the level of responsibility taken by respondents for food provisioning within their households, a responsibility dominated by women. Education had a slightly negative effect on the levels of concern for sensory and emotional appeal due to lower levels of education among women. Income, age, political and ecological values and willingness to pay a premium for safe and environmentally friendly foods all had extremely minor effects.

Carbonyl species characteristics during the evaporation of essential oils

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chiang, Hsiu-Mei; Chiu, Hua-Hsien; Lai, Yen-Ming; Chen, Ching-Yen; Chiang, Hung-Lung

2010-06-01

Carbonyls emitted from essential oils can affect the air quality when they are used in indoors, especially under poor ventilation conditions. Lavender, lemon, rose, rosemary, and tea tree oils were selected as typical and popular essential oils to investigate in terms of composition, thermal characteristics and fifteen carbonyl constituents. Based on thermogravimetric (TG) analysis, the activation energy was 7.6-8.3 kcal mol -1, the reaction order was in the range of 0.6-0.7 and the frequency factor was 360-2838 min -1. Formaldehyde, acetaldehyde, acetone, and propionaldehyde were the dominant carbonyl compounds, and their concentrations were 0.034-0.170 ppm. The emission factors of carbonyl compounds were 2.10-3.70 mg g -1, and acetone, propionaldehyde, acetaldehyde, and formaldehyde accounted for a high portion of the emission factor of carbonyl compounds in essential oil exhaust. Some unhealthy carbonyl species such as formaldehyde and valeraldehyde, were measured at low-temperature during the vaporization of essential oils, indicating a potential effect on indoor air quality and human health.

Connective tissue growth factor induces cardiac hypertrophy through Akt signaling

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

Hayata, Nozomi; Fujio, Yasushi; Yamamoto, Yasuhiro

2008-05-30

In the process of cardiac remodeling, connective tissue growth factor (CTGF/CCN2) is secreted from cardiac myocytes. Though CTGF is well known to promote fibroblast proliferation, its pathophysiological effects in cardiac myocytes remain to be elucidated. In this study, we examined the biological effects of CTGF in rat neonatal cardiomyocytes. Cardiac myocytes stimulated with full length CTGF and its C-terminal region peptide showed the increase in cell surface area. Similar to hypertrophic ligands for G-protein coupled receptors, such as endothelin-1, CTGF activated amino acid uptake; however, CTGF-induced hypertrophy is not associated with the increased expression of skeletal actin or BNP, analyzedmore » by Northern-blotting. CTGF treatment activated ERK1/2, p38 MAPK, JNK and Akt. The inhibition of Akt by transducing dominant-negative Akt abrogated CTGF-mediated increase in cell size, while the inhibition of MAP kinases did not affect the cardiac hypertrophy. These findings indicate that CTGF is a novel hypertrophic factor in cardiac myocytes.« less

Bibliometric approach of factors affecting scientific productivity in environmental sciences and ecology.

PubMed

Dragos, Cristian Mihai; Dragos, Simona Laura

2013-04-01

Different academic bibliometric studies have measured the influence of economic, political and linguistic factors in the academic output of countries. Separate analysis in different fields can reveal specific incentive factors. Our study proves that the Environmental Performance Index, computed by Yale University, is highly significant (p<0.01) for the productivity of research and development activities in environmental sciences and ecology. The control variables like education financing, publishing of ISI Thomson domestic journals and the English language are also significant. The methodology uses Ordinary Least Squares multiple regressions with convincing results (R(2)=0.752). The relative positions of the 92 countries in the sample are also discussed. We draw up a ranking of the countries' concern for the environment, considering evenly the scientific productivity and the environment quality. We notice huge differences concerning the number of inhabitants and population income between the countries that dominate the classification and those occupying the last positions. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Factors affecting public-supply well vulnerability in two karst aquifers.

PubMed

Musgrove, MaryLynn; Katz, Brian G; Fahlquist, Lynne S; Crandall, Christy A; Lindgren, Richard J

2014-09-01

Karst aquifers occur in a range of climatic and geologic settings. Nonetheless, they are commonly characterized by their vulnerability to water-quality impairment. Two karst aquifers, the Edwards aquifer in south-central Texas and the Upper Floridan aquifer in western Florida, were investigated to assess factors that control the movement of contaminants to public-supply wells (PSWs). The geochemistry of samples from a selected PSW or wellfield in each aquifer was compared with that from nearby monitoring wells and regional PSWs. Geochemistry results were integrated with age tracers, flow modeling, and depth-dependent data to refine aquifer conceptual models and to identify factors that affect contaminant movement to PSWs. The oxic Edwards aquifer is vertically well mixed at the selected PSW/wellfield, although regionally the aquifer is geochemically variable downdip. The mostly anoxic Upper Floridan aquifer is affected by denitrification and also is geochemically variable with depth. In spite of considerable differences in geology and hydrogeology, the two aquifers are similarly vulnerable to anthropogenic contamination. Vulnerability in studied PSWs in both aquifers is strongly influenced by rapid karst flowpaths and the dominance of young (<10 years) groundwater. Vulnerability was demonstrated by the frequent detection of similar constituents of concern in both aquifers (nitrate, atrazine, deethylatrazine, tetrachloroethene, and chloroform). Specific consideration of water-quality protection efforts, well construction and placement, and aquifer response times to land-use changes and contaminant loading are discussed, with implications for karst groundwater management. © 2014 The Authors. Groundwater published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of National Ground Water Association.

Does Hawaiian native forest conserve water? Lower uptake rates at tree and stand scale by Metrosideros polymorpha relative to plantation species

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kagawa, A. K.; Sack, L.; Duarte, T. K.; James, S. A.

2007-12-01

Native plants are often claimed to be conservative water users that enhance groundwater recharge compared to faster-growing non-native species that tend to dominate watersheds. This argument would have implications for motivating conservation and restoration of native forest in Hawai'i. However, few studies have examined differences in native and non-native plant transpiration (water use) at species or at stand level. Our aim was determine whether species matter to stand-level water use. We measured plant transpiration in a continuous mosaic of native forest and non-native tree plantation in Honaunau, Hawaii, focusing on endemic dominant tree Metrosideros polymorpha, alien timber trees Eucalyptus saligna and Fraxinus uhdei, and dominant understory Cibotium tree ferns. We measured xylem sap flow for six individuals of each species continuously for over eight weeks, and we estimated stand water use by scaling up these measurements using stand sapwood area and tree fern leaf area values obtained through vegetation surveys. Native forest dominant Metrosideros had the lowest rates of whole-tree daily water use at 8 kg day-1 (200kg m-2sapwood day-1), less than half the daily rates for Eucalyptus or Fraxinus; Metrosideros also had the lowest maximum transpiration rates of the three tree species. At the stand level, Fraxinus-dominated stands had higher water use than Eucalyptus- and Metrosideros- dominated stands due to the species' high sap flow rates, five-fold greater sapwood allocation, and the stands' two-fold greater dominant tree density. In Metrosideros-dominated stands, high Cibotium tree fern leaf area contributed to nearly 60% of water use, indicating the fern's critical role in forest water balance. Stand water use was influenced by factors at various scales, including species composition, stem density, tree sizes, and tree species' sapwood allocation, and was affected significantly by understory contributions. These findings highlight the importance of constituent species in forest water use, and in the case of this Hawaiian forest, indicate conservative water use by native forest.

The building-up of social relationships: behavioural types, social networks and cooperative breeding in a cichlid

PubMed Central

Schürch, Roger; Rothenberger, Susan; Heg, Dik

2010-01-01

Consistent individual differences in behavioural types may not only cause variation in life-history decisions, but may also affect the choice of social partners and sociality in general. Here, we tested whether and how behavioural type influences the establishment of social ties using the cooperatively breeding cichlid, Neolamprologus pulcher. In a habitat saturation experiment with individuals pre-tested for behavioural type, we first analysed whether behavioural type affected the likelihood of settlement (i.e. social status), group sizes, and the types of dominant and subordinate individuals accepted as group members. Corrected for effects of body size and sex, the behavioural type did not affect settlement. However, bold dominant males only accepted smaller females, and grouped with bold subordinates, while shy dominant males accepted larger females than themselves, and grouped with shy subordinates. Second, we analysed the relationships between behavioural type and the aggressiveness or affiliation social network. Behavioural type significantly affected the number and quality of connections within the two networks. We show that behavioural types affect group composition, social networks and status achieved, in interaction with body size. Thus, the interactions within groups may depend not only on age, size and sex, but also on the behavioural type of the individuals involved. PMID:21078660

Autosomal dominant optic neuropathy and sensorineual hearing loss associated with a novel mutation of WFS1

PubMed Central

Pennings, Ronald J.E.; Hol, Frans A.; Kunst, Henricus P.M.; Hoefsloot, Elisabeth H.; Cruysberg, Johannes R.M.; Cremers, Cor W.R.J.

2010-01-01

Purpose To describe the phenotype of a novel Wolframin (WFS1) mutation in a family with autosomal dominant optic neuropathy and deafness. The study is designed as a retrospective observational case series. Methods Seven members of a Dutch family underwent ophthalmological, otological, and genetical examinations in one institution. Fasting serum glucose was assessed in the affected family members. Results All affected individuals showed loss of neuroretinal rim of the optic nerve at fundoscopy with enlarged blind spots at perimetry. They showed a red-green color vision defect at color vision tests and deviations at visually evoked response tests. The audiograms of the affected individuals showed hearing loss and were relatively flat. The unaffected individuals showed no visual deviations or hearing impairment. The affected family members had no glucose intolerance. Leber hereditary optic neuropathy (LHON) mitochondrial mutations and mutations in the Optic atrophy-1 gene (OPA1) were excluded. In the affected individuals, a novel missense mutation c.2508G>C (p.Lys836Asn) in exon 8 of WFS1 was identified. Conclusions This study describes the phenotype of a family with autosomal dominant optic neuropathy and hearing impairment associated with a novel missense mutation in WFS1. PMID:20069065

Using exploratory regression to identify optimal driving factors for cellular automaton modeling of land use change.

PubMed

Feng, Yongjiu; Tong, Xiaohua

2017-09-22

Defining transition rules is an important issue in cellular automaton (CA)-based land use modeling because these models incorporate highly correlated driving factors. Multicollinearity among correlated driving factors may produce negative effects that must be eliminated from the modeling. Using exploratory regression under pre-defined criteria, we identified all possible combinations of factors from the candidate factors affecting land use change. Three combinations that incorporate five driving factors meeting pre-defined criteria were assessed. With the selected combinations of factors, three logistic regression-based CA models were built to simulate dynamic land use change in Shanghai, China, from 2000 to 2015. For comparative purposes, a CA model with all candidate factors was also applied to simulate the land use change. Simulations using three CA models with multicollinearity eliminated performed better (with accuracy improvements about 3.6%) than the model incorporating all candidate factors. Our results showed that not all candidate factors are necessary for accurate CA modeling and the simulations were not sensitive to changes in statistically non-significant driving factors. We conclude that exploratory regression is an effective method to search for the optimal combinations of driving factors, leading to better land use change models that are devoid of multicollinearity. We suggest identification of dominant factors and elimination of multicollinearity before building land change models, making it possible to simulate more realistic outcomes.

Chromatic and achromatic monocular deprivation produce separable changes of eye dominance in adults.

PubMed

Zhou, Jiawei; Reynaud, Alexandre; Kim, Yeon Jin; Mullen, Kathy T; Hess, Robert F

2017-11-29

Temporarily depriving one eye of its input, in whole or in part, results in a transient shift in eye dominance in human adults, with the patched eye becoming stronger and the unpatched eye weaker. However, little is known about the role of colour contrast in these behavioural changes. Here, we first show that the changes in eye dominance and contrast sensitivity induced by monocular eye patching affect colour and achromatic contrast sensitivity equally. We next use dichoptic movies, customized and filtered to stimulate the two eyes differentially. We show that a strong imbalance in achromatic contrast between the eyes, with no colour content, also produces similar, unselective shifts in eye dominance for both colour and achromatic contrast sensitivity. Interestingly, if this achromatic imbalance is paired with similar colour contrast in both eyes, the shift in eye dominance is selective, affecting achromatic but not chromatic contrast sensitivity and revealing a dissociation in eye dominance for colour and achromatic image content. On the other hand, a strong imbalance in chromatic contrast between the eyes, with no achromatic content, produces small, unselective changes in eye dominance, but if paired with similar achromatic contrast in both eyes, no changes occur. We conclude that perceptual changes in eye dominance are strongly driven by interocular imbalances in achromatic contrast, with colour contrast having a significant counter balancing effect. In the short term, eyes can have different dominances for achromatic and chromatic contrast, suggesting separate pathways at the site of these neuroplastic changes. © 2017 The Author(s).

Long-term cultivation of Bt rice expressing the Cry1Ab/1Ac gene reduced phytoparasitic nematode abundance but did not affect other nematode parameters in paddy fields.

PubMed

Chen, Qunying; Yang, Bing; Liu, Xianghui; Chen, Fajun; Ge, Feng

2017-12-31

The uncertainty of ecological risks and the effects of growing transgenic Bt rice on the environment hamper its commercial production. Here, soil nematode communities were used as an indicator of soil health and soil food web structure to evaluate the potential effects of growing Bt rice without chemical insecticides for 3years in the paddy field. The nematodes and soil physicochemical properties of Bt rice fields were compared to the near-isogenic control, non-Bt rice fields. A total of 108,363 specimens belonging to 28 different genera were enumerated. The Hirschmanniella, Tobrilus, Dorylaimus and Filenchus were dominant genera. A three-year paddy rice cultivation of Bt rice (Huahui 1) negatively affected the abundance of phytoparasitic nematodes but did not affect the total number of nematodes, the abundance and relative abundance of free-living nematodes, genera richness, diversity indices, soil food web conditions, or community compositions. However, apparent seasonal and inter-annual changes in these variables were observed, indicating that the impact of environmental factors was more stronger than that of the Bt toxin. In conclusion, the potential ecological risks of Bt rice on soil health and sustainability warrant further research to disentangle the impacts from various confounding environmental factors. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Role of vegetation in interplay of climate, soil and groundwater recharge in a global dataset

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, J. H.; Jackson, R. B.

2010-12-01

Groundwater is an essential resource for people and ecosystems worldwide. Our capacity to ameliorate predicted global water shortages and to maintain sustainable water supplies depend on a better understanding of the controls of recharge and how vegetation change may affect recharge mechanisms. The goals of this study are to quantify the importance of vegetation as a dominant control on recharge globally and to compare the importance of vegetation with other hydrologically important variables, including climate and soil. We based our global analysis on > 500 recharge estimates from the literature that contained information on vegetation, soil and climate or location. Plant functional types significantly affected groundwater recharge rates substantially. After climatic factors (water inputs, PET, and seasonality), vegetation types explained about 15% of the residuals in the dataset. Across all climatic factors, croplands had the highest recharge rates, followed by grasslands, scrublands and woodlands (average recharge: 75, 63, 30, 22 mm/yr respectively). Recharge under woodlands showed the most nonlinear response to water inputs. Differences in recharge between the vegetation types were more exaggerated at arid climates and in clay soils, indicating greater biological control on soil water fluxes in these conditions. Our results shows that vegetation greatly affects recharge rates globally and alters relationship between recharge and physical variables allowing us to better predict recharge rates globally.

Recurrent Mutations in the Basic Domain of TWIST2 Cause Ablepharon Macrostomia and Barber-Say Syndromes.

PubMed

Marchegiani, Shannon; Davis, Taylor; Tessadori, Federico; van Haaften, Gijs; Brancati, Francesco; Hoischen, Alexander; Huang, Haigen; Valkanas, Elise; Pusey, Barbara; Schanze, Denny; Venselaar, Hanka; Vulto-van Silfhout, Anneke T; Wolfe, Lynne A; Tifft, Cynthia J; Zerfas, Patricia M; Zambruno, Giovanna; Kariminejad, Ariana; Sabbagh-Kermani, Farahnaz; Lee, Janice; Tsokos, Maria G; Lee, Chyi-Chia R; Ferraz, Victor; da Silva, Eduarda Morgana; Stevens, Cathy A; Roche, Nathalie; Bartsch, Oliver; Farndon, Peter; Bermejo-Sanchez, Eva; Brooks, Brian P; Maduro, Valerie; Dallapiccola, Bruno; Ramos, Feliciano J; Chung, Hon-Yin Brian; Le Caignec, Cédric; Martins, Fabiana; Jacyk, Witold K; Mazzanti, Laura; Brunner, Han G; Bakkers, Jeroen; Lin, Shuo; Malicdan, May Christine V; Boerkoel, Cornelius F; Gahl, William A; de Vries, Bert B A; van Haelst, Mieke M; Zenker, Martin; Markello, Thomas C

2015-07-02

Ablepharon macrostomia syndrome (AMS) and Barber-Say syndrome (BSS) are rare congenital ectodermal dysplasias characterized by similar clinical features. To establish the genetic basis of AMS and BSS, we performed extensive clinical phenotyping, whole exome and candidate gene sequencing, and functional validations. We identified a recurrent de novo mutation in TWIST2 in seven independent AMS-affected families, as well as another recurrent de novo mutation affecting the same amino acid in ten independent BSS-affected families. Moreover, a genotype-phenotype correlation was observed, because the two syndromes differed based solely upon the nature of the substituting amino acid: a lysine at TWIST2 residue 75 resulted in AMS, whereas a glutamine or alanine yielded BSS. TWIST2 encodes a basic helix-loop-helix transcription factor that regulates the development of mesenchymal tissues. All identified mutations fell in the basic domain of TWIST2 and altered the DNA-binding pattern of Flag-TWIST2 in HeLa cells. Comparison of wild-type and mutant TWIST2 expressed in zebrafish identified abnormal developmental phenotypes and widespread transcriptome changes. Our results suggest that autosomal-dominant TWIST2 mutations cause AMS or BSS by inducing protean effects on the transcription factor's DNA binding. Copyright © 2015 The American Society of Human Genetics. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Biomass digestibility is predominantly affected by three factors of wall polymer features distinctive in wheat accessions and rice mutants

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background Wheat and rice are important food crops with enormous biomass residues for biofuels. However, lignocellulosic recalcitrance becomes a crucial factor on biomass process. Plant cell walls greatly determine biomass recalcitrance, thus it is essential to identify their key factors on lignocellulose saccharification. Despite it has been reported about cell wall factors on biomass digestions, little is known in wheat and rice. In this study, we analyzed nine typical pairs of wheat and rice samples that exhibited distinct cell wall compositions, and identified three major factors of wall polymer features that affected biomass digestibility. Results Based on cell wall compositions, ten wheat accessions and three rice mutants were classified into three distinct groups each with three typical pairs. In terms of group I that displayed single wall polymer alternations in wheat, we found that three wall polymer levels (cellulose, hemicelluloses and lignin) each had a negative effect on biomass digestibility at similar rates under pretreatments of NaOH and H2SO4 with three concentrations. However, analysis of six pairs of wheat and rice samples in groups II and III that each exhibited a similar cell wall composition, indicated that three wall polymer levels were not the major factors on biomass saccharification. Furthermore, in-depth detection of the wall polymer features distinctive in rice mutants, demonstrated that biomass digestibility was remarkably affected either negatively by cellulose crystallinity (CrI) of raw biomass materials, or positively by both Ara substitution degree of non-KOH-extractable hemicelluloses (reverse Xyl/Ara) and p-coumaryl alcohol relative proportion of KOH-extractable lignin (H/G). Correlation analysis indicated that Ara substitution degree and H/G ratio negatively affected cellulose crystallinity for high biomass enzymatic digestion. It was also suggested to determine whether Ara and H monomer have an interlinking with cellulose chains in the future. Conclusions Using nine typical pairs of wheat and rice samples having distinct cell wall compositions and wide biomass saccharification, Ara substitution degree and monolignin H proportion have been revealed to be the dominant factors positively determining biomass digestibility upon various chemical pretreatments. The results demonstrated the potential of genetic modification of plant cell walls for high biomass saccharification in bioenergy crops. PMID:24341349

Factors associated with parasite dominance in fishes from Brazil.

PubMed

Amarante, Cristina Fernandes do; Tassinari, Wagner de Souza; Luque, Jose Luis; Pereira, Maria Julia Salim

2016-06-14

The present study used regression models to evaluate the existence of factors that may influence the numerical parasite dominance with an epidemiological approximation. A database including 3,746 fish specimens and their respective parasites were used to evaluate the relationship between parasite dominance and biotic characteristics inherent to the studied hosts and the parasite taxa. Multivariate, classical, and mixed effects linear regression models were fitted. The calculations were performed using R software (95% CI). In the fitting of the classical multiple linear regression model, freshwater and planktivorous fish species and body length, as well as the species of the taxa Trematoda, Monogenea, and Hirudinea, were associated with parasite dominance. However, the fitting of the mixed effects model showed that the body length of the host and the species of the taxa Nematoda, Trematoda, Monogenea, Hirudinea, and Crustacea were significantly associated with parasite dominance. Studies that consider specific biological aspects of the hosts and parasites should expand the knowledge regarding factors that influence the numerical dominance of fish in Brazil. The use of a mixed model shows, once again, the importance of the appropriate use of a model correlated with the characteristics of the data to obtain consistent results.

A preliminary assessment of PM(10) and TSP concentrations in Tuticorin, India.

