Students' Choice: Recommendations for Environmental and Instructional Changes in School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sagan, Laura L.

2010-01-01

This study investigated 134 middle school students' suggestions concerning environmental and instructional changes based on their individual learning-style Inventories. The results of the study determined that students "could" suggest environmental and instructional changes that differed from the accustomed traditional environments and instruction…

Laser barometer

DOEpatents

Abercrombie, Kevin R.; Shiels, David; Rash, Tim

2001-02-06

A pressure measuring instrument that utilizes the change of the refractive index of a gas as a function of pressure and the coherent nature of a laser light to determine the barometric pressure within an environment. As the gas pressure in a closed environment varies, the index of refraction of the gas changes. The amount of change is a function of the gas pressure. By illuminating the gas with a laser light source, causing the wavelength of the light to change, pressure can be quantified by measuring the shift in fringes (alternating light and dark bands produced when coherent light is mixed) in an interferometer.

Variation in opsin genes correlates with signaling ecology in North American fireflies

PubMed Central

Sander, Sarah E.; Hall, David W.

2015-01-01

Genes underlying signal reception should evolve to maximize signal detection in a particular environment. In animals, opsins, the protein component of visual pigments, are predicted to evolve according to this expectation. Fireflies are known for their bioluminescent mating signals. The eyes of nocturnal species are expected to maximize detection of conspecific signal colors emitted in the typical low-light environment. This is not expected for species that have transitioned to diurnal activity in bright daytime environments. Here we test the hypothesis that opsin gene sequence plays a role in modifying firefly eye spectral sensitivity. We use genome and transcriptome sequencing in four firefly species, transcriptome sequencing in six additional species, and targeted gene sequencing in 28 other species to identify all opsin genes present in North American fireflies and to elucidate amino acid sites under positive selection. We also determine whether amino acid substitutions in opsins are linked to evolutionary changes in signal mode, signal color, and light environment. We find only two opsins, one long wavelength and one ultraviolet, in all firefly species and identify 25 candidate sites that may be involved in determining spectral sensitivity. In addition, we find elevated rates of evolution at transitions to diurnal activity, and changes in selective constraint on LW opsin associated with changes in light environment. Our results suggest that changes in eye spectral sensitivity are at least partially due to opsin sequence. Fireflies continue to be a promising system in which to investigate the evolution of signals, receptors, and signaling environments. PMID:26289828

[Association of the pH change of vaginal environment in bacterial vaginosis with presence of Enterococcus faecalis in vagina].

PubMed

Jahić, Mahira; Nurkić, Mahmud; Fatusić, Zlatan

2006-01-01

Normal pH value of vagina from 3.8 to 4.2 has regulatory and protectors mechanisms of vaginal environment. The change in the pH value indicates to presence of disbalance in the ecosystem of vaginal environment. The value of pH above 4.0 is indicator of the decreased number of lactobacillus bacteria and the increased number of other microorganisms in the vaginal environment. This situation is present in the case of developing of bacterial vaginosis. One of the bacteria which is often isolated from vaginal swabs is Enterococcus faecalis. Aims of this study are to examine presence o f Enterococcus faecalis in vagina in healthy women and womenwith signs of bacterial vaginosis, the most often present signs in patients with bacterial vaginosis and isolated Enterococcus faecalis from vaginal swabs, and to determine whether the change of the pH value of vaginal environment could be indicator for bacterial vaginosis associated with Enterococcus faecalis. In this study there were included 90 patients. To all patients there were done: gynecological survey, determined pH of vaginal environment and color of vaginal secret, amino odor test, and taken vaginal swabs for microbiological examination. Enterococcus faecalis was found in the patients with pH 4.0 in 24.05 % cases, but in the patients with signs of bacterial vaginosis it was found in 52.78 %. Positive findings of Enterococcus faecalis was the most often associated with presence of all tree signs of bacterial vaginosis (pH>4.0, changed color of vaginal secret and positive amino odor test) it is in 60.78 6% cases. With two signs of bacterial vaginosis (pH>4.0, changed color of vaginal secret) Enterococcus faecalis was present in 60 % cases. The only presence of change in the pH>4.0 was associated with Enterococcus faecalis in 52.78 %. This study showed that pH change of vaginal environment was associated with Enterococcus faecalis in bacterial vaginosis in high percentage but it can not be used as the sure sign of presence of Enterococcus faecalis in vaginal discharge. Therefore it is necessary to make microbiology examination vaginal discharge.