PubMed

Sivaramasundaram, K; Muthusubramanian, P

2010-06-01

The respirable particulate matter (RPM; PM(10)) and total suspended particulate matter (TSP) concentrations in ambient air in Tuticorin, India, were preliminarily estimated. Statistical analyses on so-generated database were performed to infer frequency distributions and to identify dominant meteorological factor affecting the pollution levels. Both the RPM and TSP levels were well below the permissible limits set by the US Environmental Protection Agency. As expected, lognormal distribution always fit the data during the study period. However, fit with the normal was also acceptable except for very few seasons. The RPM concentrations ranged between 20.9 and 198.2 mug/m(3), while the TSP concentrations varied from 51.5 to 333.3 mug/m(3) during the study period. There was a better correlation between PM(10-100) and TSP concentrations than that of PM(10) (RPM) and TSP concentrations, but the correlation of RPM fraction was also acceptable. It was found that wind speed was the most important meteorological factor affecting the concentrations of the pollutants of present interest. Significant seasonal variations in the pollutant concentrations of present interest were found at 5% significance level except for TSP concentrations in the year 2006.

[Perception of residents in world heritage site to the effects of ecological migration: a case study of three migrant resettlement spots in Wulingyuan, Hunan Province of South-central China].

PubMed

Wang, Kai; Ou, Yan; Ge, Quan-Sheng

2012-06-01

Based on the investigation in three typical migrant resettlement spots in Wulingyuan Scenic Area, a demonstration analysis was conducted on the residents' perception to the effects of ecological migration on world heritage site. The residents in the 3 spots had great differences in the positive perception to the economic effects of ecological migration, but less differences in the perception to the negative indices. The residents had high identity with the positive socio-cultural effects, but weak perception to the negative effects. The residents in the 3 resettlement spots had obvious differences in the perception to the effects on resources and environment, but mostly agreed that the negative psychological effects were not so obvious. The negative comments were given to the main migration policies. Age, educational level, monthly income, and proportion of tourism input were the main factors affecting the residents' perception, and the way of resettlement as well as the proportion of tourism input also had important effects on the residents' perception. Migration policy was the dominant factor affecting the integral perception of the residents to ecological migration.

Positional cloning of the PIS mutation in goats and its impact on understanding mammalian sex-differentiation

PubMed Central

2005-01-01

In goats, the PIS (polled intersex syndrome) mutation is responsible for both the absence of horns in males and females and sex-reversal affecting exclusively XX individuals. The mode of inheritance is dominant for the polled trait and recessive for sex-reversal. In XX PIS-/- mutants, the expression of testis-specific genes is observed very precociously during gonad development. Nevertheless, a delay of 4–5 days is observed in comparison with normal testis differentiation in XY males. By positional cloning, we demonstrate that the PIS mutation is an 11.7-kb regulatory-deletion affecting the expression of two genes, PISRT1 and FOXL2 which could act synergistically to promote ovarian differentiation. The transcriptional extinction of these two genes leads, very early, to testis-formation in XX homozygous PIS-/- mutants. According to their expression profiles and bibliographic data, we propose that FOXL2 may be an ovary-differentiating gene, and the non-coding RNA PISRT1, an anti-testis factor repressing SOX9, a key regulator of testis differentiation. Under this hypothesis, SRY, the testis-determining factor would inhibit these two genes in the gonads of XY males, to ensure testis differentiation. PMID:15601595

Positional cloning of the PIS mutation in goats and its impact on understanding mammalian sex-differentiation.

PubMed

Pailhoux, Eric; Vigier, Bernard; Schibler, Laurent; Cribiu, Edmond P; Cotinot, Corinne; Vaiman, Daniel

2005-01-01

In goats, the PIS (polled intersex syndrome) mutation is responsible for both the absence of horns in males and females and sex-reversal affecting exclusively XX individuals. The mode of inheritance is dominant for the polled trait and recessive for sex-reversal. In XX PIS-/- mutants, the expression of testis-specific genes is observed very precociously during gonad development. Nevertheless, a delay of 4-5 days is observed in comparison with normal testis differentiation in XY males. By positional cloning, we demonstrate that the PIS mutation is an 11.7-kb regulatory-deletion affecting the expression of two genes, PISRT1 and FOXL2 which could act synergistically to promote ovarian differentiation. The transcriptional extinction of these two genes leads, very early, to testis-formation in XX homozygous PIS-/- mutants. According to their expression profiles and bibliographic data, we propose that FOXL2 may be an ovary-differentiating gene, and the non-coding RNA PISRT1, an anti-testis factor repressing SOX9, a key regulator of testis differentiation. Under this hypothesis, SRY, the testis-determining factor would inhibit these two genes in the gonads of XY males, to ensure testis differentiation.

Internal Structure and Partial Invariance across Gender in the Spanish Version of the Reasoning Test Battery.

PubMed

Elosua, Paula; Mujika, Josu

2015-10-13

The Reasoning Test Battery (BPR) is an instrument built on theories of the hierarchical organization of cognitive abilities and therefore consists of different tasks related with abstract, numerical, verbal, practical, spatial and mechanical reasoning. It was originally created in Belgium and later adapted to Portuguese. There are three forms of the battery consisting of different items and scales which cover an age range from 9 to 22. This paper focuses on the adaptation of the BPR to Spanish, and analyzes different aspects of its internal structure: (a) exploratory item factor analysis was applied to assess the presence of a dominant factor for each partial scale; (b) the general underlined model was evaluated through confirmatory factor analysis, and (c) factorial invariance across gender was studied. The sample consisted of 2624 Spanish students. The results concluded the presence of a general factor beyond the scales, with equivalent values for men and women, and gender differences in the factorial structure which affect the numerical reasoning, abstract reasoning and mechanical reasoning scales.

(Un)Disciplined futures: Women of color feminism as a disruptive to white affect studies.

PubMed

Garcia-Rojas, Claudia

2017-07-03

The aim of this article is to demonstrate how women of color feminism predates and disrupts dominant dialogues in the field of White affect studies. I introduce the concept of White affect studies as an arena of inquiry that draws from Western-European theories and literatures and architects a sociopolitical structure of affect that positions White affects as universal. Scholars contributing to the field of White affect studies posit theories of affect, embodiment, subjectivity, phenomenology, violence, war, and more, while disregarding the theoretical contributions made by women of color feminism in thinking through these notions and social issues. This is done by engaging in a citational practice that results in an epistemic erasure of women of color feminist thought. The voices of women of color feminists are thus disqualified, and their theoretical contributions are not acknowledged as significant or relevant in conceptualizing affect, affective economies, and the social. By turning to the writings of women of color feminists, I demonstrate how their theories on embodiment, subjectivity, and social structures predate the institutionalization of White affect studies. Feminists of color from the past and present have and continue to theorize through a language of self their experiences as subjects embedded within matrices of violence, power, and pleasure. Lorde, Martinez, and Chinchilla write about the ways in which lesbian and queer women of color institute different affects that counter dominant structures of emotion, systems of power, and heterosexual modes of being. In developing conceptual methodologies, Lorde, Martinez, and Chinchilla are able to weave into the dominant discursive logic a language of self that both introduces new queer subjectivities, while reinterpreting existing forms of thought, thereby contesting mainstream economies of White affects and White affect studies. It is through a language of self that Lorde, Martinez, and Chinchilla develop an ethic of survival that countermobilizes against White hegemonic apparatuses.

Reduced Language Connectivity in Pediatric Epilepsy

PubMed Central

Leigh N., Sepeta; Louise J., Croft; Lauren A., Zimmaro; Elizabeth S., Duke; Virginia K., Terwilliger; Benjamin E., Yerys; Xiaozhen., You; Chandan J., Vaidya; William D., Gaillard; Madison M., Berl

2014-01-01

Objective Functional connectivity (FC) among language regions is decreased in adults with epilepsy compared to controls, but less is known about FC in children with epilepsy. We sought to determine if language FC is reduced in pediatric epilepsy, and examined clinical factors that associate with language FC in this population. Methods We assessed FC during an age-adjusted language task in children with left-hemisphere focal epilepsy (n=19) compared to controls (n=19). Time series data were extracted for three left ROIs and their right homologues: inferior frontal gyrus (IFG), middle frontal gyrus (MFG), and Wernicke's area (WA) using SPM8. Associations between FC and factors such as cognitive performance, language dominance, and epilepsy duration were assessed. Results Children with epilepsy showed decreased interhemispheric connectivity compared to controls, particularly between core left language regions (IFG, WA) and their right hemisphere homologues, as well as decreased intrahemispheric right frontal FC. Increased intrahemispheric FC between left IFG and left WA was a positive predictor of language skills overall, and naming ability in particular. FC of language areas was not affected by language dominance, as the effects remained when only examining study participants with left language dominance. Overall FC did not differ according to duration of epilepsy or age of onset. Significance FC during a language task is reduced in children, similar to findings in adults. In specific, children with left focal epilepsy demonstrated decreased interhemispheric FC in temporal and frontal language connections and decreased intrahemispheric right frontal FC. These differences were present near the onset of epilepsy. Greater FC between left language centers is related to better language ability. Our results highlight that connectivity of language areas has a developmental pattern and is related to cognitive ability. PMID:25516399

The Characters of Dry Soil Layer on the Loess Plateau in China and Their Influencing Factors

PubMed Central

Yan, Weiming; Deng, Lei; Zhong, Yangquanwei; Shangguan, Zhouping

2015-01-01

A dry soil layer (DSL) is a common soil desiccation phenomenon that generally forms at a particular depth in the soil profile because of climatic factors and poor land management, and this phenomenon can influence the water cycle and has been observed on the Loess Plateau of China and other similar regions around the world. Therefore, an investigation of the DSL formation depth (DSLFD), thickness (DSLT) and mean water content (MWDSL) on the Loess Plateau can provide valuable information. This paper synthesized 69 recent publications (1,149 observations of DSLs from 73 sites) that focused on DSLs in this region, and the results indicated that DSLs are significantly affected by climatic and vegetation factors. The mean annual precipitation had a significant positive relationship with DSLFD (p = 0.0003) and MWDSL (p<0.0001) and a negative relationship with DSLT (p = 0.0071). Crops had the lowest DSLT and highest MWDSL values compared with other vegetation types. A significant correlation was observed between the occurrence of DSLs and the years since planting for grasses, shrubs, trees and orchards, and the severity of DSLs increased with increasing planting years and wheat yield. Our results suggest that optimizing land-use management can mitigate DSL formation and development on the Loess Plateau. Understanding the dominant factors affecting DSLs will provide information for use in guidelines for the sustainable development of economies and restoration of natural environments experiencing water deficiencies. PMID:26241046

The Characters of Dry Soil Layer on the Loess Plateau in China and Their Influencing Factors.

PubMed

Yan, Weiming; Deng, Lei; Zhong, Yangquanwei; Shangguan, Zhouping

2015-01-01

A dry soil layer (DSL) is a common soil desiccation phenomenon that generally forms at a particular depth in the soil profile because of climatic factors and poor land management, and this phenomenon can influence the water cycle and has been observed on the Loess Plateau of China and other similar regions around the world. Therefore, an investigation of the DSL formation depth (DSLFD), thickness (DSLT) and mean water content (MWDSL) on the Loess Plateau can provide valuable information. This paper synthesized 69 recent publications (1,149 observations of DSLs from 73 sites) that focused on DSLs in this region, and the results indicated that DSLs are significantly affected by climatic and vegetation factors. The mean annual precipitation had a significant positive relationship with DSLFD (p = 0.0003) and MWDSL (p<0.0001) and a negative relationship with DSLT (p = 0.0071). Crops had the lowest DSLT and highest MWDSL values compared with other vegetation types. A significant correlation was observed between the occurrence of DSLs and the years since planting for grasses, shrubs, trees and orchards, and the severity of DSLs increased with increasing planting years and wheat yield. Our results suggest that optimizing land-use management can mitigate DSL formation and development on the Loess Plateau. Understanding the dominant factors affecting DSLs will provide information for use in guidelines for the sustainable development of economies and restoration of natural environments experiencing water deficiencies.

A dominantly inherited form of arthrogryposis multiplex congenita with unusual dermatoglyphics.

PubMed

Sack, G H

1978-12-01

A father and daughter with arthrogryposis multiplex congenita and similar dermatoglyphic patterns are described. No evidence was found of chromosomal abnormality, neuropathy or myopathy, and there were no other affected family members. The findings are compatible with autosomal dominant inheritance.

Characterization and spacial distribution variability of chromophoric dissolved organic matter (CDOM) in the Yangtze Estuary.

PubMed

Wang, Ying; Zhang, Di; Shen, Zhenyao; Chen, Jing; Feng, Chenghong

2014-01-01

The spatial characteristics and the quantity and quality of the chromophoric dissolved organic matter (CDOM) in the Yangtze Estuary, based on the abundance, degree of humification and sources, were studied using 3D fluorescence excitation emission matrix spectra (F-EEMs) with parallel factor and principal component analysis (PARAFAC-PCA). The results indicated that the CDOM abundance decreased and the aromaticity increased from the upstream to the downstream areas of the estuary. Higher CDOM abundance and degrees of humification were observed in the pore water than that in the surface and bottom waters. Two humic-like components (C1 and C3) and one tryptophan-like component (C2) were identified using the PARAFAC model. The separation of the samples by PCA highlighted the differences in the DOM properties. Components C1 and C3 concurrently displayed positive factor 1 loadings with nearly zero factor 2 loadings, while C2 showed highly positive factor 2 loadings. The C1 and C3 were very similar and exhibited a direct relationship with A355 and DOC. The CDOM in the pore water increased along the river to the coastal area, which was mainly influenced by C1 and C3 and was significantly derived from sediment remineralization and deposition from the inflow of the Yangtze River. The CDOM in the surface and bottom waters was dominated by C2, especially in the inflows of multiple tributaries that were affected by intensive anthropogenic activities. The microbial degradation of exogenous wastes from the tributary inputs and shoreside discharges were dominant sources of the CDOM in the surface and bottom waters. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Promoting health or promoting pleasure? A contingency approach to the effect of informational and emotional appeals on food liking and consumption.

PubMed

Dubé, L; Cantin, I

2000-12-01

Here, we suggest that the relative effectiveness of informational and emotional appeals in persuasive communications may depend on the dominant basis of attitude towards the focal item (affective or cognitive), and on the precise response being targeted (i.e. influencing affect-based food liking or cognitive-based consumption). Ninety-five participants (milk drinking adults) participated in an experiment in which they were presented with a persuasive communication promoting milk consumption. A mixed design combined as between-participants factors attitude bases (two: affective/cognitive) and persuasive appeals (two: informational/emotional) with, as a within-participants measure, types of effect (two: liking and consumption change intent). We also measured immediate feelings and thoughts responses to the communication. As expected, cognition-based attitudes were not sensitive to a match between persuasive appeals and types of effect. For affect-based attitudes, results confirmed the predicted superiority of a match between the affective and cognitive bases of the targeted responses and that of the persuasive appeal. Food liking was particularly sensitive to an emotional appeal while an informational appeal tended to be more influential on food consumption. The underlying mechanism of these effects and their implication for the practice of health promotion and food marketing are discussed. Copyright 2000 Academic Press.

Neurology of Affective Prosody and Its Functional-Anatomic Organization in Right Hemisphere

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ross, Elliott D.; Monnot, Marilee

2008-01-01

Unlike the aphasic syndromes, the organization of affective prosody in brain has remained controversial because affective-prosodic deficits may occur after left or right brain damage. However, different patterns of deficits are observed following left and right brain damage that suggest affective prosody is a dominant and lateralized function of…

Side of symptom onset affects motor dysfunction in Parkinson's disease.

PubMed

Haaxma, C A; Helmich, R C G; Borm, G F; Kappelle, A C; Horstink, M W I M; Bloem, B R

2010-11-10

The healthy brain appears to have an asymmetric dopamine distribution, with higher levels of dopamine in the left than in the right striatum. Here, we test the hypothesis that this neurochemical asymmetry renders the right striatum relatively more vulnerable to the effects of dopaminergic denervation in Parkinson's disease (PD). Using the pegboard dexterity test, we compared motor performance of both hands between healthy subjects (n=48), PD patients with predominantly right-hemispheric dopamine depletion (PD-RIGHT; n=83) and PD patients with more severe left-hemispheric dopamine depletion (PD-LEFT; n=103). All subjects were right-handed. After adjusting for hand-dominance effects, we found that PD-RIGHT patients exhibited a 55% larger difference between right and left dexterity scores than PD-LEFT patients. This effect could be attributed to greater motor dysfunction of the more-affected hand in PD-RIGHT patients, while the less-affected hand performed similarly in both groups. We conclude that the side of symptom onset affects motor dysfunction in PD, and suggest that the non-dominant right hemisphere may be more susceptible to dopaminergic denervation than the dominant left hemisphere. Copyright © 2010 IBRO. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Ovarian development in a primitively eusocial wasp: social interactions affect behaviorally dominant and subordinate wasps in opposite directions relative to solitary females.

PubMed

Shukla, Shantanu; Pareek, Vidhi; Gadagkar, Raghavendra

2014-07-01

In many primitively eusocial wasp species new nests are founded either by a single female or by a small group of females. In the single foundress nests, the lone female develops her ovaries, lays eggs as well as tends her brood. In multiple foundress nests social interactions, especially dominance-subordinate interactions, result in only one 'dominant' female developing her ovaries and laying eggs. Ovaries of the remaining 'subordinate' cofoundresses remain suppressed and these individuals function as workers and tend the dominant's brood. Using the tropical, primitively eusocial polistine wasp Ropalidia marginata and by comparing wasps held in isolation and those kept as pairs in the laboratory, we demonstrate that social interactions affect ovarian development of dominant and subordinate wasps among the pairs in opposite directions, suppressing the ovaries of the subordinate member of the pair below that of solitary wasps and boosting the ovaries of dominant member of the pair above that of solitary females. In addition to being of physiological interest, such mirror image effects of aggression on the ovaries of the aggressors and their victims, suggest yet another mechanism by which subordinates can enhance their indirect fitness and facilitate the evolution of worker behavior by kin selection. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Dynamic changes in the composition of photosynthetic picoeukaryotes in the northwestern Pacific Ocean revealed by high-throughput tag sequencing of plastid 16S rRNA genes.

PubMed

Choi, Dong H; An, Sung M; Chun, Sungjun; Yang, Eun C; Selph, Karen E; Lee, Charity M; Noh, Jae H

2016-02-01

Photosynthetic picoeukaryotes (PPEs) are major oceanic primary producers. However, the diversity of such communities remains poorly understood, especially in the northwestern (NW) Pacific. We investigated the abundance and diversity of PPEs, and recorded environmental variables, along a transect from the coast to the open Pacific Ocean. High-throughput tag sequencing (using the MiSeq system) revealed the diversity of plastid 16S rRNA genes. The dominant PPEs changed at the class level along the transect. Prymnesiophyceae were the only dominant PPEs in the warm pool of the NW Pacific, but Mamiellophyceae dominated in coastal waters of the East China Sea. Phylogenetically, most Prymnesiophyceae sequences could not be resolved at lower taxonomic levels because no close relatives have been cultured. Within the Mamiellophyceae, the genera Micromonas and Ostreococcus dominated in marginal coastal areas affected by open water, whereas Bathycoccus dominated in the lower euphotic depths of oligotrophic open waters. Cryptophyceae and Phaeocystis (of the Prymnesiophyceae) dominated in areas affected principally by coastal water. We also defined the biogeographical distributions of Chrysophyceae, prasinophytes, Bacillariophyceaea and Pelagophyceae. These distributions were influenced by temperature, salinity and chlorophyll a and nutrient concentrations. © FEMS 2015. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

The role of selective predation in harmful algal blooms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Solé, Jordi; Garcia-Ladona, Emilio; Estrada, Marta

2006-08-01

A feature of marine plankton communities is the occurrence of rapid population explosions. When the blooming species are directly or indirectly noxious for humans, these proliferations are denoted as harmful algal blooms (HAB). The importance of biological interactions for the appearance of HABs, in particular when the proliferating microalgae produce toxins that affect other organisms in the food web, remains still poorly understood. Here we analyse the role of toxins produced by a microalgal species and affecting its predators, in determining the success of that species as a bloom former. A three-species predator-prey model is used to define a criterion that determines whether a toxic microalga will be able to initiate a bloom in competition against a non-toxic one with higher growth rate. Dominance of the toxic species depends on a critical parameter that defines the degree of feeding selectivity by grazers. The criterion is applied to a particular simplified model and to numerical simulations of a full marine ecosystem model. The results suggest that the release of toxic compounds affecting predators may be a plausible biological factor in allowing the development of HABs.

Happy software developers solve problems better: psychological measurements in empirical software engineering

PubMed Central

Wang, Xiaofeng; Abrahamsson, Pekka

2014-01-01

For more than thirty years, it has been claimed that a way to improve software developers’ productivity and software quality is to focus on people and to provide incentives to make developers satisfied and happy. This claim has rarely been verified in software engineering research, which faces an additional challenge in comparison to more traditional engineering fields: software development is an intellectual activity and is dominated by often-neglected human factors (called human aspects in software engineering research). Among the many skills required for software development, developers must possess high analytical problem-solving skills and creativity for the software construction process. According to psychology research, affective states—emotions and moods—deeply influence the cognitive processing abilities and performance of workers, including creativity and analytical problem solving. Nonetheless, little research has investigated the correlation between the affective states, creativity, and analytical problem-solving performance of programmers. This article echoes the call to employ psychological measurements in software engineering research. We report a study with 42 participants to investigate the relationship between the affective states, creativity, and analytical problem-solving skills of software developers. The results offer support for the claim that happy developers are indeed better problem solvers in terms of their analytical abilities. The following contributions are made by this study: (1) providing a better understanding of the impact of affective states on the creativity and analytical problem-solving capacities of developers, (2) introducing and validating psychological measurements, theories, and concepts of affective states, creativity, and analytical-problem-solving skills in empirical software engineering, and (3) raising the need for studying the human factors of software engineering by employing a multidisciplinary viewpoint. PMID:24688866

Happy software developers solve problems better: psychological measurements in empirical software engineering.

PubMed

Graziotin, Daniel; Wang, Xiaofeng; Abrahamsson, Pekka

2014-01-01

For more than thirty years, it has been claimed that a way to improve software developers' productivity and software quality is to focus on people and to provide incentives to make developers satisfied and happy. This claim has rarely been verified in software engineering research, which faces an additional challenge in comparison to more traditional engineering fields: software development is an intellectual activity and is dominated by often-neglected human factors (called human aspects in software engineering research). Among the many skills required for software development, developers must possess high analytical problem-solving skills and creativity for the software construction process. According to psychology research, affective states-emotions and moods-deeply influence the cognitive processing abilities and performance of workers, including creativity and analytical problem solving. Nonetheless, little research has investigated the correlation between the affective states, creativity, and analytical problem-solving performance of programmers. This article echoes the call to employ psychological measurements in software engineering research. We report a study with 42 participants to investigate the relationship between the affective states, creativity, and analytical problem-solving skills of software developers. The results offer support for the claim that happy developers are indeed better problem solvers in terms of their analytical abilities. The following contributions are made by this study: (1) providing a better understanding of the impact of affective states on the creativity and analytical problem-solving capacities of developers, (2) introducing and validating psychological measurements, theories, and concepts of affective states, creativity, and analytical-problem-solving skills in empirical software engineering, and (3) raising the need for studying the human factors of software engineering by employing a multidisciplinary viewpoint.

[The clinico-psychopathological differentiation of schizoaffective psychoses with a predominance of affective disorders].

PubMed

Korenev, A N

1994-01-01

Basing on the clinico-psychopathological analysis of 43 patients with an affect-dominant form of schizoaffective psychosis, their typological division has been suggested. The interrelations of clinical types of delusional disturbances with affective disorders, their polarity, congruent and noncongruent delusions were shown. The discussion covers differential-diagnostic characteristics of affective states in schizoaffective and affective psychoses.

Fast Reduction Method in Dominance-Based Information Systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Yan; Zhou, Qinghua; Wen, Yongchuan

2018-01-01

In real world applications, there are often some data with continuous values or preference-ordered values. Rough sets based on dominance relations can effectively deal with these kinds of data. Attribute reduction can be done in the framework of dominance-relation based approach to better extract decision rules. However, the computational cost of the dominance classes greatly affects the efficiency of attribute reduction and rule extraction. This paper presents an efficient method of computing dominance classes, and further compares it with traditional method with increasing attributes and samples. Experiments on UCI data sets show that the proposed algorithm obviously improves the efficiency of the traditional method, especially for large-scale data.

Evaluation of nuclear unrest and p53 immunostaining in Wilms' tumor.

PubMed

Salama, Asmaa; Kamel, Ahmad

2011-03-01

Nuclear unrest is a term applied to Wilms' tumors (WT) that show nuclear abnormalities close to anaplasia but without abnormal mitoses. p53 is claimed to be associated with anaplasia and poor prognosis. This study was undertaken to evaluate the clinical significance of nuclear unrest and p53 immunostaining in Wilms' tumor. This is a retrospective study of 63 patients who presented at NCI with Wilms' tumors, and underwent preoperative chemotherapy followed by nephrectomy. Histopathologic assessment and p53 immunohistochemistry were done. WT with nuclear unrest grade III closely resembled anaplastic tumors and both of them (group 1) constituted 19% of cases. Group 1 constituted 29% of cases showing blastema dominant morphology compared to 9.4% of cases without blastema dominant morphology with significant statistical difference (p=0.047). Almost 83% of cases that achieved 1st complete remission were stages I, II and III, while 17% were stages IV and V with significant statistical difference (p<0.001). Stage affected the 3-year relapse-free-survival (RFS) significantly (p=0.014) as it was more in stages I, II and III than in stages IV and V (75.4% versus 50%). Blastema dominant morphology and high risk state significantly lowered the 3-year overall survival (OS) into 54.8% in comparison to 80.9% for cases with non-blastema dominant morphology (p=0.042). Regarding p53 immunohistochemistry, group 1 tumors showed positive p53 more than group 2 with significant statistical difference (p=0.014). p53 Positive immunostaining was significantly associated with high risk nephroblastoma (p=0.004). Tumor stage and blastema dominant morphology are potent prognostic factors. p53 is linked to blastema dominant morphology. WT with nuclear unrest grade III closely resembles anaplastic WT. It may be appropriate to group tumors with nuclear unrest grade III with anaplastic histology regarding treatment stratification. Copyright © 2011. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Delivering risk information in a dynamic information environment: Framing and authoritative voice in Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and primetime broadcast news media communications during the 2014 Ebola outbreak.

PubMed

Kott, Anne; Limaye, Rupali J

2016-11-01

During a disease outbreak, media serve as primary transmitters of information from public health agencies to the public, and have been shown to influence both behavior and perception of risk. Differences in news frequency, framing and information source can impact the public's interpretation of risk messages and subsequent attitudes and behaviors about a particular threat. The media's framing of an outbreak is important, as it may affect both perception of risk and the ability to process important health information. To understand how risk communication by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) during the 2014 Ebola outbreak was framed and delivered and to what extent primetime broadcast news media mirrored CDC's framing and authoritative voice, 209 CDC communications and primetime broadcast transcripts issued between July 24 and December 29, 2014 were analyzed and coded by thematic frame and authoritative voice. Dominant frame and voice were determined for each month and for overall period of analysis. Medical frame was dominant in CDC (60%), Anderson Cooper 360 (49%), The Rachel Maddow Show (47%) and All In with Chris Hayes (47%). The human interest frame was dominant in The Kelly File (45%), while The O'Reilly Factor coverage was equally split between sociopolitical and medical frames (28%, respectively). Primetime news media also changed dominant frames over time. Dominant authoritative voice in CDC communications was that of CDC officials, while primetime news dominantly featured local and federal (non-CDC) government officials and academic/medical experts. Differences in framing and delivery could have led the public to interpret risk in a different way than intended by CDC. Overall, public health agencies should consider adapting risk communication strategies to account for a dynamic news environment and the media's agenda. Options include adapting communications to short-form styles and embracing the concept of storytelling. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Monte Carlo modeling of light-tissue interactions in narrow band imaging.

PubMed

Le, Du V N; Wang, Quanzeng; Ramella-Roman, Jessica C; Pfefer, T Joshua

2013-01-01

Light-tissue interactions that influence vascular contrast enhancement in narrow band imaging (NBI) have not been the subject of extensive theoretical study. In order to elucidate relevant mechanisms in a systematic and quantitative manner we have developed and validated a Monte Carlo model of NBI and used it to study the effect of device and tissue parameters, specifically, imaging wavelength (415 versus 540 nm) and vessel diameter and depth. Simulations provided quantitative predictions of contrast-including up to 125% improvement in small, superficial vessel contrast for 415 over 540 nm. Our findings indicated that absorption rather than scattering-the mechanism often cited in prior studies-was the dominant factor behind spectral variations in vessel depth-selectivity. Narrow-band images of a tissue-simulating phantom showed good agreement in terms of trends and quantitative values. Numerical modeling represents a powerful tool for elucidating the factors that affect the performance of spectral imaging approaches such as NBI.

Factors controlling the evaporation of secondary organic aerosol from α‐pinene ozonolysis

PubMed Central

Pajunoja, Aki; Tikkanen, Olli‐Pekka; Buchholz, Angela; Faiola, Celia; Väisänen, Olli; Hao, Liqing; Kari, Eetu; Peräkylä, Otso; Garmash, Olga; Shiraiwa, Manabu; Ehn, Mikael; Lehtinen, Kari; Virtanen, Annele

2017-01-01

Abstract Secondary organic aerosols (SOA) forms a major fraction of organic aerosols in the atmosphere. Knowledge of SOA properties that affect their dynamics in the atmosphere is needed for improving climate models. By combining experimental and modeling techniques, we investigated the factors controlling SOA evaporation under different humidity conditions. Our experiments support the conclusion of particle phase diffusivity limiting the evaporation under dry conditions. Viscosity of particles at dry conditions was estimated to increase several orders of magnitude during evaporation, up to 109 Pa s. However, at atmospherically relevant relative humidity and time scales, our results show that diffusion limitations may have a minor effect on evaporation of the studied α‐pinene SOA particles. Based on previous studies and our model simulations, we suggest that, in warm environments dominated by biogenic emissions, the major uncertainty in models describing the SOA particle evaporation is related to the volatility of SOA constituents. PMID:28503004

[Effect of habitat and interspecific competition on Apis cerana cerana colony distribution].

PubMed

Yu, Linsheng; Han, Shengming

2003-04-01

Habitat change and interspecific competition were the main factors affecting, Apis cerana cerana colony distribution among Wannan and Wanxi Dabie mountainous areas, Jianghuai area and Huaibei plain. Wannan and Wanxi Dabie mountainous areas were the ideal places for Apis cerana cerana' habitation and propogation, in which, there were integrated natural vegetation, fine ecological condition, abundant nectariferous plants, and Apis cerana cerana had large colony size, wide distribution, high density, no disturbances of natural mating, and was dominant interspecific competition. In Jianghuai area and Huaibei plain, there were small covering of natural vegetation, different degree of degradation of ecological balance, few kinds of nectariferous plants with almost the same blooming periods, natural mating perturbed by Apis mellifera ligustica for Apis cerana cerana, and which was inferior in interspecific competition, colony size sharply decreased, distribution area reduced, and density cut down to a great extent. In Huaibei plain, the negative factors were more conspicuous.

Dominant risk factors for malaria at Puskesmas Labuhan Ruku, Talawi Batu Bara, Indonesia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Eyanoer, P. C.

2018-03-01

Malaria is a disease which increases in number almost every year. Morbidity rate of malaria tends to decline from 4.1 to 0.85 per 1000 population at risk in 2005 to 2015. In North Sumatera alone three areas found with the highest incidences are District of Madina, Batubara, and Asahan. However such high number do not parallel with the utilization of health services in the area.This study is an analytic study withcase-controldesign to analyses the contribution of environmental and social factors that potentially cause malaria among people living in malaria-endemic areas. The recruited samples are 146 samples. All cases are registered patient at Puskesmas Labuhan Ruku while controls are from the neighboring area. The result showed that incidence of malaria is most affected by the habit of repellent used and being outside of the house in the evening.

Dominance of Spouse Orientation and Perceived Couple Mutuality.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thomas, Antoinette D.; Dudek, Stephanie Z.

Interactions between husbands and wives are often assessed in terms of power distribution, based on decision-making outcomes. To examine the association of the dominance of "spouse" over "parents" and "peers" orientation with perceived behavioral and affective mutuality in the couple's financial management, couples…

[Distribution and Diversity of Ammonium-oxidizing Archaea and Ammonium-oxidizing Bacteria in Surface Sediments of Oujiang River].

PubMed

Li, Hu; Huang, Fu-yi; Su, Jian-qiang; Hong, You-wei; Yu, Shen

2015-12-01

Ammonia-oxidizing archaea (AOA) and ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB) play important roles in the biogeochemical nitrogen cycle. Rivers are important ecosystems containing a large number of functional microbes in nitrogen cycle. In this study, denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE ) and real-time quantitative PCR (qPCR) technology were used to analyze the distribution and diversity of AOA and AOB in sediments from Oujiang. The results showed that the AOA community structure was similar among various sites, while the AOB community structure was significantly different, in which all detected AOB sequences were classified into Nitrosospira and Nitrosomonas, and 90% affiliated to Nitrosospira. The community composition of AOA was influenced by NH₄⁺ and TS, in addition, the AOB composition was affected by NH₄⁺, EC, pH, NO₃⁻, TC and TN. Total sulfur (TS) and electrical conductivity (EC) were the major factors influencing the diversity of AOA and AOB, respectively. AOA abundance was significantly higher than that of AOB. EC, NH₄⁺-N and NO₃⁻-N were the main environmental factors affecting the abundance of AOA and AOB. This study indicated that the community composition and diversity of AOA and AOB were significantly influenced by environmental factors, and AOA might be dominant drivers in the ammonia oxidation process in Oujiang surface sediment.

Network analysis reveals seasonal variation of co-occurrence correlations between Cyanobacteria and other bacterioplankton.

PubMed

Zhao, Dayong; Shen, Feng; Zeng, Jin; Huang, Rui; Yu, Zhongbo; Wu, Qinglong L

2016-12-15

Association network approaches have recently been proposed as a means for exploring the associations between bacterial communities. In the present study, high-throughput sequencing was employed to investigate the seasonal variations in the composition of bacterioplankton communities in six eutrophic urban lakes of Nanjing City, China. Over 150,000 16S rRNA sequences were derived from 52 water samples, and correlation-based network analyses were conducted. Our results demonstrated that the architecture of the co-occurrence networks varied in different seasons. Cyanobacteria played various roles in the ecological networks during different seasons. Co-occurrence patterns revealed that members of Cyanobacteria shared a very similar niche and they had weak positive correlations with other phyla in summer. To explore the effect of environmental factors on species-species co-occurrence networks and to determine the most influential environmental factors, the original positive network was simplified by module partitioning and by calculating module eigengenes. Module eigengene analysis indicated that temperature only affected some Cyanobacteria; the rest were mainly affected by nitrogen associated factors throughout the year. Cyanobacteria were dominant in summer which may result from strong co-occurrence patterns and suitable living conditions. Overall, this study has improved our understanding of the roles of Cyanobacteria and other bacterioplankton in ecological networks. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Beyond cost-effectiveness: Using systems analysis for infectious disease preparedness.

PubMed

Phelps, Charles; Madhavan, Guruprasad; Rappuoli, Rino; Colwell, Rita; Fineberg, Harvey

2017-01-20

Until the recent outbreaks, Ebola vaccines ranked low in decision makers' priority lists based on cost-effectiveness analysis and (or) corporate profitability. Despite a relatively small number of Ebola-related cases and deaths (compared to other causes), Ebola vaccines suddenly leapt to highest priority among international health agencies and vaccine developers. Clearly, earlier cost-effectiveness analyses badly missed some factors affecting real world decisions. Multi-criteria systems analysis can improve evaluation and prioritization of vaccine development and also of many other health policy and investment decisions. Neither cost-effectiveness nor cost-benefit analysis can capture important aspects of problems such as Ebola or the emerging threat of Zika, especially issues of inequality and disparity-issues that dominate the planning of many global health and economic organizations. Cost-benefit analysis requires assumptions about the specific value of life-an idea objectionable to many analysts and policy makers. Additionally, standard cost-effectiveness calculations cannot generally capture effects on people uninfected with Ebola for example, but nevertheless affected through such factors as contagion, herd immunity, and fear of dread disease, reduction of travel and commerce, and even the hope of disease eradication. Using SMART Vaccines, we demonstrate how systems analysis can visibly include important "other factors" and more usefully guide decision making and beneficially alter priority setting processes. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Factors affecting participating farmers' willingness-to-pay for the Tree Farming Fund: a study in a participatory forest in Bangladesh.

PubMed

Salam, Md Abdus; Noguchi, Toshikuni; Alim, Md Abdul

2006-07-01

This paper examined the factors that might influence participating farmers' willingness-to-pay for the Tree Farming Fund (TFF) established for sustainable development of participatory forest management (PFM). Information on willingness-to-pay, socioeconomic characteristics, and attitudes of participating farmers toward TFF were obtained from interviews with 581 participating farmers. Logistic regression analysis was used to determine the dominant factors that might influence participating farmers' willingness-to-pay for the TFF. The results showed that participating farmers' willingness-to-pay was significantly affected by (i) family income; (ii) education level; (iii) confidence that his aspired benefits will be received; (iv) agreement with the statement that 'PFM is sustainable under the present state of management'; (v) agreement with the statement that 'PFM is a good strategy for forest conservation'; and (vi) knowledge of PFM strategies. Thus, participating farmers with a higher level of education, higher income and positive attitudes toward TFF tended to express more willingness-to-pay. Establishment of TFF could be an effective strategy in implementing sustainable PFM in Bangladesh. For this strategy to succeed, however, active partnership between the participating farmers and Forest Department is required. Participating farmers' attitudes toward TFF should therefore be taken into consideration as should the results of this study, which are important indicators of participating farmers' positive attitudes toward TFF.

Compound Heterozygosity of Dominant and Recessive COL7A Alleles in a Severely Affected Patient with a Family History of Dystrophic Epidermolysis Bullosa: Clinical Findings, Genetic Testing, and Treatment Implications.

PubMed

Watson, Kendra D; Schoch, Jennifer J; Beek, Geoffrey J; Hand, Jennifer L

2017-03-01

An 8-year-old girl born to a family with more than three generations of dominant dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa (DDEB) presented with life-threatening confluent skin erosions, mitten hand deformity, and failure to thrive. Reassessment of her family history and genetic testing showed compound heterozygous COL7A mutations, one inherited from her DDEB-affected mother and one from her unaffected, healthy father. This family illustrates the risk of unexpected, severe, autosomal recessive epidermolysis bullosa (EB) in a family with milder, multigenerational autosomal dominant EB. Clinicians should recognize the clinical spectrum of dystrophic EB and recommend genetic consultation when the phenotype conflicts with family history. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Familial neuralgia of occipital and intermedius nerves in a Chinese family.

PubMed

Wang, Yu; Yu, Chuan-Yong; Huang, Lin; Riederer, Franz; Ettlin, Dominik

2011-08-01

Cranial nerve neuralgia usually occurs sporadically. Nonetheless, familial cases of trigeminal neuralgia are not uncommon with a reported incidence of 1-2%, suggestive of an autosomal dominant inheritance. In contrast, familial occipital neuralgia is rarely reported with only one report in the literature. We present a Chinese family with five cases of occipital and nervus intermedius neuralgia alone or in combination in three generations. All persons afflicted with occipital neuralgia have suffered from paroxysmal 'electric wave'-like pain for years. In the first generation, the father (index patient) was affected, in the second generation all his three daughters (with two sons spared) and in the third generation a daughter's male offspring is affected. This familial pattern suggests an X-linked dominant or an autosomal dominant inheritance mode.

Factors predicting language lateralization in patients with perisylvian vascular malformations

PubMed Central

Lee, Darrin J.; Pouratian, Nader; Bookheimer, Susan Y.; Martin, Neil A.

2017-01-01

Object The authors conducted a study to determine the factors associated with right-sided language dominance in patients with cerebrovascular malformations. Methods Twenty-two patients with either arteriovenous malformations (AVMs [15 cases]) or cavernous malformations (7 cases) underwent functional MR (fMR) imaging studies of language function; a 3.0-T head-only unit was used. Lateralization indices were calculated separately for Broca and Wernicke areas. Lesion size, Spetzler-Martin grade, and the distance between the lesion and anatomically defined language cortex were calculated for each patient. Results Right-sided language dominance occurred in 5 patients, all of whom had AVMs within 10 mm of canonical language areas. Three patients had right-sided language dominance in the Wernicke area alone whereas 2 had right-sided language dominance in both Broca and Wernicke areas. Wada testing and intraoperative electrocortical stimulation were performed as clinically indicated to corroborate fMR imaging findings. Conclusions The primary factor associated with right-sided language dominance was the AVM being within 10 mm of anatomically defined language areas. The lesion size and the Spetzler-Martin grade were not significant factors. Anomalous fMR imaging laterality was typically confined to the language area proximate to the lesion, with the distal language area remaining in the left hemisphere dominant. This study emphasizes the need to map each case individually in patients with left perisylvian AVMs. Assumptions about eloquent cortex based on anatomical landmarks (a key component of Spetzler-Martin grading) may have to be reconsidered. PMID:20302390

Radiological and clinical predictors of long-term outcome in rotator cuff calcific tendinitis.

PubMed

de Witte, Pieter Bas; van Adrichem, Raymond A; Selten, Jasmijn W; Nagels, Jochem; Reijnierse, M; Nelissen, Rob G H H

2016-10-01

Knowledge on the epidemiology and long-term course of rotator cuff calcific tendinitis (RCCT) is scarce. We assessed demographics, radiological characteristics, and their association with long-term outcomes in a large patient group. Baseline demographics, radiological characteristics and treatment were recorded in 342 patients. Interobserver agreement of radiological measures was analyzed. Long-term outcome was evaluated with questionnaires (WORC, DASH). The association of baseline characteristics with outcome was assessed. Mean age was 49.0 (SD = 10.0), and 59.5 % were female. The dominant arm was affected in 66.0 %, and 21.3 % had bilateral disease. Calcifications were on average 18.7 mm (SD = 10.1, ICC = 0.84 (p < 0.001)) and located 10.1 mm (SD = 11.8) medially to the acromion (ICC = 0.77 (p < 0.001)). Gärtner type I calcifications were found in 32.1 % (Kappa = 0.47 (p < 0.001)). After 14 years (SD = 7.1) of follow-up, median WORC was 72.5 (range, 3.0-100.0; WORC < 60 in 42 %) and median DASH 17.0 (range, 0.0-82.0). Female gender, dominant arm involvement, bilateral disease, longer duration of symptoms, and multiple calcifications were associated with inferior WORC. DASH results were similar. Many subjects have persisting shoulder complaints years after diagnosis, regardless of treatment. Female gender, dominant arm involvement, bilateral disease, longer duration of symptoms, and multiple calcifications were associated with inferior outcome. Radiological measures had moderate-to-good reliability and no prognostic value. • Most RCCT studies report on short-term outcome and/or small patients groups. • In this large, long-term observational study, RCCT appeared to not be self-limiting in many subjects. • Negative prognostic factors included female gender, more calcifications, dominant arm affected, and longer duration of symptoms. • Interobserver agreement of general radiological RCCT measures is moderate to good. • More rigorous diagnostics and treatment might be needed in specific RCCT cases.