Effects of the energy crisis on traffic crashes in Virginia : final report.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1977-01-01

A number of energy crisis related factors were examined to determine if a change in energy crisis variables occurred during the 1973-74 shortage and if this change could be related to changes in the accident environment in Virginia. The variables exa...

Three types of rescue can avert extinction in a changing environment

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Setting aside high quality, large areas of habitat to protect threatened populations is becoming increasingly difficult as humans fragment and degrade the environment. Biologists and managers therefore must determine the best way to shepherd small populations through the dual challenges of reduction...

Roadblocks to Change: Executive Behaviors Versus Executive Perceptions.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Harris, Thomas E.

A study analyzed the responses of chief executive officers (CEOs) and company presidents to a leadership test and an organizational environment test, to determine whether these individuals' managerial approaches coincided with their characterizations of their organizations' environments. Subjects, CEOs or presidents of 65 randomly selected…

Volumetric measurement of tank volume

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Walter, Richard T. (Inventor); Vanbuskirk, Paul D. (Inventor); Weber, William F. (Inventor); Froebel, Richard C. (Inventor)

1991-01-01

A method is disclosed for determining the volume of compressible gas in a system including incompressible substances in a zero-gravity environment consisting of measuring the change in pressure (delta P) for a known volume change rate (delta V/delta t) in the polytrophic region between isothermal and adiabatic conditions. The measurements are utilized in an idealized formula for determining the change in isothermal pressure (delta P sub iso) for the gas. From the isothermal pressure change (delta iso) the gas volume is obtained. The method is also applicable to determination of gas volume by utilizing work (W) in the compression process. In a passive system, the relationship of specific densities can be obtained.

Changes of the Electrical and Optical Character of Polyimide Films Due to Exposure to High Energy GEO-like Electrons and the Chemistry that Drives it

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hoffmann, R.; Cooper, R.; Ferguson, D.

As a result of the interaction between the spacecraft and its operational environment, the constituent materials begin to change. These changes are determined by a combination of: chemical reactions, contamination, and energy deposition. They can range in severity from negligible to total loss of the material. Virtually all properties of the material, the mechanical, optical/thermal, and electrical are altered in largely unknown ways from the pristine materials. This negatively impacts the ability of spacecraft operators to predict the behavior of a spacecraft as it ages its environment. For example, in the case of electrical conduction in polyimide, there is a three orders of magnitude decrease in the resistivity after only eight months of simulated GEO electron exposure. Optical changes in the material also dramatically impact the ability of ground based optical observations to identify and track both known and unknown spacecraft. We will be presenting work done within the Spacecraft Charging and Instrument Calibration Lab at AFRL/RVB to quantify the changes in total reflection, BRDF, and electrical conduction of aluminized polyimide film after simulated aging in a GEO-like electron environment. We correlate these data with the chemical structure of the film as determined by XPS and NMR. A deeper, predictive understanding of how materials change will not only increase the operational lifetime of space assets by providing more accurate data to operators, it will improve SSA by allowing ground based observers to more accurately deduce component materials and determine how long a spacecraft has been in orbit.

Environmental Determinants of Cardiovascular Disease.

PubMed

Bhatnagar, Aruni

2017-07-07

Many features of the environment have been found to exert an important influence on cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk, progression, and severity. Changes in the environment because of migration to different geographic locations, modifications in lifestyle choices, and shifts in social policies and cultural practices alter CVD risk, even in the absence of genetic changes. Nevertheless, the cumulative impact of the environment on CVD risk has been difficult to assess and the mechanisms by which some environment factors influence CVD remain obscure. Human environments are complex, and their natural, social, and personal domains are highly variable because of diversity in human ecosystems, evolutionary histories, social structures, and individual choices. Accumulating evidence supports the notion that ecological features such as the diurnal cycles of light and day, sunlight exposure, seasons, and geographic characteristics of the natural environment such as altitude, latitude, and greenspaces are important determinants of cardiovascular health and CVD risk. In highly developed societies, the influence of the natural environment is moderated by the physical characteristics of the social environments such as the built environment and pollution, as well as by socioeconomic status and social networks. These attributes of the social environment shape lifestyle choices that significantly modify CVD risk. An understanding of how different domains of the environment, individually and collectively, affect CVD risk could lead to a better appraisal of CVD and aid in the development of new preventive and therapeutic strategies to limit the increasingly high global burden of heart disease and stroke. © 2017 American Heart Association, Inc.

Oikos, The Environment and Education. Fastback 52.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

O'Hearn, George T.