Browse evaluation of tall shrubs based on direct measurement of a management objective

USGS Publications Warehouse

Keigley, R.B.; Frisina, M.R.; Kitchen, Stanley G.; Pendleton, Rosemary L.; Monaco, Thomas A.; Vernon, Jason

2008-01-01

The monitoring of Geyer willow was based on the following management objective: Browsing will prevent fewer than 50 percent of Geyer willow shrubs from growing taller than 3 m . Three questions were addressed: (1) Is browsing a potential factor? (2) If so, can young plants grow taller than 3 meters? (3) If not, is browsing the dominant factor? All shrubs were intensely browsed. With a post-browsing growth rate of 5.0 cm per yr, no shrub could grow 3 m tall. Analyses of stem growth rate excluded dominant roles for climate and plant vigor. Browsing and stem age were the dominant factors that limited growth to 3 m tall.

Patterns and determinants of wood physical and mechanical properties across major tree species in China.

PubMed

Zhu, JiangLing; Shi, Yue; Fang, LeQi; Liu, XingE; Ji, ChengJun

2015-06-01

The physical and mechanical properties of wood affect the growth and development of trees, and also act as the main criteria when determining wood usage. Our understanding on patterns and controls of wood physical and mechanical properties could provide benefits for forestry management and bases for wood application and forest tree breeding. However, current studies on wood properties mainly focus on wood density and ignore other wood physical properties. In this study, we established a comprehensive database of wood physical properties across major tree species in China. Based on this database, we explored spatial patterns and driving factors of wood properties across major tree species in China. Our results showed that (i) compared with wood density, air-dried density, tangential shrinkage coefficient and resilience provide more accuracy and higher explanation power when used as the evaluation index of wood physical properties. (ii) Among life form, climatic and edaphic variables, life form is the dominant factor shaping spatial patterns of wood physical properties, climatic factors the next, and edaphic factors have the least effects, suggesting that the effects of climatic factors on spatial variations of wood properties are indirectly induced by their effects on species distribution.

Reproductive system, social organization, human disturbance and ecological dominance in native populations of the little fire ant, Wasmannia auropunctata.

PubMed

Foucaud, Julien; Orivel, Jérôme; Fournier, Denis; Delabie, Jacques H C; Loiseau, Anne; Le Breton, Julien; Cerdan, Philippe; Estoup, Arnaud

2009-12-01

The invasive ant species Wasmannia auropunctata displays both ecologically dominant and non-dominant populations within its native range. Three factors could theoretically explain the ecological dominance of some native populations of W. auropunctata: (i) its clonal reproductive system, through demographic and/or adaptive advantages; (ii) its unicolonial social organization, through lower intraspecific and efficient interspecific competition; (iii) the human disturbance of its native range, through the modification of biotic and abiotic environmental conditions. We used microsatellite markers and behavioural tests to uncover the reproductive modes and social organization of dominant and non-dominant native populations in natural and human-modified habitats. Microsatellite and mtDNA data indicated that dominant and non-dominant native populations (supercolonies as determined by aggression tests) of W. auropunctata did not belong to different evolutionary units. We found that the reproductive system and the social organization are neither necessary nor sufficient to explain W. auropunctata ecological dominance. Dominance rather seems to be set off by unknown ecological factors altered by human activities, as all dominant populations were recorded in human-modified habitats. The clonal reproductive system found in some populations of W. auropunctata may however indirectly contribute to its ecological dominance by allowing the species to expand its environmental niche, through the fixation over time of specific combinations of divergent male and female genotypes. Unicoloniality may rather promote the range expansion of already dominant populations than actually trigger ecological dominance. The W. auropunctata model illustrates the strong impact of human disturbance on species' ecological features and the adaptive potential of clonal reproductive systems.

Cerebro-costo-mandibular syndrome in a father and a female fetus: early prenatal ultrasonographic diagnosis and autosomal dominant transmission.

PubMed

Morin, G; Gekas, J; Naepels, P; Gondry, J; Devauchelle, B; Testelin, S; Sevestre, H; Thépôt, F; Mathieu, M

2001-10-01

Ultrasonography in a female fetus revealed cystic cervical hygroma, severe micrognathia, and vertebral and upper limb anomalies suggestive of cerebro-costo-mandibular syndrome (CCMS) which was diagnosed ultrasonographically at 16 weeks' gestation. The father is affected and presents with a Pierre Robin sequence, short stature and typical costovertebral anomalies. CCMS is a rare and severe disorder. The high frequency of sporadic cases, vertical transmission, and the excess of sibs affected via horizontal transmission suggest dominant autosomal mutation with possible germinal mosaicism. The vertical familial case detailed in the present report is a reminder of the high risk when one parent or one sibling is affected and the extreme variability of phenotype and costal ossification. Early prenatal ultrasound diagnosis is possible in a severely affected fetus. Copyright 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Effect of oxytocin receptor blockade on appetite for sugar is modified by social context.

PubMed

Olszewski, Pawel K; Allen, Kerry; Levine, Allen S

2015-03-01

Research on oxytocin (OT) has yielded two seemingly unrelated sets of discoveries: OT has prosocial effects, and it elicits termination of feeding, especially of food rich in carbohydrates. Here we investigated whether OT's involvement in food intake is affected by the social context in mice, with particular focus on the role of dominance. We used two approaches: injections and gene expression analysis. We housed two males per cage and determined a dominant one. Then we injected a blood-brain barrier penetrant OT receptor antagonist L-368,899 in either dominant or subordinate animals and gave them 10-min access to a sucrose solution in the apparatus in which social exposure was modified and it ranged from none to unrestricted contact. L-368,899 increased the amount of consumed sugar in dominant mice regardless of whether these animals had access to sucrose in the non-social or social contexts (olfactory-derived or partial social exposure). The antagonist also increased the proportion of time that dominant mice spent drinking the sweet solution in the paradigm in which both mice had to share a single source of sucrose. L-368,899-treated subordinate mice consumed more sucrose solution than saline controls only when the environment in which sugar was presented was devoid of social cues related to the dominant animal. Finally, we investigated whether hypothalamic OT gene expression differs between dominant and subordinate mice consuming sugar and found OT mRNA levels to be higher in dominant mice. We conclude that social context and dominance affect OT's effect on appetite for sucrose. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Association of MYF5 and KLF15 gene polymorphisms with carcass traits in domestic pigeons (Columba livia).

PubMed

Yin, Z Z; Dong, X Y; Dong, D J; Ma, Y Z

2016-10-01

Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the exons of the myogenic factor 5 (MYF5) and Kruppel-like factor 15 (KLF15) genes were identified and analysed by using DNA sequencing methods in 60 female domestic pigeons (Columba livia). Five SNPs (T5067A, C5084T, C5101T, T5127A and C5154G) were detected in exon 3 of MYF5 and 6 SNPs (C1398T, C1464T, G1542A, C1929T, G1965A and A2355G) were found in exon 2 of KLF15, respectively. The analysis revealed three genotypes, in which the AA genotype was dominant and the A allele showed a dominant advantage. For the MYF5 gene, the C5084T and T5127A SNP genotypes were significantly associated with carcass traits of pigeons. Within those two SNPs, the BB genotype showed relatively higher trait association values than those of AA or AB genotypes. No significant association was observed between the KLF15 SNP genotypes and carcass traits. These results indicated that the MYF5 gene is a potential major gene affecting carcass traits in domestic pigeons. The BB genotype of the C5084T and T5127A SNPs could be a potential candidate genetic marker for marker-assisted selection in pigeon.

Heat Transfer of Thermocapillary Convection in a Two-Layered Fluid System Under the Influence of Magnetic Field

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ramachandran, N.; Ludovisis, D.; Cha, S. S.

2006-01-01

Heat transfer of a two-layer fluid system has been of great importance in a variety of industrial applications. For example, the phenomena of immiscible fluids can be found in materials processing and heat exchangers. Typically in solidification from a melt, the convective motion is the dominant factor that affects the uniformity of material properties. In the layered flow, thermocapillary forces can come into an important play, which was first emphasized by a previous investigator in 1958. Under extraterrestrial environments without gravity, thermocapillary effects can be a more dominant factor, which alters material properties in processing. Control and optimization of heat transfer in an immiscible fluid system need complete understanding of the flow phenomena that can be induced by surface tension at a fluid interface. The present work is focused on understanding of the magnetic field effects on thermocapillary convection, in order to optimize material processing. That is, it involves the study of the complicated phenomena to alter the flow motion in crystal growth. In this effort, the Marangoni convection in a cavity with differentially heated sidewalls is investigated with and without the influence of a magnetic field. As a first step, numerical analyses are performed, by thoroughly investigating influences of all pertinent physical parameters. Experiments are then conducted, with preliminary results, for comparison with the numerical analyses.

Greater diversity of soil fungal communities and distinguishable seasonal variation in temperate deciduous forests compared with subtropical evergreen forests of eastern China.

PubMed

He, Jinhong; Tedersoo, Leho; Hu, Ang; Han, Conghai; He, Dan; Wei, Hui; Jiao, Min; Anslan, Sten; Nie, Yanxia; Jia, Yongxia; Zhang, Gengxin; Yu, Guirui; Liu, Shirong; Shen, Weijun

2017-07-01

Whether and how seasonality of environmental variables impacts the spatial variability of soil fungal communities remain poorly understood. We assessed soil fungal diversity and community composition of five Chinese zonal forests along a latitudinal gradient spanning 23°N to 42°N in three seasons to address these questions. We found that soil fungal diversity increased linearly or parabolically with latitude. The seasonal variations in fungal diversity were more distinguishable in three temperate deciduous forests than in two subtropical evergreen forests. Soil fungal diversity was mainly correlated with edaphic factors such as pH and nutrient contents. Both latitude and its interactions with season also imposed significant impacts on soil fungal community composition (FCC), but the effects of latitude were stronger than those of season. Vegetational properties such as plant diversity and forest age were the dominant factors affecting FCC in the subtropical evergreen forests while edaphic properties were the dominant ones in the temperate deciduous forests. Our results indicate that latitudinal variation patterns of soil fungal diversity and FCC may differ among seasons. The stronger effect of latitude relative to that of season suggests a more important influence by the spatial than temporal heterogeneity in shaping soil fungal communities across zonal forests. © FEMS 2017. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Congruence of Additive and Non-Additive Effects on Gene Expression Estimated from Pedigree and SNP Data

PubMed Central

Powell, Joseph E.; Henders, Anjali K.; McRae, Allan F.; Kim, Jinhee; Hemani, Gibran; Martin, Nicholas G.; Dermitzakis, Emmanouil T.; Gibson, Greg

2013-01-01

There is increasing evidence that heritable variation in gene expression underlies genetic variation in susceptibility to disease. Therefore, a comprehensive understanding of the similarity between relatives for transcript variation is warranted—in particular, dissection of phenotypic variation into additive and non-additive genetic factors and shared environmental effects. We conducted a gene expression study in blood samples of 862 individuals from 312 nuclear families containing MZ or DZ twin pairs using both pedigree and genotype information. From a pedigree analysis we show that the vast majority of genetic variation across 17,994 probes is additive, although non-additive genetic variation is identified for 960 transcripts. For 180 of the 960 transcripts with non-additive genetic variation, we identify expression quantitative trait loci (eQTL) with dominance effects in a sample of 339 unrelated individuals and replicate 31% of these associations in an independent sample of 139 unrelated individuals. Over-dominance was detected and replicated for a trans association between rs12313805 and ETV6, located 4MB apart on chromosome 12. Surprisingly, only 17 probes exhibit significant levels of common environmental effects, suggesting that environmental and lifestyle factors common to a family do not affect expression variation for most transcripts, at least those measured in blood. Consistent with the genetic architecture of common diseases, gene expression is predominantly additive, but a minority of transcripts display non-additive effects. PMID:23696747

Congruence of additive and non-additive effects on gene expression estimated from pedigree and SNP data.

PubMed

Powell, Joseph E; Henders, Anjali K; McRae, Allan F; Kim, Jinhee; Hemani, Gibran; Martin, Nicholas G; Dermitzakis, Emmanouil T; Gibson, Greg; Montgomery, Grant W; Visscher, Peter M

2013-05-01

There is increasing evidence that heritable variation in gene expression underlies genetic variation in susceptibility to disease. Therefore, a comprehensive understanding of the similarity between relatives for transcript variation is warranted--in particular, dissection of phenotypic variation into additive and non-additive genetic factors and shared environmental effects. We conducted a gene expression study in blood samples of 862 individuals from 312 nuclear families containing MZ or DZ twin pairs using both pedigree and genotype information. From a pedigree analysis we show that the vast majority of genetic variation across 17,994 probes is additive, although non-additive genetic variation is identified for 960 transcripts. For 180 of the 960 transcripts with non-additive genetic variation, we identify expression quantitative trait loci (eQTL) with dominance effects in a sample of 339 unrelated individuals and replicate 31% of these associations in an independent sample of 139 unrelated individuals. Over-dominance was detected and replicated for a trans association between rs12313805 and ETV6, located 4MB apart on chromosome 12. Surprisingly, only 17 probes exhibit significant levels of common environmental effects, suggesting that environmental and lifestyle factors common to a family do not affect expression variation for most transcripts, at least those measured in blood. Consistent with the genetic architecture of common diseases, gene expression is predominantly additive, but a minority of transcripts display non-additive effects.

Exploring the relationship between women's work and fertility: the Bangladesh context.

PubMed

Mahmud, S

1988-12-01

In Bangladesh, research is being done on the relationship between women's work and fertility. It is believed that one of the leading factors in the high fertility of women in Bangladesh is their total dependence on men for economic support. This is further evidenced by women's low status in society, home, and in areas of health care, nutrition, education, employment, leisure, etc. A survey revealed that when women did work outside the home, they had on average 3 children, versus 4 children for women that never worked. This has not been true in all societies, as documented in Western industrialized countries. Factors that may affect these trends include the availability of child care, the need of children for support in times of crisis, and sickness or death of the household head. A negative relationship between employment and fertility was more prevalent in wife-dominant and egalitarian couples than male-dominated ones. Other factors such as the number of some, marriage duration, education, and family makeup could effect the desire for additional children more than the work status of the wife. Among illiterate women of Bangladesh, the use of birth control was 50% higher for those who worked before marriage and continued than for those who worked at some time. Working women have access to more sources of knowledge and communication with other women, that may effect their attitudes on delayed marriage and marriage disruption. In addition access to public health facilities and other commercial market places makes them less dependent on male family members.

Right Hemispheric Dominance in Processing of Unconscious Negative Emotion

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sato, Wataru; Aoki, Satoshi

2006-01-01

Right hemispheric dominance in unconscious emotional processing has been suggested, but remains controversial. This issue was investigated using the subliminal affective priming paradigm combined with unilateral visual presentation in 40 normal subjects. In either left or right visual fields, angry facial expressions, happy facial expressions, or…

Lateral Sinus Thrombosis: The Importance of the Unaffected Sinus.

PubMed

Glik, Amir; Benkovich, Elya; Kesler, Anat; Ifergan, Gal; Benifla, Moni; Shelef, Ilan

2016-11-01

Intracranial hypertension develops in only some patients with lateral sinus thrombosis (LST), for reasons that are unclear. The purpose of this study was to evaluate a possible association between patency of the unaffected sinus and clinical presentation of unilateral LST. A computerized search identified patients with LST, hospitalized in Soroka Medical Center. Patients with signs of increased intracranial pressure (iICP) and those with normal intracranial pressure (nICP) were compared. CT venography or MR venography confirmed the diagnosis, located the thrombosis, and determined the dominant lateral sinus (LS). Diameters of the right and left LSs (the occluded and unaffected) were compared to the diameter of the distal superior sagittal sinus (SSS). Of the 50 patients identified, 30 had iICP and 20 nICP. The dominant LS was the right one in 39 (78%) and the left one in 8 (16%); 3 (6%) had equal LS dominance. The dominant sinus was affected in 32 (70%) and the non-dominant in 15 (30%) patients. iICP was detected in 28/32 (81%) of patients with the dominant side affected, and 3/15 (20%) of those with non-dominant thrombotic sinus (P = .002). The unaffected sinus was narrower in iICP patients (size relative to SSS diameter = 43% in iICP vs. 86% in nICP [P = .0002]; size grading, according to Farb's method was 1.86 in the iICP vs. 3.57 in the nICP group [P = .0001]). Thrombosis was more common in the dominant LS. Unaffected LS patency appears to be associated with the development of increased ICP. Copyright © 2016 by the American Society of Neuroimaging.

How multiple factors control evapotranspiration in North America evergreen needleleaf forests.

PubMed

Chen, Yueming; Xue, Yueju; Hu, Yueming

2018-05-01

Identifying the factors dominating ecosystem water flux is a critical step for predicting evapotranspiration (ET). Here, the fuzzy rough set with binary shuffled frog leaping (BSFL-FRSA) was used to identify both individual factors and multi-factor combinations that dominate the half-hourly ET variation at evergreen needleleaf forests (ENFs) sites across three different climatic zones in the North America. Among 21factors, air temperature (TA), atmospheric CO 2 concentration (CCO 2 ), soil temperature (TS), soil water content (SWC) and net radiation (NETRAD) were evaluated as dominant single factors, contributed to the ET variation averaged for all ENF sites by 48%, 36%, 32%, 18% and 13%, respectively. While the importance order would vary with climatic zones, and TA was assessed as the most influential factor at a single climatic zone level, counting a contribution rate of 54.7%, 49.9%, and 38.6% in the subarctic, warm summer continental, and Mediterranean climatic zones, respectively. In view of impacts of each multi-factors combination on ET, both TA and CCO 2 made a contribution of 71% across three climate zones; the combination of TA, CCO 2 and NETRAD was evaluated the most dominant at Mediterranean and subarctic ENF sites, and the combination of TA, CCO 2 and TS at warm summer continental sites. Our results suggest that temperature was most critical for ET variation at the warm summer continental ENF. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Selecting optimal feast-to-famine ratio for a new polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) production system fed by valerate-dominant sludge hydrolysate.

PubMed

Hao, Jiuxiao; Wang, Hui; Wang, Xiujin

2018-04-01

The feast-to-famine ratio (F/F) represents the extent of selective pressure during polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) culture selection. This study evaluated the effects of F/F on a new PHA production system by an enriched culture with valerate-dominant sludge hydrolysate and selected the optimal F/F. After the original F/F 1/3 was modified to 1/1, 1/2, 1/4, and 1/5, F/F did not affect their lengths of feast phase, but affected their biomass growth behaviors during the famine phase and PHA-producing abilities. The optimal F/F was 1/2, and compared with 1/3, it increased the maximal PHA content and the fraction of 3-hydroxyvalerate (3HV) and 3-hydroxy-2-methylvalerate (3H2MV) monomers, with higher productivity and better polymer properties. Although F/F 1/2 impaired the advantage of the dominant genus Delftia, it improved the PHA production rate while decreased biomass growth rate, meanwhile enhancing the utilization and conversion of valerate. These findings indicate that in contrast to previous studies using acetate-dominant substrate for PHA production, the new system fed by valerate-dominant substrate can adopt a higher F/F.

Seasonal Distribution and Diversity of Ground Arthropods in Microhabitats Following a Shrub Plantation Age Sequence in Desertified Steppe

PubMed Central

Liu, Rentao; Zhu, Fan; Song, Naiping; Yang, Xinguo; Chai, Yongqing

2013-01-01

In desertified regions, shrub-dominated patches are important microhabitats for ground arthropod assemblages. As shrub age increases, soil, vegetation and microbiological properties can change remarkably and spontaneously across seasons. However, relatively few studies have analyzed how ground arthropods respond to the microhabitats created by shrubs of different plantation ages across seasons. Using 6, 15, 24 and 36 year-old plantations of re-vegetated shrubs (Caragana koushinskii) in the desert steppe of northwestern China as a model system, we sampled ground arthropod communities using a pitfall trapping method in the microhabitats under shrubs and in the open areas between shrubs, during the spring, summer and autumn. The total ground arthropod assemblage was dominated by Carabidae, Melolonthidae, Curculionidae, Tenebrionidae and Formicidae that were affected by plantation age, seasonal changes, or the interaction between these factors, with the later two groups also influenced by microhabitat. Overall, a facilitative effect was observed, with more arthropods and a greater diversity found under shrubs as compared to open areas, but this was markedly affected by seasonal changes. There was a high degree of similarity in arthropod assemblages and diversity between microhabitats in summer and autumn. Shrub plantation age significantly influenced the distribution of the most abundant groups, and also the diversity indices of the ground arthropods. However, there was not an overall positive relationship between shrub age and arthropod abundance, richness or diversity index. The influence of plantation age on arthropod communities was also affected by seasonal changes. From spring through summer to autumn, community indices of ground arthropods tended to decline, and a high degree of similarity in these indices (with fluctuation) was observed among different ages of shrub plantation in autumn. Altogether the recovery of arthropod communities was markedly affected by seasonal variability, and they demonstrated distinctive communal fingerprints in different microhabitats for each plantation age stage. PMID:24250746

Turbulent flow around a wing-fuselage type juncture

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kubendran, L. R.; Mcmahon, H. M.; Hubbartt, J. E.

1985-01-01

The flow over a 58-mm-thick uniform-thickness winglike body having a 1.5:1 elliptical leading edge and joined to a large flat plate (representing an aircraft fuselage) is characterized experimentally at freestream velocity 15 m/s, corresponding to Reynolds number 940,000/m, using hot-wire anemometry. The results are presented graphically, and it is found that the horseshoe vortex formed by the separation of the fuselage boundary layer ahead of the wing leading edge is effective in transporting turbulence and modifying the mean-flow characteristics and the turbulent-stress distribution. It is suggested that the slenderness ratio of the leading edge is the dominant factor affecting the strength and location of the vortex.