Designed for individuals in the educational process, this publication concerns the quality of human life. Major environmental problems are discussed, handling of these issues will determine our future direction. Man's belief that freedom places him separate from the environment causes drastic changes, upsetting the ecosystem balance. Wise…

40 CFR 31.38 - Indian Self Determination Act.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 1 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Indian Self Determination Act. 31.38... GOVERNMENTS Post-Award Requirements Changes, Property, and Subawards § 31.38 Indian Self Determination Act. Any contract, subcontract, or subgrant awarded under an EPA grant by an Indian Tribe or Indian...

40 CFR 31.38 - Indian Self Determination Act.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 1 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Indian Self Determination Act. 31.38... GOVERNMENTS Post-Award Requirements Changes, Property, and Subawards § 31.38 Indian Self Determination Act. Any contract, subcontract, or subgrant awarded under an EPA grant by an Indian Tribe or Indian...

40 CFR 31.38 - Indian Self Determination Act.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 1 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Indian Self Determination Act. 31.38... GOVERNMENTS Post-Award Requirements Changes, Property, and Subawards § 31.38 Indian Self Determination Act. Any contract, subcontract, or subgrant awarded under an EPA grant by an Indian Tribe or Indian...

40 CFR 31.38 - Indian Self Determination Act.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Indian Self Determination Act. 31.38... GOVERNMENTS Post-Award Requirements Changes, Property, and Subawards § 31.38 Indian Self Determination Act. Any contract, subcontract, or subgrant awarded under an EPA grant by an Indian Tribe or Indian...

Social determinants and lifestyles: integrating environmental and public health perspectives.

PubMed

Graham, H; White, P C L

2016-12-01

Industrialization and urbanization have been associated with an epidemiological transition, from communicable to non-communicable disease, and a geological transition that is moving the planet beyond the stable Holocene epoch in which human societies have prospered. The lifestyles of high-income countries are major drivers of these twin processes. Our objective is to highlight the common causes of chronic disease and environmental change and, thereby, contribute to shared perspectives across public health and the environment. Integrative reviews focused on social determinants and lifestyles as two 'bridging' concepts between the fields of public health and environmental sustainability. We drew on established frameworks to consider the position of the natural environment within social determinants of health (SDH) frameworks and the position of social determinants within environmental frameworks. We drew on evidence on lifestyle factors central to both public health and environmental change (mobility- and diet-related factors). We investigated how public health's focus on individual behaviour can be enriched by environmental perspectives that give attention to household consumption practices. While SDH frameworks can incorporate the biophysical environment, their causal structure positions it as a determinant and one largely separate from the social factors that shape it. Environmental frameworks are more likely to represent the environment and its ecosystems as socially determined. A few frameworks also include human health as an outcome, providing the basis for a combined public health/environmental sustainability framework. Environmental analyses of household impacts broaden public health's concern with individual risk behaviours, pointing to the more damaging lifestyles of high-income households. The conditions for health are being undermined by rapid environmental change. There is scope for frameworks reaching across public health and environmental sustainability and a shared evidence base that captures the health- and environmentally damaging impacts of high-consumption lifestyles. Copyright © 2016 The Royal Society for Public Health. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Apparatus and method for temperature mapping a turbine component in a high temperature combustion environment

DOEpatents

Baleine, Erwan; Sheldon, Danny M

2014-06-10

Method and system for calibrating a thermal radiance map of a turbine component in a combustion environment. At least one spot (18) of material is disposed on a surface of the component. An infrared (IR) imager (14) is arranged so that the spot is within a field of view of the imager to acquire imaging data of the spot. A processor (30) is configured to process the imaging data to generate a sequence of images as a temperature of the combustion environment is increased. A monitor (42, 44) may be coupled to the processor to monitor the sequence of images of to determine an occurrence of a physical change of the spot as the temperature is increased. A calibration module (46) may be configured to assign a first temperature value to the surface of the turbine component when the occurrence of the physical change of the spot is determined.

The Effects of Dynamical Rates on Species Coexistence in a Variable Environment: The Paradox of the Plankton Revisited.