Response Ant Colony Optimization of End Milling Surface Roughness

PubMed Central

Kadirgama, K.; Noor, M. M.; Abd Alla, Ahmed N.

2010-01-01

Metal cutting processes are important due to increased consumer demands for quality metal cutting related products (more precise tolerances and better product surface roughness) that has driven the metal cutting industry to continuously improve quality control of metal cutting processes. This paper presents optimum surface roughness by using milling mould aluminium alloys (AA6061-T6) with Response Ant Colony Optimization (RACO). The approach is based on Response Surface Method (RSM) and Ant Colony Optimization (ACO). The main objectives to find the optimized parameters and the most dominant variables (cutting speed, feedrate, axial depth and radial depth). The first order model indicates that the feedrate is the most significant factor affecting surface roughness. PMID:22294914

From baking a cake to solving the diffusion equation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Olszewski, Edward A.

2006-06-01

We explain how modifying a cake recipe by changing either the dimensions of the cake or the amount of cake batter alters the baking time. We restrict our consideration to the génoise and obtain a semiempirical relation for the baking time as a function of oven temperature, initial temperature of the cake batter, and dimensions of the unbaked cake. The relation, which is based on the diffusion equation, has three parameters whose values are estimated from data obtained by baking cakes in cylindrical pans of various diameters. The relation takes into account the evaporation of moisture at the top surface of the cake, which is the dominant factor affecting the baking time of a cake.

SEU System Analysis: Not Just the Sum of All Parts

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Berg, Melanie D.; Label, Kenneth

2014-01-01

Single event upset (SEU) analysis of complex systems is challenging. Currently, system SEU analysis is performed by component level partitioning and then either: the most dominant SEU cross-sections (SEUs) are used in system error rate calculations; or the partition SEUs are summed to eventually obtain a system error rate. In many cases, system error rates are overestimated because these methods generally overlook system level derating factors. The problem with overestimating is that it can cause overdesign and consequently negatively affect the following: cost, schedule, functionality, and validation/verification. The scope of this presentation is to discuss the risks involved with our current scheme of SEU analysis for complex systems; and to provide alternative methods for improvement.

Improving Surface Mass Balance Over Ice Sheets and Snow Depth on Sea Ice

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Koenig, Lora Suzanne; Box, Jason; Kurtz, Nathan

2013-01-01

Surface mass balance (SMB) over ice sheets and snow on sea ice (SOSI) are important components of the cryosphere. Large knowledge gaps remain in scientists' abilities to monitor SMB and SOSI, including insufficient measurements and difficulties with satellite retrievals. On ice sheets, snow accumulation is the sole mass gain to SMB, and meltwater runoff can be the dominant single loss factor in extremely warm years such as 2012. SOSI affects the growth and melt cycle of the Earth's polar sea ice cover. The summer of 2012 saw the largest satellite-recorded melt area over the Greenland ice sheet and the smallest satellite-recorded Arctic sea ice extent, making this meeting both timely and relevant.

Urban heat island effect: A systematic review of spatio-temporal factors, data, methods, and mitigation measures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Deilami, Kaveh; Kamruzzaman, Md.; Liu, Yan

2018-05-01

Despite research on urban heat island (UHI) effect has increased exponentially over the last few decades, a systematic review of factors contributing to UHI effect has scarcely been reported in the literature. This paper provides a systematic and overarching review of different spatial and temporal factors affecting the UHI effect. UHI is a phenomenon when urban areas experience a higher temperature than their surrounding non-urban areas and is considered as a critical factor contributing to global warming, heat related mortalities, and unpredictable climatic changes. Therefore, there is a pressing need to identify the spatio-temporal factors that contribute to (or mitigate) the UHI effect in order to develop a thorough understanding of their causal mechanism so that these are addressed through urban planning policies. This paper systematically identified 75 eligible studies on UHI effect and reviews the nature and type of satellite images used, the techniques applied to classify land cover/use changes, the models to assess the link between spatio-temporal factors and UHI effect, and the effects of these factors on UHI. The review results show that: a) 54% of the studies used Landsat TM images for modelling the UHI effect followed by Landsat ETM (34%), and MODIS (28%); b) land cover indices (46%), followed by supervised classification (17%) were the dominant methods to derive land cover/use changes associated with UHI effect; c) ordinary least square regression is the most commonly applied method (68%) to investigate the link between different spatio-temporal factors and the UHI effect followed by comparative analysis (33%); and d) the most common factors affecting the UHI effect as reported in the reviewed studies, include vegetation cover (44%), season (33%), built-up area (28%), day/night (25%), population density (14%), water body (12%) together with others. This research discusses the findings in policy terms and provides directions for future research.

Stress amplifies memory for social hierarchy.

PubMed

Cordero, María Isabel; Sandi, Carmen

2007-11-01

Individuals differ in their social status and societies in the extent of social status differences among their members. There is great interest in understanding the key factors that contribute to the establishment of social dominance structures. Given that stress can affect behavior and cognition, we hypothesized that, given equal opportunities to become either dominant or submissive, stress experienced by one of the individuals during their first encounter would determine the long-term establishment of a social hierarchy by acting as a two-stage rocket: (1) by influencing the rank achieved after a social encounter and (2) by facilitating and/or promoting a long-term memory for the specific hierarchy. Using a novel model for the assessment of long-term dominance hierarchies in rats, we present here the first evidence supporting such hypothesis. In control conditions, the social rank established through a first interaction and food competition test between two male rats is not maintained when animals are confronted 1 week later. However, if one of the rats is stressed just before their first encounter, the dominance hierarchy developed on day 1 is still clearly observed 1 week later, with the stressed animal becoming submissive (i.e., looser in competition tests) in both social interactions. Our findings also allow us to propose that stress potentiates a hierarchy-linked recognition memory between "specific" individuals through mechanisms that involve de novo protein synthesis. These results implicate stress among the key mechanisms contributing to create social imbalance and highlight memory mechanisms as key mediators of stress-induced long-term establishment of social rank.

Problem Solving in the Natural Sciences and Early Adolescent Girls' Gender Roles and Self-Esteem a Qualitative and Quantitative Analysis from AN Ecological Perspective

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Slavkin, Michael

What impact do gender roles and self-esteem have on early adolescent girls' abilities to solve problems when participating in natural science-related activities? Bronfenbrenner's human ecology model and Barker's behavior setting theory were used to assess how environmental contexts relate to problem solving in scientific contexts. These models also provided improved methodology and increased understanding of these constructs when compared with prior research. Early adolescent girls gender roles and self-esteem were found to relate to differences in problem solving in science-related groups. Specifically, early adolescent girls' gender roles were associated with levels of verbal expression, expression of positive affect, dominance, and supportive behavior during science experiments. Also, levels of early adolescent girls self-esteem were related to verbal expression and dominance in peer groups. Girls with high self-esteem also were more verbally expressive and had higher levels of dominance during science experiments. The dominant model of a masculine-typed and feminine-typed dichotomy of problem solving based on previous literature was not effective in Identifying differences within girls' problem solving. Such differences in the results of these studies may be the result of this study's use of observational measures and analysis of the behavior settings in which group members participated. Group behavior and problem-solving approaches of early adolescent girls seemed most likely to be defined by environmental contexts, not governed solely by the personalities of participants. A discussion for the examination of environmental factors when assessing early adolescent girls' gender roles and self-esteem follows this discussion.

Impact of urban land use on the bacterial phyllosphere of ivy (Hedera sp.)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smets, Wenke; Wuyts, Karen; Oerlemans, Eline; Wuyts, Sander; Denys, Siegfried; Samson, Roeland; Lebeer, Sarah

2016-12-01

The surface of the aerial parts of the plant, also termed the phyllosphere, is a selective habitat for microbes. The bacterial composition of the phyllosphere depends on host plant species, leaf characteristics, season, climate, and geographic location of the host plant. In this study, we investigated the effect of an urban environment on the bacterial composition of phyllosphere communities. We performed a passive biomonitoring experiment in which leaves were sampled from ivy (Hedera sp.), a common evergreen climber species, in urban and non-urban locations. Exposure to traffic-generated particulate matter was estimated using leaf biomagnetic analyses. The bacterial community composition was determined using 16S rRNA gene sequencing on the Illumina MiSeq. The phyllosphere microbial communities of ivy differed greatly between urban and non-urban locations, as we observed a shift in several of the dominant taxa: Beijerinckia and Methylocystaceae were most abundant in the non-urban phyllosphere, whereas Hymenobacter and Sphingomonadaceae were dominating the urban ivy phyllosphere. The richness, diversity and composition of the communities showed greater variability in the urban than in the non-urban locations, where traffic-generated PM was lower. Interestingly, the relative abundances of eight of the ten most dominant taxa correlated well with leaf magnetism, be it positive or negative. The results of this study indicate that an urban environment can greatly affect the local phyllosphere community composition. Although other urban-related factors cannot be ruled out, the relative abundance of most of the dominant taxa was significantly correlated with exposure to traffic-generated PM.

Gut Microbiota Composition in Mid-Pregnancy Is Associated with Gestational Weight Gain but Not Prepregnancy Body Mass Index.

PubMed

Aatsinki, Anna-Katariina; Uusitupa, Henna-Maria; Munukka, Eveliina; Pesonen, Henri; Rintala, Anniina; Pietilä, Sami; Lahti, Leo; Eerola, Erkki; Karlsson, Linnea; Karlsson, Hasse

2018-05-14

Pregnancy is a time of numerous hormonal, metabolic, and immunological changes for both the mother and the fetus. Furthermore, maternal gut microbiota composition (GMC) is altered during pregnancy. One major factor affecting GMC in pregnant and nonpregnant populations is obesity. The aim was to analyze associations between maternal overweight/obesity, as well as gestational weight gain (GWG) and GMC. Moreover, the modifying effect of depression and anxiety symptom scores on weight and GMC were investigated. Study included 46 women from the FinnBrain Birth Cohort study, of which 36 were normal weight, and 11 overweight or obese according to their prepregnancy body mass index (BMI). Stool samples were collected in gestational week 24, and the GMC was sequenced with Illumina MiSeq approach. Hierarchical clustering was executed to illuminate group formation according to the GMC. The population was divided according to Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes dominance. Symptoms of depression, general anxiety, and pregnancy-related anxiety were measured by using standardized questionnaires. Excessive GWG was associated with distinct GMC in mid-pregnancy as measured by hierarchical clustering and grouping according to Firmicutes or Bacteroidetes dominance, with Bacteroidetes being prominent and Firmicutes being less prominent in the GMC among those with increased GWG. Reduced alpha diversity was observed among the Bacteroidetes-dominated subjects. There were no zero-order effects between the abundances of bacterial genera or phyla, alpha or beta diversity, and prepregnancy BMI or GWG. Bacteroidetes-dominated GMC in mid-pregnancy is associated with increased GWG and reduced alpha diversity.

Biogeochemical cycles of Chernobyl-born radionuclides in the contaminated forest ecosystems: long-term dynamics of the migration processes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shcheglov, Alexey; Tsvetnova, Ol'ga; Klyashtorin, Alexey

2013-04-01

Biogeochemical migration is a dominant factor of the radionuclide transport through the biosphere. In the early XX century, V.I. Vernadskii, a Russian scientist known, noted about a special role living things play in transport and accumulation of natural radionuclide in various environments. The role of biogeochemical processes in migration and redistribution of technogenic radionuclides is not less important. In Russia, V. M. Klechkovskii and N.V. Timofeev-Ressovskii showed some important biogeochemical aspects of radionuclide migration by the example of global fallout and Kyshtym accident. Their followers, R.M. Alexakhin, M.A. Naryshkin, N.V. Kulikov, F.A. Tikhomirov, E.B. Tyuryukanova, and others also contributed a lot to biogeochemistry of radionuclides. In the post-Chernobyl period, this area of knowledge received a lot of data that allowed building the radioactive element balance and flux estimation in various biogeochemical cycles [Shcheglov et al., 1999]. Regrettably, many of recent radioecological studies are only focused on specific radionuclide fluxes or pursue some applied tasks, missing the holistic approach. Most of the studies consider biogeochemical fluxes of radioactive isotopes in terms of either dose estimation or radionuclide migration rates in various food chains. However, to get a comprehensive picture and develop a reliable forecast of environmental, ecological, and social consequences of radioactive pollution in a vast contaminated area, it is necessary to investigate all the radionuclide fluxes associated with the biogeochemical cycles in affected ecosystems. We believe such an integrated approach would be useful to study long-term environmental consequences of the Fukushima accident as well. In our long-term research, we tried to characterize the flux dynamics of the Chernobyl-born radionuclides in the contaminated forest ecosystems and landscapes as a part of the integrated biogeochemical process. Our field studies were started in June of 1986 (less than two months after the accident) and have been continued up to now, focused on the most common forest ecosystems scattered over the contaminated areas of Russian Federation and Ukraine. A comprehensive analysis of the 137Cs and 90Sr biogeochemical fluxes shows that downward radionuclide fluxes (those directed from tree crowns to the soil) dominated over the upward fluxes (from the soil to forest vegetation) in the first years after the accident. Currently, the biological cycle in the contaminated ecosystems is a main factor impeding further vertical migration of long-lived radionuclides from upper soil layers to the ground water. The role of biota as a retardation factor depends on landscape type as well. In accumulative landscapes (with positive material balance), biota plays leading role in radionuclide retardation, while in eluvial landscapes (with the negative balance) soil absorbing complex serves as the dominant barrier for radionuclides leaching down the soil profile. The manifestation of both soil- and biota-driven factors depends on the radionuclide chemical speciation in the initial fallout. The latter factor is most important for 137Cs, yet less manifested for 90Sr. Among the biota components, fungi and forest vegetation are of particular importance for 137Cs and 90Sr accumulation, respectively. In summary, biogeochemical cycles of 137Cs and 90Sr in the investigated forest ecosystems serve as main factors impeding the radionuclide migration from the fallout to ground water. Larger-scale landscape factors determine the radionuclide flux intensity in the biogeochemical cycles and affect the radionuclide spatial variability in the contaminated biota components.

Factors Influencing Bacterial Diversity and Community Composition in Municipal Drinking Waters in the Ohio River Basin, USA

PubMed Central

Stanish, Lee F.; Hull, Natalie M.; Robertson, Charles E.; Harris, J. Kirk; Stevens, Mark J.; Spear, John R.; Pace, Norman R.

2016-01-01

The composition and metabolic activities of microbes in drinking water distribution systems can affect water quality and distribution system integrity. In order to understand regional variations in drinking water microbiology in the upper Ohio River watershed, the chemical and microbiological constituents of 17 municipal distribution systems were assessed. While sporadic variations were observed, the microbial diversity was generally dominated by fewer than 10 taxa, and was driven by the amount of disinfectant residual in the water. Overall, Mycobacterium spp. (Actinobacteria), MLE1-12 (phylum Cyanobacteria), Methylobacterium spp., and sphingomonads were the dominant taxa. Shifts in community composition from Alphaproteobacteria and Betaproteobacteria to Firmicutes and Gammaproteobacteria were associated with higher residual chlorine. Alpha- and beta-diversity were higher in systems with higher chlorine loads, which may reflect changes in the ecological processes structuring the communities under different levels of oxidative stress. These results expand the assessment of microbial diversity in municipal distribution systems and demonstrate the value of considering ecological theory to understand the processes controlling microbial makeup. Such understanding may inform the management of municipal drinking water resources. PMID:27362708

Nursing Gender Pay Differentials in the New Millennium.

PubMed

Wilson, Barbara L; Butler, Matthew J; Butler, Richard J; Johnson, William G

2018-01-01

The gender pay gap in the United States is an ongoing issue, affecting women in nearly all occupations. Jobs traditionally associated with men tend to pay better than traditionally female-dominated jobs, and there is evidence to suggest within-occupation gender pay differences as well. We compared and contrasted gender wage disparities for registered nurses (RNs), relative to gender wage disparities for another female-dominated occupation, teachers, while controlling for sociodemographic factors. Using data in the American Community Survey, we analyzed the largest U.S. random representative sample of self-identified RNs and primary or secondary school teachers from 2000 to 2013 using fixed-effects regression analysis. There is greater disparity between nurse pay by gender than in teacher pay by gender. In addition, the net return in wages for additional education is higher for school teachers (21.7%) than for RNs (4.7%). Findings support preferential wages for men in nursing, more so than for men in teaching. The substantial gender disparities are an indirect measure of the misallocation of resources in effective patient care. © 2017 Sigma Theta Tau International.

Microgravity ignition experiment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Motevalli, Vahid; Elliott, William; Garrant, Keith; Marcotte, Ryan

1992-01-01

The purpose of this project is to develop a flight-ready apparatus of the microgravity ignition experiment for the GASCAN 2 program. The microgravity ignition experiment is designed to study how a microgravity environment affects the time to ignition of a sample of alpha-cellulose paper. A microgravity environment will result in a decrease in the heat transferred from the sample due to a lack of convection currents, which would decrease time to ignition. A lack of convection current would also cause the oxygen supply at the sample not to be renewed, which could delay or even prevent ignition. When this experiment is conducted aboard GASCAN 2, the dominant result of the lack of ignition will be determined. The experiment consists of four canisters containing four thermocouples and a sensor to detect ignition of the paper sample. This year the interior of the canister was redesigned and a mathematical model of the heat transfer around the sample was developed. This heat transfer model predicts an ignition time of approximately 5.5 seconds if the decrease of heat loss from the sample is the dominant factor of the lack of convection currents.

Individual contributions of climate and vegetation change to soil moisture trends across multiple spatial scales.

PubMed

Feng, Huihui

2016-09-07

Climate and vegetation change are two dominating factors for soil moisture trend. However, their individual contributions remain unknown due to their complex interaction. Here, I separated their contributions through a trajectory-based method across the global, regional and local scales. Our results demonstrated that climate change accounted for 98.78% and 114.64% of the global drying and wetting trend. Vegetation change exhibited a relatively weak influence (contributing 1.22% and -14.64% of the global drying and wetting) because it occurred in a limited area on land. Regionally, the impact of vegetation change cannot be neglected, which contributed -40.21% of the soil moisture change in the wetting zone. Locally, the contributions strongly correlated to the local environmental characteristics. Vegetation negatively affected soil moisture trends in the dry and sparsely vegetated regions and positively in the wet and densely vegetated regions. I conclude that individual contributions of climate and vegetation change vary at the global, regional and local scales. Climate change dominates the soil moisture trends, while vegetation change acts as a regulator to drying or wetting the soil under the changing climate.

Effect of ferrite transformation on the tensile and stress corrosion properties of type 316 L stainless steel weld metal thermally aged at 873 K

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shaikh, H.; Khatak, H. S.; Seshadri, S. K.; Gnanamoorthy, J. B.; Rodriguez, P.

1995-07-01

This article deals with the effect of the microstructural changes, due to transformation of delta ferrite, on the associated variations that take place in the tensile and stress corrosion properties of type 316 L stainless steel weld deposits when subjected to postweld heat treatment at 873 K for prolonged periods (up to 2000 hours). On aging for short durations (up to 20 hours), carbide/ carbonitride was the dominant transformation product, whereas sigma phase was dominant at longer aging times. The changes in the tensile and stress corrosion behavior of the aged weld metal have been attributed to the two competitive processes of matrix softening and hardening. Yield strength (YS) was found to depend predominantly on matrix softening only, while sig-nificant changes in the ultimate tensile strength (UTS) and the work-hardening exponent, n, occurred due to matrix hardening. Ductility and stress corrosion properties were considerably affected by both factors. Fractographic observations on the weld metal tested for stress-corrosion cracking (SCC) indicated a combination of transgranular cracking of the austenite and interface cracking.

Influence of disturbance on carbon exchange in a permafrost collapse and adjacent burned forest

USGS Publications Warehouse

Myers-Smith, I. H.; McGuire, A.D.; Harden, J.W.; Chapin, F. S.

2007-01-01

We measured CO2 and CH4 exchange from the center of a Sphagnum-dominated permafrost collapse, through an aquatic most, and into a recently burned black spruce forest on the Tanana River floodplain in interior Alaska. In the anomalously dry growing season of 2004, both the collapse and the surrounding burned area were net sink, s for CO2, with a mean daytime net ecosystem exchange of -1.4 ??mol CO2 m-2 s-1, while the moat was a CH4 source with a mean flux of 0.013 ??mol CH4 m-2 s-1. Regression analyses identified temperature as the dominant factor affecting intragrowing season variation in CO2 exchange and soil moisture as the primary control influencing CH4 emissions. CH4 emissions during the wettest portion of the growing season were four times higher than during the driest periods. If temperatures continue to warm, peatlahd vegetation will likely expand with permafrost degradation, resulting in greater carbon accumulation and methane emissions for the landscape as a whole. Copyright 2007 by the American Geophysical Union.

Bacteria Associated with Copestylum (Diptera, Syrphidae) Larvae and Their Cactus Host Isolatocereus dumortieri

PubMed Central

Martínez-Falcón, Ana Paola; Durbán, Ana; Latorre, Amparo; Antón, Josefa; Marcos-García, María de los Ángeles

2011-01-01

We describe the gut bacterial diversity inhabiting two saprophagous syrphids and their breeding substrate (decayed tissues of the columnar cactus Isolatocereus dumortieri). We analyzed the gut microbiota of Copestylum latum (scooping larvae that feed on decayed cactus tissues) and Copestylum limbipenne (whose larvae can also feed on semiliquid tissues) using molecular techniques. DNA was extracted from larval guts and cactus tissues. The V1-V3 region of the 16S rRNA genes was amplified and sequenced. A total of 31079 sequences were obtained. The main findings are: C. limbipenne is dominated by several Enterobacteriaceae, including putative nitrogen-fixing genera and pectinolitic species and some denitrifying species, whereas in C. latum unclassified Gammaproteobacteria predominate. Decayed tissues have a dominant lactic acid bacterial community. The bacterial communities were more similar between larval species than between each larva and its breeding substrate. The results suggest that the gut bacterial community in these insects is not strongly affected by diet and must be dependent on other factors, such as vertical transmission, evolutionary history and host innate immunity. PMID:22132101

Galaxy and Mass Assembly (GAMA): Impact of the Group Environment on Galaxy Star Formation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barsanti, S.; Owers, M. S.; Brough, S.; Davies, L. J. M.; Driver, S. P.; Gunawardhana, M. L. P.; Holwerda, B. W.; Liske, J.; Loveday, J.; Pimbblet, K. A.; Robotham, A. S. G.; Taylor, E. N.

2018-04-01

We explore how the group environment may affect the evolution of star-forming galaxies. We select 1197 Galaxy And Mass Assembly groups at 0.05 ≤ z ≤ 0.2 and analyze the projected phase space (PPS) diagram, i.e., the galaxy velocity as a function of projected group-centric radius, as a local environmental metric in the low-mass halo regime 1012 ≤ (M 200/M ⊙) < 1014. We study the properties of star-forming group galaxies, exploring the correlation of star formation rate (SFR) with radial distance and stellar mass. We find that the fraction of star-forming group members is higher in the PPS regions dominated by recently accreted galaxies, whereas passive galaxies dominate the virialized regions. We observe a small decline in specific SFR of star-forming galaxies toward the group center by a factor ∼1.2 with respect to field galaxies. Similar to cluster studies, we conclude for low-mass halos that star-forming group galaxies represent an infalling population from the field to the halo and show suppressed star formation.

Factors Influencing Bacterial Diversity and Community Composition in Municipal Drinking Waters in the Ohio River Basin, USA.

PubMed

Stanish, Lee F; Hull, Natalie M; Robertson, Charles E; Harris, J Kirk; Stevens, Mark J; Spear, John R; Pace, Norman R

2016-01-01

The composition and metabolic activities of microbes in drinking water distribution systems can affect water quality and distribution system integrity. In order to understand regional variations in drinking water microbiology in the upper Ohio River watershed, the chemical and microbiological constituents of 17 municipal distribution systems were assessed. While sporadic variations were observed, the microbial diversity was generally dominated by fewer than 10 taxa, and was driven by the amount of disinfectant residual in the water. Overall, Mycobacterium spp. (Actinobacteria), MLE1-12 (phylum Cyanobacteria), Methylobacterium spp., and sphingomonads were the dominant taxa. Shifts in community composition from Alphaproteobacteria and Betaproteobacteria to Firmicutes and Gammaproteobacteria were associated with higher residual chlorine. Alpha- and beta-diversity were higher in systems with higher chlorine loads, which may reflect changes in the ecological processes structuring the communities under different levels of oxidative stress. These results expand the assessment of microbial diversity in municipal distribution systems and demonstrate the value of considering ecological theory to understand the processes controlling microbial makeup. Such understanding may inform the management of municipal drinking water resources.

Small Town Insurgency: The Struggle for Information Dominance to Reduce Gang Violence

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-12-01

focuses on the importance of information dominance , there has been little research into component factors that might either promote, or inhibit, the... information dominance with respect to a counter-gang strategy. Through comparative analysis, our research suggests that improving relationships between

Emotional Processing in High-Functioning Autism--Physiological Reactivity and Affective Report

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bolte, Sven; Feineis-Matthews, Sabine; Poustka, Fritz

2008-01-01

This study examined physiological response and affective report in 10 adult individuals with autism and 10 typically developing controls. An emotion induction paradigm using stimuli from the International Affective Picture System was applied. Blood pressure, heart and self-ratings of experienced valence (pleasure), arousal and dominance (control)…

Counter Conducts as Affective Practices in the Classroom: The Task of Pedagogies of Affirmative Estrangement

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zembylas, Michalinos

2018-01-01

This paper suggests that scholarship in critical pedagogy needs to consider two important issues: first, how students' affective life ("affect" and "emotion" are used as interchangeable terms here) is manifested through "counter-conduct practices", namely, practices of resistance that challenge dominant or hegemonic…

An Assessment of the Suitability of Cone Penetration Testing in Identifying the Late Quaternary Successions Formed in Tide-dominated Tnvironments: A Case Study from the Eastern China Coastal Plain

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, X.; Lin, C. M., Sr.; Dalrymple, R. W.; Gao, S., Sr.

2017-12-01

Cone penetration testing (CPT) has proved to be as an effective method for sedimentological purposes in wave-dominated coastal environments. This study, based upon interpretation of 500 CPTs, carried out in the late Quaternary Qiantang River incised-valley fill over the eastern China coastal plain, shows how CPTs can also be used for detailed facies characterization and identification of the key surfaces for sequence-stratigraphic interpretation in tide-dominated systems based upon estimation of three major parameters: cone-tip resistance (qc), sleeve friction (fs), and the ratio of fs and qc (FR). Plotting of qc versus FR, in combination with the CPT curve shape and the relative depth in profile, is adopted as the major tool. The lithologic character which is controlled mainly by sediment supply and dynamics, and post-depositional diagenesis is respected as the main factor affecting how well the CPT technique works. Within this particular tide-dominated environment, dominated by non-cohesive sand and silt, the accumulation of the materials from fluid muds is rare. As a result, the tidal-channel deposits exhibit the nature of coarse-grained deposits, different from that of the other mud-dominated facies associations. On the other hand, a distinct layer of fine-grained deposit at the base of the Holocene sequences was subjected to early diagenesis during the last glacial maximum and early transgression, to become uniformly hard and over-consolidated, geotechnically distinct from the overlying softer sediments. Besides, due to the different sediment dynamics, the tidal-flat and salt-marsh deposits exhibit a distinct geotechnical behavior with the offshore shallow marine muddy deposits. All the above mentioned situations provide the basis for the recognition of facies association and the correlated key surfaces, even for the mapping of the incised-valley boundary. As a consequence, the CPT method has a potential to be a very attractive alternative to economically less convenient methods for the geological mapping in the tide-dominated coastal plain areas.

Let the sunshine in? The effects of luminance on economic preferences, choice consistency and dominance violations

PubMed Central

Glimcher, Paul W.

2017-01-01

Weather, in particular the intensity and duration of sunshine (luminance), has been shown to significantly affect financial markets. Yet, because of the complexity of market interactions we do not know how human behavior is affected by luminance in a way that could inform theoretical choice models. In this paper, we use data from a field study using an incentive-compatible, decision task conducted daily over a period of two years and from the US Earth System Research Laboratory luminance sensor to investigate the impact of luminance on risk preferences, ambiguity preferences, choice consistency and dominance violations. We find that luminance levels affect all of these. Age and gender influence the strength of some of these effects. PMID:28783734

Critiquing Human Resource Development's Dominant Masculine Rationality and Evaluating Its Impact

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bierema, Laura L.

2009-01-01

The purpose of this article is to critique human resource development's (HRD) dominant philosophy, practices, and research; illustrate how they negatively affect women HRD practitioners and recipients; and recommend alternative conceptualizations of the field. This article is grounded in a critical feminist theoretical framework, draws on critical…

Bilingual Listeners' Perception of Temporally Manipulated English Passages

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shi, Lu-Feng; Farooq, Nadia

2012-01-01

Purpose: The current study measured, objectively and subjectively, how changes in speech rate affect recognition of English passages in bilingual listeners. Method: Ten native monolingual, 20 English-dominant bilingual, and 20 non-English-dominant bilingual listeners repeated target words in English passages at five speech rates (unprocessed, two…

Native American impacts on fire regimes of the California coastal ranges

USGS Publications Warehouse

Keeley, Jon E.

2002-01-01

Aim: Native American burning impacts on California shrubland dominated landscapes are evaluated relative to the natural lightning fire potential for affecting landscape patterns. Location: Focus was on the coastal ranges of central and southern California. Methods: Potential patterns of Indian burning were evaluated based upon historical documents, ethnographic accounts, archaeological records and consideration of contemporary land management tactics. Patterns of vegetation distribution in this region were evaluated relative to environmental factors and the resilience of the dominant shrub vegetation to different fire frequencies. Results: Lightning fire frequency in this region is one of the lowest in North America and the density of pre-Columbian populations was one of the highest. Shrublands dominate the landscape throughout most of the region. These woody communities have weak resilience to high fire frequency and are readily displaced by annual grasses and forbs under high fire frequency. Intact shrublands provided limited resources for native Americans and thus there was ample motivation for using fire to degrade this vegetation to an open mosaic of shrubland/grassland, not unlike the agropastoral modification of ecologically related shrublands by Holocene peoples in the Mediterranean Basin. Alien-dominated grasslands currently cover approximately one-quarter of the landscape and less than 1% of these grasslands have a significant native grass presence. Ecological studies in the Californian coastal ranges have failed to uncover any clear soil or climate factors explaining grassland and shrubland distribution patterns. Main conclusions: Coastal ranges of California were regions of high Indian density and low frequency of lightning fires. The natural vegetation dominants on this landscape are shrubland vegetation that often form dense impenetrable stands with limited resources for Native Americans. Natural fire frequencies are not high enough to maintain these landscapes in habitable mixtures of shrublands and grasslands but such landscape mosaics are readily produced with additional human subsidy of ignitions. It is hypothesized that a substantial fraction of the landscape was type converted from shrubland to grassland and much of the landscape that underwent such type conversion has either been maintained by Euro-American land management practices or resisted recolonization of native shrublands. It appears that these patterns are disturbance dependent and result from anthropogenic alteration of landscapes initiated by Native Americans and sustained and expanded upon by Euro-American settlers.

Career plans for male-dominated occupations among female seniors in religious and secular high schools.

PubMed

Rich, Y; Golan, R

1992-01-01

This study investigated the hypothesis that the religious beliefs of young women significantly affect their career planning. All female seniors (N = 315) in one public religious and two public secular high schools in Israel responded to inventories examining their (1) orientation to homemaking or career, (2) interest in male-dominated occupations, and (3) preference for male-dominated occupations. Results from regression analyses indicated that young women from the secular schools, as compared to those from the religious school, expressed greater interest in and preference for male-dominated occupations. In addition, religious orientation, more than other background variables, had predictive power for interest in and preference for male-dominated occupations.

Affective behavior during mother-daughter conflict and borderline personality disorder severity across adolescence.

PubMed

Whalen, Diana J; Scott, Lori N; Jakubowski, Karen P; McMakin, Dana L; Hipwell, Alison E; Silk, Jennifer S; Stepp, Stephanie D

2014-01-01

Developmental theories of borderline personality disorder (BPD) posit that transactions between child characteristics and adverse environments, especially those in the context of the parent-child relationship, shape and maintain symptoms of the disorder over time. However, very little empirical work has investigated the role of parenting and parent-child transactions that may predict BPD severity over time. We examined maternal and dyadic affective behaviors during a mother-adolescent conflict discussion task as predictors of the course of BPD severity scores across 3 years in a diverse, at-risk sample of girls (N = 74) oversampled for affective instability and their biological mothers. Adolescent girls completed a structured conflict discussion task with their mothers at age 16. Girls' self-reported BPD severity scores were assessed annually from ages 15 to 17. Mother-adolescent interactions were coded using a global rating system of maternal and dyadic affective behaviors. Results from multilevel linear mixed models indicated that positive maternal affective behavior (i.e., supportive/validating behavior, communication skills, autonomy-promoting behavior, and positive affect) and positive dyadic affective behaviors (i.e., satisfaction and positive escalation) were associated with decreases in girls' BPD severity scores over time. Dyadic negative escalation was associated with higher overall levels of BPD severity scores, but negative maternal affective behavior (i.e., negative affect, dominance, conflict, and denial) was not. These findings suggest that the mother-daughter context is an important protective factor in shaping the course of BPD severity scores during adolescence and may be valuable in assessment, intervention, and prevention efforts.

Accessibility of the nondominant language in picture naming: a counterintuitive effect of dementia on bilingual language production.

PubMed

Gollan, Tamar H; Salmon, David P; Montoya, Rosa I; da Pena, Eileen

2010-04-01

The current study tested the assumption that bilinguals with dementia regress to using primarily the dominant language. Spanish-English bilinguals with probable Alzheimer's disease (AD; n=29), and matched bilingual controls (n=42) named Boston Naming Test pictures in their dominant and nondominant languages. Surprisingly, differences between patients and controls were larger using dominant-language than nondominant-language naming scores, and bilinguals with AD were either more likely than controls (in English-dominant bilinguals), or equally likely (in Spanish-dominant bilinguals), to name some pictures in the nondominant language that they could not produce in their dominant language. These findings suggest that dominant language testing may provide the best assessment of language deficits in bilingual AD, and argue against the common notion that the nondominant language is particularly susceptible to dementia. The greater vulnerability of the dominant language may reflect the increased probability of AD affecting richer semantic representations associated with dominant compared to nondominant language names. (c) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Accessibility of the nondominant language in picture naming: A counterintuitive effect of dementia on bilingual language production

PubMed Central

Gollan, Tamar H.; Salmon, David P.; Montoya, Rosa I.; Pena, Eileen da

2010-01-01

The current study tested the assumption that bilinguals with dementia regress to using primarily the dominant language. Spanish-English bilinguals with probable Alzheimer's disease (AD; n=29), and matched bilingual controls (n=42) named Boston Naming Test pictures in their dominant and nondominant languages. Surprisingly, differences between patients and controls were larger using dominant-language than nondominant-language naming scores, and bilinguals with AD were either more likely than controls (in English-dominant bilinguals), or equally likely (in Spanish-dominant bilinguals), to name some pictures in the nondominant language that they could not produce in their dominant language. These findings suggest that dominant language testing may provide the best assessment of language deficits in bilingual AD, and argue against the common notion that the nondominant language is particularly susceptible to dementia. The greater vulnerability of the dominant language may reflect the increased probability of AD affecting richer semantic representations associated with dominant compared to nondominant language names. PMID:20036679

Dominant Leadership Style in Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rajbhandari, Mani Man Singh

2006-01-01

The dominant leadership style is defined by the situation and the kind of organizational environment and climate. This, however, does not sufficiently define the leadership qualities in school organizations. There are other factors which also determine the dominant leadership style, which are the traits and style, teachers commitments, pass out…

Nest-site selection and reproductive success of greater sage-grouse in a fire-affected habitat of northwestern Nevada

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lockyer, Zachary B.; Coates, Peter S.; Casazza, Michael L.; Espinosa, Shawn; Delehanty, David J.

2015-01-01

Identifying links between micro-habitat selection and wildlife reproduction is imperative to population persistence and recovery. This information is particularly important for landscape species such as greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus; sage-grouse). Although this species has been widely studied, because environmental factors can affect sage-grouse populations, local and regional studies are crucial for developing viable conservation strategies. We studied the habitat-use patterns of 71 radio-marked sage-grouse inhabiting an area affected by wildfire in the Virginia Mountains of northwestern Nevada during 2009–2011 to determine the effect of micro-habitat attributes on reproductive success. We measured standard vegetation parameters at nest and random sites using a multi-scale approach (range = 0.01–15,527 ha). We used an information-theoretic modeling approach to identify environmental factors influencing nest-site selection and survival, and determine whether nest survival was a function of resource selection. Sage-grouse selected micro-sites with greater shrub canopy cover and less cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum) cover than random sites. Total shrub canopy, including sagebrush (Artemisia spp.) and other shrub species, at small spatial scales (0.8 ha and 3.1 ha) was the single contributing selection factor to higher nest survival. These results indicate that reducing the risk of wildfire to maintain important sagebrush habitats could be emphasized in sage-grouse conservation strategies in Nevada. Managers may seek to mitigate the influx of annual grass invasion by preserving large intact sagebrush-dominated stands with a mixture of other shrub species. For this area of Nevada, the results suggest that ≥40% total shrub canopy cover in sage-grouse nesting areas could yield improved reproductive success. 

Regionalizing indicators for marine ecosystems: Bering Sea–Aleutian Island seabirds, climate, and competitors

USGS Publications Warehouse

Sydeman, William J.; Thompson, Sarah Ann; Piatt, John F.; García-Reyes, Marisol; Zador, Stephani; Williams, Jeffrey C.; Romano, Marc; Renner, Heather

2017-01-01

Seabirds are thought to be reliable, real-time indicators of forage fish availability and the climatic and biotic factors affecting pelagic food webs in marine ecosystems. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that temporal trends and interannual variability in seabird indicators reflect simultaneously occurring bottom-up (climatic) and competitor (pink salmon) forcing of food webs. To test this hypothesis, we derived multivariate seabird indicators for the Bering Sea–Aleutian Island (BSAI) ecosystem and related them to physical and biological conditions known to affect pelagic food webs in the ecosystem. We examined covariance in the breeding biology of congeneric pelagic gulls (kittiwakes Rissa tridactyla and R. brevirostris) andauks (murres Uria aalge and U. lomvia), all of whichare abundant and well-studiedinthe BSAI. At the large ecosystem scale, kittiwake and murre breeding success and phenology (hatch dates) covaried among congeners, so data could be combined using multivariate techniques, but patterns of responsedifferedsubstantially betweenthe genera.Whiledata fromall sites (n = 5)inthe ecosystemcould be combined, the south eastern Bering Sea shelf colonies (St. George, St. Paul, and Cape Peirce) provided the strongest loadings on indicators, and hence had the strongest influence on modes of variability. The kittiwake breeding success mode of variability, dominated by biennial variation, was significantly related to both climatic factors and potential competitor interactions. The murre indicator mode was interannual and only weakly related to the climatic factors measured. The kittiwake phenology indicator mode of variability showed multi-year periods (“stanzas”) of late or early breeding, while the murre phenology indicator showed a trend towards earlier timing. Ocean climate relationships with the kittiwake breeding success indicator suggestthat early-season (winter–spring) environmental conditions and the abundance of pink salmon affect the pelagic food webs that support these seabirds in the BSAI ecosystem.

Murine hematopoietic stem cell dormancy controlled by induction of a novel short form of PSF1 by histone deacetylase inhibitors

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

Han, Yinglu; Gong, Zhi-Yuan; Takakura, Nobuyuki, E-mail: ntakaku@biken.osaka-u.ac.jp

2015-06-10

Hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) can survive long-term in a state of dormancy. Little is known about how histone deacetylase inhibitors (HDACi) affect HSC kinetics. Here, we use trichostatin A (TSA), a histone deacetylase inhibitor, to enforce histone acetylation and show that this suppresses cell cycle entry by dormant HSCs. Previously, we found that haploinsufficiency of PSF1, a DNA replication factor, led to attenuation of the bone marrow (BM) HSC pool size and lack of acute proliferation after 5-FU ablation. Because PSF1 protein is present in CD34{sup +} transiently amplifying HSCs but not in CD34{sup −} long-term reconstituting-HSCs which are restingmore » in a dormant state, we analyzed the relationship between dormancy and PSF1 expression, and how a histone deacetylase inhibitor affects this. We found that CD34{sup +} HSCs produce long functional PSF1 (PSF1a) but CD34{sup −} HSCs produce a shorter possibly non-functional PSF1 (PSF1b, c, dominantly PSF1c). Using PSF1a-overexpressing NIH-3T3 cells in which the endogenous PSF1 promoter is suppressed, we found that TSA treatment promotes production of the shorter form of PSF1 possibly by inducing recruitment of E2F family factors upstream of the PSF1 transcription start site. Our data document one mechanism by which histone deacetylase inhibitors affect the dormancy of HSCs by regulating the DNA replication factor PSF1. - Highlights: • Hematopoetic stem cell dormancy is controlled by histone deacetylation inhibitors. • Dormancy of HSCs is associated with a shorter form of non-functional PSF1. • Histone deacetylase inhibitors suppress PSF1 promoter activity.« less

Communication imperialism and dependency: a conceptual clarification.

PubMed

Lee, P S

1988-01-01

Communications imperialism has to do with the domination of a country's media activities by another. The ownership, structure, distribution or content of the media in 1 country are affected by pressures from media interests of another country or group out of proportion with those of that country. To determine if this is happening we should consider the country's policies, the private sector;s efforts to export communications elements, and actions of the dominant country against the dominated. The 4 aspects of international media in this situation are television program exportation, foreign ownership and control of media distribution, the infringement of capital opinions on other societies, and the transfer of commercialism and broadcasting norms. In addition to the software and hardware and the other forms of communication such as satellites, computers, and transportation of the mass media, there are the cultural effects on the developing countries. In the case of involuntary of voluntary dependency of the recipient country, the effect of the unbalanced international communication can be harmful or beneficial. Communication dependency may not be harmful to the culture of the recipient country. In determining the theory of unbalanced international communications 3 factors should be considered. There are: the role of the interacting countries, the nature of the dependency of the recipient country, and the beneficial or harmful effect of unbalanced communication pattern on that country.

Effect of imbalanced nutrients and immigration on Prymnesium parvum community dominance and toxicity: Results from in-lake microcosm experiments

USGS Publications Warehouse

Errera, R.M.; Roelke, D.L.; Kiesling, R.L.; Brooks, B.W.; Grover, J.P.; Schwierzke, L.; Urena-Boeck, F.; Baker, J.W.; Pinckney, J.L.