PubMed

Li, Lina; Chesson, Peter

2016-08-01

Hutchinson's famous hypothesis for the "paradox of the plankton" has been widely accepted, but critical aspects have remained unchallenged. Hutchinson argued that environmental fluctuations would promote coexistence when the timescale for environmental change is comparable to the timescale for competitive exclusion. Using a consumer-resource model, we do find that timescales of processes are important. However, it is not the time to exclusion that must be compared with the time for environmental change but the time for resource depletion. Fast resource depletion, when resource consumption is favored for different species at different times, strongly promotes coexistence. The time for exclusion is independent of the rate of resource depletion. Therefore, the widely believed predictions of Hutchinson are misleading. Fast resource depletion, as determined by environmental conditions, ensures strong coupling of environmental processes and competition, which leads to enhancement over time of intraspecific competition relative to interspecific competition as environmental shifts favor different species at different times. This critical coupling is measured by the covariance between environment and competition. Changes in this quantity as densities change determine the stability of coexistence and provide the key to rigorous analysis, both theoretically and empirically, of coexistence in a variable environment. These ideas apply broadly to diversity maintenance in variable environments whether the issue is species diversity or genetic diversity and competition or apparent competition.

Promoting Policy and Environmental Change in Faith-Based Organizations: Outcome Evaluation of a Mini-Grants Program.

PubMed

Jacob Arriola, Kimberly R; Hermstad, April; St Clair Flemming, Shauna; Honeycutt, Sally; Carvalho, Michelle L; Cherry, Sabrina T; Davis, Tamara; Frazier, Sheritta; Liang, Lily; Escoffery, Cam; Kegler, Michelle C

2016-01-01

High rates of heart disease, cancer, and stroke exist in rural South Georgia where the Emory Prevention Research Center's Cancer Prevention and Control Research Network provided mini-grant funding to six churches to implement policy and environmental change to promote healthy eating and physical activity. This study sought to determine whether perceptions of the health promotion environment changed over time and whether perceived environmental change was associated with healthy behavior at church and in general. This study used a single-group pre-post design with 1-year follow-up. Parishioners (N = 258) completed self-administered questionnaires assessing perceptions of the church health promotion environment relative to healthy eating and physical activity, eating behavior and intention to use physical activity facilities at church, and eating and physical activity behaviors generally. Results indicate that perceived improvements in church nutrition environments were most strongly associated with decreases in unhealthy food consumed and stronger intentions to use physical activity resources at church (ps ≤ .05). Perceived changes in the physical activity environment were unrelated to church or general behavior. Findings suggest that church environments may play an important role in supporting healthy eating and physical activity at church; however, whether the influence of the church environment extends to other settings is unknown. © 2015 Society for Public Health Education.

The Relationship between Student and Faculty Learning Style Congruency and Perceptions of the Classroom Environment in Colleges of Teacher Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kariuki, Patrick N.

The purpose of this study was to determine the extent of congruence between teachers' and undergraduate education majors' learning styles in selected colleges and if the style congruence was related to student perceptions of the classroom learning environment. A related purpose was to identify needed changes in classroom environments based on the…

Predicting Intraindividual Changes in Teacher Burnout: The Role of Perceived School Environment and Motivational Factors

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fernet, Claude; Guay, Frederic; Senecal, Caroline; Austin, Stephanie

2012-01-01

Based on self-determination theory, this study proposes and tests a motivational model of intraindividual changes in teacher burnout (emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and reduced personal accomplishment). Participants were 806 French-Canadian teachers in public elementary and high schools. Results show that changes in teachers' perceptions…

Tracking a changing environment: optimal sampling, adaptive memory and overnight effects.

PubMed

Dunlap, Aimee S; Stephens, David W

2012-02-01

Foraging in a variable environment presents a classic problem of decision making with incomplete information. Animals must track the changing environment, remember the best options and make choices accordingly. While several experimental studies have explored the idea that sampling behavior reflects the amount of environmental change, we take the next logical step in asking how change influences memory. We explore the hypothesis that memory length should be tied to the ecological relevance and the value of the information learned, and that environmental change is a key determinant of the value of memory. We use a dynamic programming model to confirm our predictions and then test memory length in a factorial experiment. In our experimental situation we manipulate rates of change in a simple foraging task for blue jays over a 36 h period. After jays experienced an experimentally determined change regime, we tested them at a range of retention intervals, from 1 to 72 h. Manipulated rates of change influenced learning and sampling rates: subjects sampled more and learned more quickly in the high change condition. Tests of retention revealed significant interactions between retention interval and the experienced rate of change. We observed a striking and surprising difference between the high and low change treatments at the 24h retention interval. In agreement with earlier work we find that a circadian retention interval is special, but we find that the extent of this 'specialness' depends on the subject's prior experience of environmental change. Specifically, experienced rates of change seem to influence how subjects balance recent information against past experience in a way that interacts with the passage of time. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Space Environment Exposure Results from the MISSE 5 Polymer Film Thermal Control Experiment on the International Space Station

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Miller, Sharon K. R.; Dever, Joyce A.