2008-01-01

Prymnesium parvum, a haptophyte species, forms harmful blooms, including those that have caused severe fish kills in Texas, USA, over the past 6 yr. We studied P. parvum dynamics using in situ microcosm experiments at Lake Possum Kingdom, Texas, during 3 seasons (fall 2004, winter and spring 2005). Experimental treatments included full and partial nutrient enrichment (encompassing nitrogen [N] and phosphorus [P] deficient treatments), P. parvum immigration and combinations of these factors. In the control and N and P deficient treatments, P. parvum populations dominated the community, but only in the N deficient treatments did P. parvum experience a significant growth in the population. In contrast, when nutrients were not limiting, P. parvum tended to lose its competitive edge to other taxa such as chlorophytes, euglenophytes and diatoms, which then dominated the community. Population growth of P. parvum was also stimulated through immigration, but only during the winter experiment, a period of the year when bloom initiation is common. This finding suggests that movement into the water column may be an important process leading to P. parvum bloom initiation. Toxicity of P. parvum to fish was also affected by the nutrient changes: during conditions of no nutrient addition P. parvum was most toxic; intermediate toxicity was observed under N and P deficient conditions, and full nutrient enrichments resulted in nearly non-toxic conditions. ?? Inter-Research 2008.

Changes in the structure and dynamics of marine assemblages dominated by Bifurcaria bifurcata and Cystoseira species over three decades (1977-2007)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Méndez-Sandín, Miguel; Fernández, Consolación

2016-06-01

Two low intertidal assemblages dominated in 1977 by Bifurcaria bifurcata and Cystoseira baccata-Saccorhiza polyschides in the North coast of Spain show changes in the structure and dynamics after 30 years. A re-survey in 2007 detected phenological changes affecting the annual cycle of dominant canopy species. B. bifurcata has shortened its growth period and undergone a decrease in biomass, while C. baccata lengthened its period of growth and increased its biomass. Also important were the disappearance of Saccorhiza polyschides and the increase of Cystoseira tamariscifolia. These changes affect the rest of the species of the assemblages, with a shift in the main understory species and an increase in crustose coralline algae although the overall biomass of the subcanopy was similar. The species richness shows a sharp increase, at the expense of increasing epiphytes and simpler functional and morphological groups. These biological changes agree with the general trends of increasing sea surface temperature and the relaxation of the summer upwelling affecting the North coast of Spain, but the results were unexpected in the case of Bifurcaria bifurcata.

Parental practices and willingness to ask for children's help later in life.

PubMed

Schooler, Carmi; Revell, Andrew J; Caplan, Leslie J

2007-05-01

We examine how parents' relationships with their 13- to 25-year-old offspring affect the parents' willingness to ask them for help with financial and personal problems 20 years later. Husbands and wives were interviewed in 1974 and 1994; a child was interviewed in 1974. We used two aspects of parental style, responsiveness and restrictive dominance, to predict parents' willingness to request help from a child 20 years later. Structural equation modeling analyses revealed the following: (a) mothers' willingness to ask an adult child for help with a personal problem was increased by higher levels of responsiveness; (b) mothers' willingness to ask for financial help was increased by responsive and decreased by restrictive-dominant maternal behavior; and (c) neither responsive nor restrictive-dominant paternal behavior affected fathers' later willingness to ask an adult child for help of either kind.

The first description of dominance hierarchy in captive giraffe: not loose and egalitarian, but clear and linear.

PubMed

Horová, Edita; Brandlová, Karolína; Gloneková, Markéta

2015-01-01

Wild giraffes live in extensive groups in the fission fusion system, maintaining long social distances and loose social bonds. Within these groups, resources are widely distributed, agonistic encounters are scarce and the dominance hierarchy was reported in males only, while never deeply analysed. In captivity, the possibility to maintain inter-individual distances is limited and part of the resources is not evenly distributed. Consequently, we suggest that agonistic encounters should be more frequent, leading to the establishment of the dominance hierarchy. Based on the differences in resource-holding potential, we suggested that the rank of an individual would be affected by age and sex. Based on hypotheses of prior ownership, we tested whether rank was positively affected by the time spent in a herd and whether it was stable in adult females, which were present long-term in the same herd. We originally monitored four herds of Rothschild giraffes (Giraffa camelopardalis rothschildii) in Dvůr Králové zoo (n = 8), Liberec zoo (n = 6), and two herds in Prague zoo: Prague 1 (n = 8) and Prague 2 (n = 9). The Prague 1 and Prague 2 herds were then combined and the resulting fifth herd was observed over three consecutive years (2009, 2010, and 2011) (n = 14, 13, and 14, respectively). We revealed a significantly linear hierarchy in Dvůr Králové, Prague 2 and in the combined herd in Prague. Rank was significantly affected by age in all herds; older individuals dominated the younger ones. In females, rank was positively affected by the time spent in the herd and adult females in Prague maintained their rank during three consecutive years. This study represents the first analysis of the dominance hierarchy in the captive giraffe, and discusses the behavioural flexibility of the social structure in response to monopolisable resources in a captive environment.

The First Description of Dominance Hierarchy in Captive Giraffe: Not Loose and Egalitarian, but Clear and Linear

PubMed Central

Gloneková, Markéta

2015-01-01

Wild giraffes live in extensive groups in the fission fusion system, maintaining long social distances and loose social bonds. Within these groups, resources are widely distributed, agonistic encounters are scarce and the dominance hierarchy was reported in males only, while never deeply analysed. In captivity, the possibility to maintain inter-individual distances is limited and part of the resources is not evenly distributed. Consequently, we suggest that agonistic encounters should be more frequent, leading to the establishment of the dominance hierarchy. Based on the differences in resource-holding potential, we suggested that the rank of an individual would be affected by age and sex. Based on hypotheses of prior ownership, we tested whether rank was positively affected by the time spent in a herd and whether it was stable in adult females, which were present long-term in the same herd. We originally monitored four herds of Rothschild giraffes (Giraffa camelopardalis rothschildii) in Dvůr Králové zoo (n = 8), Liberec zoo (n = 6), and two herds in Prague zoo: Prague 1 (n = 8) and Prague 2 (n = 9). The Prague 1 and Prague 2 herds were then combined and the resulting fifth herd was observed over three consecutive years (2009, 2010, and 2011) (n = 14, 13, and 14, respectively). We revealed a significantly linear hierarchy in Dvůr Králové, Prague 2 and in the combined herd in Prague. Rank was significantly affected by age in all herds; older individuals dominated the younger ones. In females, rank was positively affected by the time spent in the herd and adult females in Prague maintained their rank during three consecutive years. This study represents the first analysis of the dominance hierarchy in the captive giraffe, and discusses the behavioural flexibility of the social structure in response to monopolisable resources in a captive environment. PMID:25970483

Evidence of a dominance hierarchy in captive Caribbean flamingos and its relation to pair bonding and physiological measures of health.

PubMed

Royer, Erica A; Anderson, Matthew J

2014-06-01

Caribbean flamingo social structure, how pair bonds affect the structure of the flock, and how social stress affects health measured by heterophil to lymphocyte ratios (H/L) were investigated at the Philadelphia Zoo. It was hypothesized that a hierarchy may become apparent by analyzing agonistic interactions and that paired individuals would share similar places within the hierarchy. Furthermore, it was hypothesized that a negative relationship between H/L ratio and dominance would exist. Forty observations were conducted and in 70% of interactions instigating bird(s) won the encounter, suggesting either some advantage for instigating birds or a prior expectation of an encounter's outcome based upon an understanding of the flock's hierarchy. The flock possessed a semi-linear hierarchy (in terms of wins/losses) and birds with higher pair-bond strengths maintained dominant positions, suggesting that pair-bonding may help individuals become more successful in agonistic encounters. Birds who won more often had higher lymphocytes percentages and analyses suggested a trend indicating dominant birds may be less stressed. A semi-linear hierarchy was also found in terms of initiation/being targeted, and a bird's rank on the dominance (wins/losses) and initiate/target hierarchies were positively correlated, suggesting that subdominant birds were targeted by dominant birds more frequently than vice versa. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Perceived differences in social status between speaker and listener affect the speaker's vocal characteristics

PubMed Central

Mileva, Viktoria R.; Little, Anthony C.; Roberts, S. Craig

2017-01-01

Non-verbal behaviours, including voice characteristics during speech, are an important way to communicate social status. Research suggests that individuals can obtain high social status through dominance (using force and intimidation) or through prestige (by being knowledgeable and skilful). However, little is known regarding differences in the vocal behaviour of men and women in response to dominant and prestigious individuals. Here, we tested within-subject differences in vocal parameters of interviewees during simulated job interviews with dominant, prestigious, and neutral employers (targets), while responding to questions which were classified as introductory, personal, and interpersonal. We found that vocal modulations were apparent between responses to the neutral and high-status targets, with participants, especially those who perceived themselves as low in dominance, increasing fundamental frequency (F0) in response to the dominant and prestigious targets relative to the neutral target. Self-perceived prestige, however, was less related to contextual vocal modulations than self-perceived dominance. Finally, we found that differences in the context of the interview questions participants were asked to respond to (introductory, personal, interpersonal), also affected their vocal parameters, being more prominent in responses to personal and interpersonal questions. Overall, our results suggest that people adjust their vocal parameters according to the perceived social status of the listener as well as their own self-perceived social status. PMID:28614413

Socket position determines hip resurfacing 10-year survivorship.

PubMed

Amstutz, Harlan C; Le Duff, Michel J; Johnson, Alicia J

2012-11-01

Modern metal-on-metal hip resurfacing arthroplasty designs have been used for over a decade. Risk factors for short-term failure include small component size, large femoral head defects, low body mass index, older age, high level of sporting activity, and component design, and it is established there is a surgeon learning curve. Owing to failures with early surgical techniques, we developed a second-generation technique to address those failures. However, it is unclear whether the techniques affected the long-term risk factors. We (1) determined survivorship for hips implanted with the second-generation cementing technique; (2) identified the risk factors for failure in these patients; and (3) determined the effect of the dominant risk factors on the observed modes of failure. We retrospectively reviewed the first 200 hips (178 patients) implanted using our second-generation surgical technique, which consisted of improvements in cleaning and drying the femoral head before and during cement application. There were 129 men and 49 women. Component orientation and contact patch to rim distance were measured. We recorded the following modes of failure: femoral neck fracture, femoral component loosening, acetabular component loosening, wear, dislocation, and sepsis. The minimum followup was 25 months (mean, 106.5 months; range, 25-138 months). Twelve hips were revised. Kaplan-Meier survivorship was 98.0% at 5 years and 94.3% at 10 years. The only variable associated with revision was acetabular component position. Contact patch to rim distance was lower in hips that dislocated, were revised for wear, or were revised for acetabular loosening. The dominant modes of failure were related to component wear or acetabular component loosening. Acetabular component orientation, a factor within the surgeon's control, determines the long-term success of our current hip resurfacing techniques. Current techniques have changed the modes of failure from aseptic femoral failure to wear or loosening of the acetabular component. Level III, prognostic study. See Guidelines for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.

Risk factors associated with self-reported symptoms of digital ischemia in elite male volleyball players in the Netherlands.

PubMed

van de Pol, D; Kuijer, P P F M; Langenhorst, T; Maas, M

2014-08-01

One in every four elite male volleyball players in the Netherlands reported blue or pale digits in the dominant hand. Little is known about risk factors. To assess whether personal-, sports-, and work-related risk factors are associated with these symptoms in these volleyball players, a survey was performed among elite male volleyball players in the Dutch national top league and in the Dutch beach volleyball team. The questionnaire assessed the presence of symptoms and risk factors. Binary logistic regression was performed to calculate odds ratios (ORs). A total of 99 of the 107 athletes participated - a response rate of 93%. Two sports-related risk factors were associated with symptoms of blue or pale digits: 18-30 years playing volleyball [OR = 6.70; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.12-29.54] and often/always performing weight training to increase dominant limb strength (OR = 2.70; 95% CI 1.05-6.92). No significant other sports-, personal-, or work-related risk factors were found. Playing volleyball for more than 17 years and often/always performing weight training to increase dominant limb strength were independently associated with an increased risk on ischemia-related complaints of the dominant hand in elite male volleyball players. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Pruritus is associated with severely impaired quality of life in patients with primary sclerosing cholangitis.

PubMed

Gotthardt, Daniel Nils; Rupp, Christian; Bruhin, Miriam; Schellberg, Dieter; Weiss, Karl H; Stefan, Reinhard; Donnerstag, Nadine; Stremmel, Wolfgang; Löwe, Bernd; Juenger, Jana; Sauer, Peter

2014-12-01

Quality of life, fundamental to the individual patient, has shown a lack of correlation with severity in research on several diseases. Thus, we aimed to identify factors associated with quality of life in patients with primary sclerosing cholangitis. The Short Form Health Survey and the Patient Health Questionnaire were used to assess quality of life and depression. Complete data sets of 113 patients were analyzed for correlation with sex, age, presence of concomitant inflammatory bowel disease and dominant stenosis, frequency of pruritus, and Mayo Risk Score. Physical functioning decreased with age (P<0.001). Further, women experienced more prominent role limitations because of physical (P<0.03) and emotional (P<0.01) problems. Although patients' quality of life and depression scores were only slightly lower than normal, more frequent pruritus was associated with a considerable reduction in quality of life in terms of physical and social functioning, general and mental health, bodily pain, vitality, and roles (because of physical problems) (P<0.01). It did not differ significantly according to the Mayo Risk Score or the presence of dominant stenoses. Depression scores were only significantly affected in patients with more frequent pruritus. Pruritus severely affects quality of life in patients with primary sclerosing cholangitis and is associated with depression to varying extents, although the most commonly used parameters of disease severity do not correspond to quality of life in these patients. These findings need to be considered with respect to treatment outcomes and indications for liver transplantation.

Hydrographic Processes Driven by Seasonal Monsoon System Affect Siphonophore Assemblages in Tropical-Subtropical Waters (Western North Pacific Ocean)

PubMed Central

Lo, Wen-Tseng; Yu, Shwu-Feng; Hsieh, Hung-Yen

2014-01-01

This work is a part of the Taiwan Cooperative Oceanic Fisheries Investigation, the first large scale hydrographic and plankton survey around Taiwan (21–26°N, 119–123°E). The present study examined the influence of hydrodynamic and biological variables driven by monsoon system on the siphonophore assemblages through an annual cycle in 2004. Calycophorans, namely Chelophyes appendiculata, Diphyes chamissonis, Lensia subtiloides, Bassia bassensis, and Muggiaea atlantica, were the most dominant siphonophore species. Maximum abundance of these dominant species generally occurred during the warm period (May and August), while M. atlantica had a significantly peak abundance in February. Although no apparently temporal difference in siphonophore abundance was observed in the study, siphonophore assemblage was more diverse in August than in other sampling times. Result of a cluster analysis indicated that assemblage structure of siphonophores in the waters around Taiwan varied at temporal and spatial scales during the sampling period. The intrusions of the Kuroshio Branch Current and China Coastal Current to the study area play an important role on the transportation of siphonophores. Also, the distribution of siphonophore assemblage was closely related to the hydrographic characteristics, with temperature, chlorophyll a concentration, and zooplankton abundance being the major environmental factors affecting the spatio-temporal variability of siphonophores. This study contributes substantially to the new knowledge of the siphonophore assemblage in the tropical-temperate waters of Taiwan. PMID:24932727

Attitudinal moderation of correlation between food liking and consumption.

PubMed

Cantin, I; Dubé, L

1999-06-01

This paper focuses on the degree of correlation between food liking and consumption and proposes the degree of correspondence between affective and cognitive aspects of liking and consumption as moderators of this correlation. In a close-response questionnaire, 103 young females (average age of 20) indicated their liking for and consumption of 12 non-alcoholic cold beverages. They also indicated their level of agreement with affective and cognitive statements associated with each beverage as well as the affective or cognitive statement that was representative of their attitude toward each beverage. Even though there are affective and cognitive bases of both liking and consumption, the affective basis dominates liking whereas the cognitive basis dominates consumption for most beverage categories. Separate analyses conducted at the level of individual subjects and of individual beverage categories both revealed that those cases in which the attitude basis for liking and consumption showed the highest correspondence, also manifested the highest liking-consumption correlation. Results are discussed with regard to health promotion and food marketing strategies. Copyright 1999 Academic Press.

Ubiquitous overexpression of Hey1 transcription factor leads to osteopenia and chondrocyte hypertrophy in bone.

PubMed

Salie, Rishard; Kneissel, Michaela; Vukevic, Mirko; Zamurovic, Natasa; Kramer, Ina; Evans, Glenda; Gerwin, Nicole; Mueller, Matthias; Kinzel, Bernd; Susa, Mira

2010-03-01

The transcription factor Hey1, a known Notch target gene of the HES family, has recently been described as a target gene of bone morphogenetic protein-2 (BMP-2) during osteoblastic differentiation in vitro. As the role of Hey1 in skeletal physiology is unknown, we analyzed bones of mice ubiquitously lacking or overexpressing Hey1. This strategy enabled us to evaluate whether Hey1 modulation in the whole organism could serve as a drug or antibody target for therapy of diseases associated with bone loss. Hey1 deficiency resulted in modest osteopenia in vivo and increased number and activity of osteoclasts generated ex vivo. Hey1 overexpression resulted in distinct progressive osteopenia and inhibition of osteoblasts ex vivo, an effect apparently dominant to a mild inhibition of osteoclasts. In both Hey1 deficient and overexpressing mice, males were less affected than females and skeleton was not affected during development. Bone histomorphometry did not reveal major changes in animals at 20 weeks, suggesting that modulation had occurred before. Adult Hey1 transgenics also displayed increased type X collagen expression and an enlarged hypertrophic zone in the growth plate. Taken together, our data suggest that ubiquitous in vivo Hey1 regulation affects osteoblasts, osteoclasts and chondrocytes. Due to the complex role of Hey1 in bone, inhibition of Hey1 does not appear to be a straightforward therapeutic strategy to increase the bone mass.

Depth-related trends in morphological and functional diversity of demersal fish assemblages in the western Mediterranean Sea

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Farré, Marc; Tuset, Víctor M.; Cartes, Joan E.; Massutí, Enric; Lombarte, Antoni

2016-09-01

The morphological and functional traits of fishes are key factors defining the ecological and biological habits of species within ecosystems. However, little is known about how the depth gradient affects these factors. In the present study, several demersal fish assemblages from the Balearic Islands (western Mediterranean Sea) along a wide depth range (40-2200 m) were morphologically, functionally and ecologically described. The morphological characterization of communities was performed using geometric morphometric methods, while the functional structures were obtained by the functional categorization of species and the application of principal coordinates analysis (PCoA). The results revealed that morphospaces presented less richness of body forms as depth increases, although they showed a progressive spreading of species toward the periphery, with a proliferation of more extreme body traits, demonstrating lower morphological redundancy. In addition, a trend toward the elongation of body shape was also observed with depth. Moreover, functional diversity increased with bathymetry up to 1400 m, where it sharply decreased downwards. This decrease was parallel to a progressive fall of H‧ (ecological diversity) up to 2200 m. Functional redundancy progressively decreased until the deepest assemblage (more constantly in the deeper levels), which was almost exclusively dominated by benthopelagic wandering species feeding on suprabenthos. Redundancy analysis (RDA) demonstrated that both morphological and functional spaces showed high variation along the bathymetric range. Mantel test indicated that the majority of species presented similar spatial distribution within the morphospace and functional space, although in the functional space the more abundant species were always located at the periphery. These results demonstrate that the assessment of the morpho-functional variation between marine communities helps to understand the processes that affect the structure and functioning of communities, such as resource partitioning, trophic interactions, or interspecific relationships within ecosystem such as coexistence and dominance.