2009-01-01

It is known that polymer films can degrade in space due to exposure to the environment, but the magnitude of the mechanical property degradation and the degree to which the different environmental factors play a role in it is not well understood. This paper describes the results of an experiment flown on the Materials International Space Station Experiment (MISSE) 5 to determine the change in tensile strength and % elongation of some typical polymer films exposed in a nadir facing environment on the International Space Station and where possible compare to similar ram and wake facing experiments flown on MISSE 1 to get a better indication of the role the different environments play in mechanical property change.

Removing the Rose Colored Glasses: Exploring Modern Security Environment’s Effect on the Army Assignment Policy for Women

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-06-12

OF MILITARY ART AND SCIENCE General Studies by KAREN J. DILL, MAJ, USA M.A.E.D., University of Phoenix , Hampton, Virginia, 2005 B.A...policy areas or gaps that require clarification or revision in light of the 21st century security environment and the changes in Army structure, doctrine...researcher identified policy gaps by determining how verbiage is understood in light of the modern OE and Army organization and tactics changes. The

Life-table studies revealed significant effects of deforestation on the development and survivorship of Anopheles minimus larvae.

PubMed

Wang, Xiaoming; Zhou, Guofa; Zhong, Daibin; Wang, Xiaoling; Wang, Ying; Yang, Zhaoqing; Cui, Liwang; Yan, Guiyun

2016-06-06

Many developing countries are experiencing rapid ecological changes such as deforestation and shifting agricultural practices. These environmental changes may have an important consequence on malaria due to their impact on vector survival and reproduction. Despite intensive deforestation and malaria transmission in the China-Myanmar border area, the impact of deforestation on malaria vectors in the border area is unknown. We conducted life table studies on Anopheles minimus larvae to determine the pupation rate and development time in microcosms under deforested, banana plantation, and forested environments. The pupation rate of An. minimus was 3.8 % in the forested environment. It was significantly increased to 12.5 % in banana plantations and to 52.5 % in the deforested area. Deforestation reduced larval-to-pupal development time by 1.9-3.3 days. Food supplementation to aquatic habitats in forested environments and banana plantations significantly increased larval survival rate to a similar level as in the deforested environment. Deforestation enhanced the survival and development of An. minimus larvae, a major malaria vector in the China-Myanmar border area. Experimental determination of the life table parameters on mosquito larvae under a variety of environmental conditions is valuable to model malaria transmission dynamics and impact by climate and environmental changes.

Construction and Application of Enhanced Remote Sensing Ecological Index

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, X.; Liu, C.; Fu, Q.; Yin, B.

2018-04-01

In order to monitor the change of regional ecological environment quality, this paper use MODIS and DMSP / OLS remote sensing data, from the production capacity, external disturbance changes and human socio-economic development of the three main factors affecting the quality of ecosystems, select the net primary productivity, vegetation index and light index, using the principal component analysis method to automatically determine the weight coefficient, construction of the formation of enhanced remote sensing ecological index, and the ecological environment quality of Hainan Island from 2001 to 2013 was monitored and analyzed. The enhanced remote sensing ecological index combines the effects of the natural environment and human activities on ecosystems, and according to the contribution of each principal component automatically determine the weight coefficient, avoid the design of the weight of the parameters caused by the calculation of the human error, which provides a new method for the operational operation of regional macro ecological environment quality monitoring. During the period from 2001 to 2013, the ecological environment quality of Hainan Island showed the characteristics of decend first and then rise, the ecological environment in 2005 was affected by severe natural disasters, and the quality of ecological environment dropped sharply. Compared with 2001, in 2013 about 20000 square kilometers regional ecological environmental quality has improved, about 8760 square kilometers regional ecological environment quality is relatively stable, about 5272 square kilometers regional ecological environment quality has decreased. On the whole, the quality of ecological environment in the study area is good, the frequent occurrence of natural disasters, on the quality of the ecological environment to a certain extent.