16SrDNA Pyrosequencing of the Mediterranean Gorgonian Paramuricea clavata Reveals a Link among Alterations in Bacterial Holobiont Members, Anthropogenic Influence and Disease Outbreaks

PubMed Central

Vezzulli, Luigi; Pezzati, Elisabetta; Huete-Stauffer, Carla; Pruzzo, Carla; Cerrano, Carlo

2013-01-01

Mass mortality events of benthic invertebrates in the Mediterranean Sea are becoming an increasing concern with catastrophic effects on the coastal marine environment. Sea surface temperature anomalies leading to physiological stress, starvation and microbial infections were identified as major factors triggering animal mortality. However the highest occurrence of mortality episodes in particular geographic areas and occasionally in low temperature deep environments suggest that other factors play a role as well. We conducted a comparative analysis of bacterial communities associated with the purple gorgonian Paramuricea clavata, one of the most affected species, collected at different geographic locations and depth, showing contrasting levels of anthropogenic disturbance and health status. Using massive parallel 16SrDNA gene pyrosequencing we showed that the bacterial community associated with healthy P. clavata in pristine locations was dominated by a single genus Endozoicomonas within the order Oceanospirillales which represented ∼90% of the overall bacterial community. P. clavata samples collected in human impacted areas and during disease events had higher bacterial diversity and abundance of disease-related bacteria, such as vibrios, than samples collected in pristine locations whilst showed a reduced dominance of Endozoicomonas spp. In contrast, bacterial symbionts exhibited remarkable stability in P. clavata collected both at euphotic and mesophotic depths in pristine locations suggesting that fluctuations in environmental parameters such as temperature have limited effect in structuring the bacterial holobiont. Interestingly the coral pathogen Vibrio coralliilyticus was not found on diseased corals collected during a deep mortality episode suggesting that neither temperature anomalies nor recognized microbial pathogens are solely sufficient to explain for the events. Overall our data suggest that anthropogenic influence may play a significant role in determining the coral health status by affecting the composition of the associated microbial community. Environmental stressful events and microbial infections may thus be superimposed to compromise immunity and trigger mortality outbreaks. PMID:23840768

Identification of Habitat-Specific Biomes of Aquatic Fungal Communities Using a Comprehensive Nearly Full-Length 18S rRNA Dataset Enriched with Contextual Data

PubMed Central

Panzer, Katrin; Yilmaz, Pelin; Weiß, Michael; Reich, Lothar; Richter, Michael; Wiese, Jutta; Schmaljohann, Rolf; Labes, Antje; Imhoff, Johannes F.; Glöckner, Frank Oliver; Reich, Marlis

2015-01-01

Molecular diversity surveys have demonstrated that aquatic fungi are highly diverse, and that they play fundamental ecological roles in aquatic systems. Unfortunately, comparative studies of aquatic fungal communities are few and far between, due to the scarcity of adequate datasets. We combined all publicly available fungal 18S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) gene sequences with new sequence data from a marine fungi culture collection. We further enriched this dataset by adding validated contextual data. Specifically, we included data on the habitat type of the samples assigning fungal taxa to ten different habitat categories. This dataset has been created with the intention to serve as a valuable reference dataset for aquatic fungi including a phylogenetic reference tree. The combined data enabled us to infer fungal community patterns in aquatic systems. Pairwise habitat comparisons showed significant phylogenetic differences, indicating that habitat strongly affects fungal community structure. Fungal taxonomic composition differed considerably even on phylum and class level. Freshwater fungal assemblage was most different from all other habitat types and was dominated by basal fungal lineages. For most communities, phylogenetic signals indicated clustering of sequences suggesting that environmental factors were the main drivers of fungal community structure, rather than species competition. Thus, the diversification process of aquatic fungi must be highly clade specific in some cases.The combined data enabled us to infer fungal community patterns in aquatic systems. Pairwise habitat comparisons showed significant phylogenetic differences, indicating that habitat strongly affects fungal community structure. Fungal taxonomic composition differed considerably even on phylum and class level. Freshwater fungal assemblage was most different from all other habitat types and was dominated by basal fungal lineages. For most communities, phylogenetic signals indicated clustering of sequences suggesting that environmental factors were the main drivers of fungal community structure, rather than species competition. Thus, the diversification process of aquatic fungi must be highly clade specific in some cases. PMID:26226014

Risk factors associated with prevalence and major bacterial causes of mastitis in dromedary camels (Camelus dromedarius) under different production systems.

PubMed

Ahmad, Sibtain; Yaqoob, Muhammad; Bilal, Muhammad Qamar; Muhammad, Ghulam; Yang, Li-Guo; Khan, Muhammad Kasib; Tariq, Muhammad

2012-01-01

A cross-sectional study was conducted in desert environment of Jhang (Pakistan) from November 2008 to October 2009 on she-camels kept under pastoralist conditions to determine the prevalence of mastitis, impact of risk factors, and isolate the dominant mastitis-causing bacteria on total of 150 lactating she-camels by using clinical examination and surf field mastitis test. From the 150 she-camels examined, 69 (46%) were positive for mastitis at animal level, 12 (8%) clinical, and 57 (38%) subclinical. Age, parity number, stage of lactation, breed, production system, hygiene of milking process, and presence of lesion on udder/teat were found significantly associated (p<0.05) with the prevalence of mastitis in she-camels. There was the lowest prevalence (33.33%; 15 of 45) of mastitis in she-camels of 5-7 years of age, while the highest (80%; 12 of 15) in the animals aged between 14 to 16 years. Stage of lactation significantly affected (p<0.05) and was found to be associated with the prevalence of mastitis being the highest (54.55%; 18 of 33) during the initial stage of lactation (0 to 1 month) followed by last 2 months (10-12 months) as 54.17% and mid-stages (1-3 and 3-10 months) of lactation as 28.57% (6 of 21) and 37.50% (9 of 24), respectively. According to breed of camels, it was noted that the prevalence of mastitis affected significantly (p<0.05) being the highest in crossbred (Desi × Mareecha) as 51.39% (37 of 72) followed in order by Mareecha and Desi as 43.14% and 37.04%, respectively. Staphylococcus (42.19%) and Streptococcus (15.63%) genera were the dominant isolates identified. Good hygiene in milking process, milking clinically infected she-camels at last, culling chronic mastitis carriers, treating clinically infected she-camels, and dry period therapy could reduce the prevalence of contagious mastitis in the study area.

Temporality and Affect: Useful Starting Points in Interpretation.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schiller, Susan

Empirical research into reading theory suggests people begin a reading transaction with an affective response and then primarily rely on memory. They may elect to use imagination as an option to influence the process, but when the affective response is overwhelming, the imagination lies dormant while memory dominates the transaction. A research…

Analysis of influential factors for the relationship between PM2.5 and AOD in Beijing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zheng, Caiwang; Zhao, Chuanfeng; Zhu, Yannian; Wang, Yang; Shi, Xiaoqin; Wu, Xiaolin; Chen, Tianmeng; Wu, Fang; Qiu, Yanmei

2017-11-01

The relationship between aerosol optical depth (AOD) and PM2.5 is often investigated in order to obtain surface PM2.5 from satellite observation of AOD with a broad area coverage. However, various factors could affect the AOD-PM2.5 regressions. Using both ground and satellite observations in Beijing from 2011 to 2015, this study analyzes the influential factors including the aerosol type, relative humidity (RH), planetary boundary layer height (PBLH), wind speed and direction, and the vertical structure of aerosol distribution. The ratio of PM2.5 to AOD, which is defined as η, and the square of their correlation coefficient (R2) have been examined. It shows that η varies from 54.32 to 183.14, 87.32 to 104.79, 95.13 to 163.52, and 1.23 to 235.08 µg m-3 with aerosol type in spring, summer, fall, and winter, respectively. η is smaller for scattering-dominant aerosols than for absorbing-dominant aerosols, and smaller for coarse-mode aerosols than for fine-mode aerosols. Both RH and PBLH affect the η value significantly. The higher the RH, the smaller the η, and the higher the PBLH, the smaller the η. For AOD and PM2.5 data with the correction of RH and PBLH compared to those without, R2 of monthly averaged PM2.5 and AOD at 14:00 LT increases from 0.63 to 0.76, and R2 of multi-year averaged PM2.5 and AOD by time of day increases from 0.01 to 0.93, 0.24 to 0.84, 0.85 to 0.91, and 0.84 to 0.93 in four seasons respectively. Wind direction is a key factor for the transport and spatial-temporal distribution of aerosols originated from different sources with distinctive physicochemical characteristics. Similar to the variation in AOD and PM2.5, η also decreases with the increasing surface wind speed, indicating that the contribution of surface PM2.5 concentrations to AOD decreases with surface wind speed. The vertical structure of aerosol exhibits a remarkable change with seasons, with most particles concentrated within about 500 m in summer and within 150 m in winter. Compared to the AOD of the whole atmosphere, AOD below 500 m has a better correlation with PM2.5, for which R2 is 0.77. This study suggests that all the above influential factors should be considered when we investigate the AOD-PM2.5 relationships.

Analysis of Influential Factors for the Relationship between PM2.5 and AOD in Beijing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zheng, Caiwang; Zhao, Chuanfeng

2017-04-01

Relationship between aerosol optical depth (AOD) and PM2.5 is often investigated in order to obtain surface PM2.5 from satellite observation of AOD with a broad area coverage. However, various factors could affect the AOD-PM2.5 regressions. Using both ground and satellite observations in Beijing from 2011 to 2015, this study analyzes the influential factors including aerosol type, relative humidity (RH), atmospheric boundary layer height (PBLH), wind speed and direction, and the vertical structure of aerosol distribution. The ratio of PM2.5 to AOD, which is defined as η, and the square of their correlation coefficient (R2) have been examined. It shows that η varies from 54.32 to 183.14, 87.32 to 104.79, 95.13 to 163.52 and 1.23 to 235.08 μg/m3 with aerosol type in four seasons respectively. η is smaller for scattering-dominant aerosols than for absorbing-dominant aerosols, and smaller for coarse mode aerosols than for fine mode aerosols. Both RH and PBLH affect the η value significantly. The higher the RH, the larger the η, and the higher the PBLH, the smaller the η. For AOD and PM2.5 data with the correction of RH and PBLH compared to those without, R2 of monthly averaged PM2.5and AOD at 14:00 LT increases from 0.63 to 0.76, and R2 of multi-year averaged PM2.5and AOD by time of day increases from 0.1 to 0.93, 0.24 to 0.84, 0.85 to 0.91 and 0.84 to 0.93 in four seasons respectively. Wind direction is a key factor to the transport and spatial-temporal distribution of aerosols originated from different sources with distinctive physicochemical characteristics. Similar to the variation of AOD and PM2.5, η also decreases with the increasing surface wind speed, indicating that the contribution of surface PM2.5 concentrations to AOD decreases with surface wind speed. The vertical structure of aerosol exhibits a remarkable change with seasons, with most particles concentrated within about 500 m in summer and within 150 m in winter. Compared to the AOD of the whole atmosphere, AOD below 500 m has a better correlation with PM2.5, for which R2 is 0.77. This study suggests that all the above influential factors should be considered when we investigate the PM2.5-AOD relationships.

Effects of eye dominance (left vs. right) and cannabis use on intermanual coordination and negative symptoms in schizophrenia patients.

PubMed

Gorynia, Inge; Schwaiger, Markus; Heinz, Andreas

2014-12-01

Based on the previous findings, it has been assumed that in schizophrenia patients, eye dominance and cannabis use will affect negative symptoms and intermanual coordination (IMC), an index of interhemispheric communication. But eye dominance, specifically the clinical findings for it, has been neglected in schizophrenia research. We therefore investigated its effects in 52 right-handed (36 right-eyed and 16 left-eyed) and 51 left-handed (35 left-eyed and 16 right-eyed) schizophrenia in-patients without and with drug use. Eye dominance affected IMC in all schizophrenia patients. When comparing right- and left-handers, we found that this result was only significant in the right-handed patients and in the smaller subgroup without drug use. In the right-handers, left eye dominance-like left-handedness-was associated with higher values in IMC and less pronounced manifestation of negative symptoms, right eye dominance was not. Thus, left-eyed right-handers may be more closely related to left-handers than to right-handers. In accordance with the results from the literature, we suggest that these findings are due to better interhemispheric connections and less impairment of white matter structures, especially in right-hemispheric regions. Moreover, cannabis use was related to higher scores in IMC and less pronounced negative symptoms, but only in the right-eyed and not in the left-eyed right-handers or in the left-handers. Hence, differences in eye dominance and handedness may be partially responsible for different results in interhemispheric connections among cannabis users. In conclusion, both eye dominance and use of cannabis should be taken into account when assessing clinical symptoms in schizophrenia patients.

Conditioned social dominance threat: observation of others' social dominance biases threat learning.

PubMed

Haaker, Jan; Molapour, Tanaz; Olsson, Andreas

2016-10-01

Social groups are organized along dominance hierarchies, which determine how we respond to threats posed by dominant and subordinate others. The persuasive impact of these dominance threats on mental and physical well-being has been well described but it is unknown how dominance rank of others bias our experience and learning in the first place. We introduce a model of conditioned social dominance threat in humans, where the presence of a dominant other is paired with an aversive event. Participants first learned about the dominance rank of others by observing their dyadic confrontations. During subsequent fear learning, the dominant and subordinate others were equally predictive of an aversive consequence (mild electric shock) to the participant. In three separate experiments, we show that participants' eye-blink startle responses and amygdala reactivity adaptively tracked dominance of others during observation of confrontation. Importantly, during fear learning dominant vs subordinate others elicited stronger and more persistent learned threat responses as measured by physiological arousal and amygdala activity. Our results characterize the neural basis of learning through observing conflicts between others, and how this affects subsequent learning through direct, personal experiences. © The Author (2016). Published by Oxford University Press. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Conditioned social dominance threat: observation of others’ social dominance biases threat learning

PubMed Central

Molapour, Tanaz; Olsson, Andreas

2016-01-01

Social groups are organized along dominance hierarchies, which determine how we respond to threats posed by dominant and subordinate others. The persuasive impact of these dominance threats on mental and physical well-being has been well described but it is unknown how dominance rank of others bias our experience and learning in the first place. We introduce a model of conditioned social dominance threat in humans, where the presence of a dominant other is paired with an aversive event. Participants first learned about the dominance rank of others by observing their dyadic confrontations. During subsequent fear learning, the dominant and subordinate others were equally predictive of an aversive consequence (mild electric shock) to the participant. In three separate experiments, we show that participants’ eye-blink startle responses and amygdala reactivity adaptively tracked dominance of others during observation of confrontation. Importantly, during fear learning dominant vs subordinate others elicited stronger and more persistent learned threat responses as measured by physiological arousal and amygdala activity. Our results characterize the neural basis of learning through observing conflicts between others, and how this affects subsequent learning through direct, personal experiences. PMID:27217107

Spatial variation of phytoplankton community structure in Daya Bay, China.

PubMed

Jiang, Zhao-Yu; Wang, You-Shao; Cheng, Hao; Zhang, Jian-Dong; Fei, Jiao

2015-10-01

Daya Bay is one of the largest and most important gulfs in the southern coast of China, in the northern part of the South China Sea. The phylogenetic diversity and spatial distribution of phytoplankton from the Daya Bay surface water and the relationship with the in situ water environment were investigated by the clone library of the large subunit of ribulose-1, 5-bisphosphate carboxylase (rbcL) gene. The dominant species of phytoplankton were diatoms and eustigmatophytes, which accounted for 81.9 % of all the clones of the rbcL genes. Prymnesiophytes were widely spread and wide varieties lived in Daya Bay, whereas the quantity was limited. The community structure of phytoplankton was shaped by pH and salinity and the concentration of silicate, phosphorus and nitrite. The phytoplankton biomass was significantly positively affected by phosphorus and nitrite but negatively by salinity and pH. Therefore, the phytoplankton distribution and biomass from Daya Bay were doubly affected by anthropic activities and natural factors.

Perception of Construction Participants in Construction delays: A case study in Tamilnadu, India.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rathinakumar, V.; Vignesh, T.; Dhivagar, K.

2017-07-01

Delays in the construction industry are universal fact, which affects the construction participants. The research work spotlights on determining the prevailing delays in the cities of Tamil Nadu, as perceived by the participants. After a few field level interactions, a questionnaire was framed and administered to the participants i.e., Consultants (50 Nos.), contractors (50 Nos.) and clients (150 Nos.) to understand their perception on the causes of delays. The factors for delay was categorized into 4 groups say Improper project planning, Design related issues, Finance related issues and Resource related issues. The responses were analysed using the SPSS software by applying ANOVA and Regression analysis. From the analysis, it was found that the personal financial problems of the client dominantly affect the entire construction progress and the subsequent design changes by the clients, Inadequate early project planning, labour related issues. Also, the delay groups were found to be the improper project planning and the Resource related issues.

Effects of age on male fertility.

PubMed

Zitzmann, Michael

2013-08-01

Later parenting is considered by many to have advantages, parents-to-be may feel themselves more stable to rear children. In addition, many men start a second family later in life. Thus, paternal age becomes an emerging issue. Aging affects male fertility by a scope of factors, which are not fully understood to date. Generally, the amount of produced sperm cells as well as their motility decreases with age, as testicular histological architecture deteriorates. Decreased fecundity and an increased risk for disturbed pregnancies occur with advancing paternal age. Some rare autosomal dominant pathologies are clearly related to paternal age. Altered patterns of epigenetics/gene expression in aging sperm seem to affect a range of neurocognitive disorders and also metabolic dyshomeostasis across generations. Such effects refer to men older than 40 years and may have impact on socio-economic issues. Nevertheless, councelling of older men seeking paternity should be patient-oriented and weigh statistical probabilities against the right for individual life-planning. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Modulation of dental anxiety--the role of past experiences, psychopathologic traits and individual attachment patterns.

PubMed

Eli, I; Uziel, N; Blumensohn, R; Baht, R

2004-06-12

To evaluate factors affecting modulation of dental anxiety among adults. A total of 183 adult members of a closed communal society (Kibbutz), who have been treated since childhood only by the dentists employed in their community, were investigated concerning their past and present dental anxiety, evaluation of their past and present dentists, psychopathologic symptoms and individual pattern of attachment. The best predictor of subjects' evaluation of their present dental anxiety was the scale of anxiety as recorded by the SCL-90R questionnaire. The best predictors of the decrease in subjects' dental anxiety over time were the evaluation of their past and present dentists and the secure and avoidant patterns of attachment. Patterns of attachment (avoidant and ambivalent) were the best predictors of subjects' evaluation of their present dentist. While psychopathologic traits are involved in subjects' present dental anxiety, pattern of attachment may have a dominant affect as to whether anxiety persists throughout life or can be modulated through a corrective emotional experience.

Phytohormones signaling and crosstalk regulating leaf angle in rice.

PubMed

Luo, Xiangyu; Zheng, Jingsheng; Huang, Rongyu; Huang, Yumin; Wang, Houcong; Jiang, Liangrong; Fang, Xuanjun

2016-12-01

Leaf angle is an important agronomic trait in rice (Oryza sativa L.). It affects both the efficiency of sunlight capture and nitrogen reservoirs. The erect leaf phenotype is suited for high-density planting and thus increasing crop yields. Many genes regulate leaf angle by affecting leaf structure, such as the lamina joint, mechanical tissues, and the midrib. Signaling of brassinosteroids (BR), auxin (IAA), and gibberellins (GA) plays important roles in the regulation of lamina joint bending in rice. In addition, the biosynthesis and signaling of BR are known to have dominant effects on leaf angle development. In this review, we summarize the factors and genes associated with the development of leaf angle in rice, outline the regulatory mechanisms based on the signaling of BR, IAA, and GA, and discuss the contribution of crosstalk between BR and IAA or GA in the formation of leaf angle. Promising lines of research in the transgenic engineering of rice leaf angle to increase grain yield are proposed.

Succession of phytoplankton functional groups and their driving factors in a subtropical plateau lake.

PubMed

Cao, Jing; Hou, Zeying; Li, Zekun; Chu, Zhaosheng; Yang, Pingping; Zheng, Binghui

2018-08-01

The present study was carried out in a mesotrophic subtropical plateau lake, Erhai, located in southwest of China. The succession of phytoplankton functional groups and the environmental variables in the lake were investigated from January 2013 to December 2015. The lake had strong radiation levels and a low-temperature amplitude because of its high elevation and strongly mixed water. It was highly affected by the subtropical monsoon precipitation, and its pollution sources were from diffuse pollution caused by rainfall runoff. Altogether 112 genera, 16 functional groups and 4 predominant functional groups, L M (Microcystis), P (Melosira, Fragilaria, Closterium), T (Mougeotia), T (Psephonema aenigmaticum) and Y (Cryptomonas), were identified, and the predominant functional groups demonstrated strong seasonal variations. Group T (Mougeotia) dominated from the winter to early spring, with strong lake water mixing. Group P replaced group T (Mougeotia) as the dominate group of the phytoplankton community in the spring (March to May), with clear water and increased temperature. With the arrival of the monsoon rainy season in the summer, large amounts of external pollutants were brought into the lake via rainfall runoff, allowing group L M (Microcystis) to become dominant. Meanwhile, the intensive nutrient inputs after the rainstorm in the summer, combined with high temperatures and decreased radiation, led to the sustained growth of group L M in the autumn and even ultimately triggered Microcystis blooming. Group T (P. aenigmaticum) was a particular phytoplankton genus predominant in the autumn, which displayed a seasonal variation similar to that of group L M . This study underscores the usefulness of phytoplankton functional groups in studying phytoplankton succession in subtropical plateau lakes impacted by diffuse pollution, in which the succession of phytoplankton functional groups can be significantly affected by rainfall runoff, which altered variables such as nutrients, high temperatures and radiation. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Deletion of eIF2β lysine stretches creates a dominant negative that affects the translation and proliferation in human cell line: A tool for arresting the cell growth.

PubMed

Salton, Gabrielle Dias; Laurino, Claudia Cilene Fernandes Correia; Mega, Nicolás Oliveira; Delgado-Cañedo, Andrés; Setterblad, Niclas; Carmagnat, Maryvonnick; Xavier, Ricardo Machado; Cirne-Lima, Elizabeth; Lenz, Guido; Henriques, João Antonio Pêgas; Laurino, Jomar Pereira

2017-08-03

Eukaryote initiation factor 2 subunit β (eIF2β) plays a crucial role in regulation protein synthesis, which mediates the interaction of eIF2 with mRNA. eIF2β contains evolutionarily conserved polylysine stretches in amino-terminal region and a zinc finger motif in the carboxy-terminus. The gene eIF2β was cloned under tetracycline transcription control and the polylysine stretches were deleted by site-directed mutagenesis (eIF2βΔ3K). The plasmid was transfected into HEK 293 TetR cells. These cells were analyzed for their proliferative and translation capacities as well as cell death rate. Experiments were performed using gene reporter assays, western blotting, flow cytometry, cell sorting, cell proliferation assays and confocal immunofluorescence. eIF2βΔ3K affected negatively the protein synthesis, cell proliferation and cell survival causing G2 cell cycle arrest and increased cell death, acting in a negative dominant manner against the native protein. Polylysine stretches are also essential for eIF2β translocated from the cytoplasm to the nucleus, accumulating in the nucleolus and eIF2βΔ3K did not make this translocation. eIF2β is involved in the protein synthesis process and should act in nuclear processes as well. eIF2βΔ3K reduces cell proliferation and causes cell death. Since translation control is essential for normal cell function and survival, the development of drugs or molecules that inhibit translation has become of great interest in the scenario of proliferative disorders. In conclusion, our results suggest the dominant negative eIF2βΔ3K as a therapeutic strategy for the treatment of proliferative disorders and that eIF2β polylysine stretch domains are promising targets for this.