Geomorphology and depositional sub-environments of Assateague Island MD/VA

USGS Publications Warehouse

Morton, Robert A.; Bracone, Jeremy E.; Cooke, Brian

2007-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey is studying coastal hazards and coastal change to improve our understanding of coastal ecosystems and to develop better capabilities of predicting future coastal change. One approach to understanding the dynamics of coastal systems is to monitor changes in barrier-island sub-environments through time. This involves examining morphological and topographic change at time scales ranging from millennia to years and space scales ranging from tens of kilometers to meters. Of particular interest are the processes that produce those changes and determining whether or not those processes are likely to persist into the future. In these analyses of hazards and change, both natural and anthropogenic influences are considered. Quantifying past magnitudes and rates of coastal change and knowing the principal factors that govern those changes are critical to predicting what changes are likely to occur under different scenarios, such as short-term impacts of extreme storms or long-term impacts of sea-level rise. Assateague Island MD/VA was selected for detailed mapping of barrier island morphology and topography because the island offers a diversity of depositional sub-environments that are representative of other barrier islands along the middle Atlantic coast. The geomorphology and sub-environment map emphasizes the origins of the surficial features and it also serves as a basis for documenting which sub-environments are relatively stable, such as the barrier island core, and those that are highly dynamic, such as the beach and active overwash zones.

Trajectories of martian habitability.

PubMed

Cockell, Charles S

2014-02-01

Beginning from two plausible starting points-an uninhabited or inhabited Mars-this paper discusses the possible trajectories of martian habitability over time. On an uninhabited Mars, the trajectories follow paths determined by the abundance of uninhabitable environments and uninhabited habitats. On an inhabited Mars, the addition of a third environment type, inhabited habitats, results in other trajectories, including ones where the planet remains inhabited today or others where planetary-scale life extinction occurs. By identifying different trajectories of habitability, corresponding hypotheses can be described that allow for the various trajectories to be disentangled and ultimately a determination of which trajectory Mars has taken and the changing relative abundance of its constituent environments.

Approaches to Changing the Physical Attributes of the Adult Learning Environment: A Preliminary Investigation.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fulton, Rodney D.

A study surveyed 139 individuals to determine if differences in the way they approached the physical attributes of various learning environments could be attributed to either gender or age. Participants were Montana State University graduate students in education; adult basic education students in Bozeman, Montana; adult basic education faculty…

Increasing Principal Preparation Candidates' Awareness of Biases in Educational Environments

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jones, Karen D.; Ringler, Marjorie C.

2017-01-01

The purpose of the study was to determine whether the study of diversity topics embedded in a Principal Preparation Program (PPP) internship changed candidates' self-awareness of their biases in educational environments and the biases they observed in their school community. In this study PPP candidates' perceptions of their biases and those of…

Impact of Virtual Work Environment on Traditional Team Domains.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Geroy, Gary D.; Olson, Joel; Hartman, Jackie

2002-01-01

Examines a virtual work team to determine the domains of the team and the effect the virtual work environment had on the domains. Discusses results of a literature review and a phenomenological heuristic case study, including the effects of post-modern philosophy and postindustrial society on changes in the marketplace. (Contains 79 references.)…

Retooling for the future.

PubMed

Andrews, D

1999-04-01

Several trends will accelerate changes in the industry initiated by Medicare's change in payment methodology, including explosive growth fueled by changing demographics, patient preferences, and technological advances; altered customer buying incentives created by managed care organization-provider partnerships; and accelerated consolidation. Home care agencies should "take inventory" of current practices and systems to determine capability gaps for competing in the new environment.

The Family Environment as a Determinant of Religious and Spiritual Change in Students and Their Parents Following a Post High School Year of Study in Israel

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Goldstein, Natan

2013-01-01

The purpose of this study was to determine some of the causes of the religious and spiritual changes that Orthodox Jewish youth seem to be experiencing as a result of their post high school year of study in Israel. Specific family factors that might influence the future religious and spiritual choices these students make were analyzed. In…

Pedology: changes in the science, changes in the profession

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The anthropocene can be characterized in part as a period of rising public awareness of the anthropogenic effects on the environment, exponential increases in knowledge and information, and an expanding role of policy makers in determining research agendas. These factors have had profound impacts on...

Asymmetric competition impacts evolutionary rescue in a changing environment.

PubMed

Van Den Elzen, Courtney L; Kleynhans, Elizabeth J; Otto, Sarah P

2017-06-28

Interspecific competition can strongly influence the evolutionary response of a species to a changing environment, impacting the chance that the species survives or goes extinct. Previous work has shown that when two species compete for a temporally shifting resource distribution, the species lagging behind the resource peak is the first to go extinct due to competitive exclusion. However, this work assumed symmetrically distributed resources and competition. Asymmetries can generate differences between species in population sizes, genetic variation and trait means. We show that asymmetric resource availability or competition can facilitate coexistence and even occasionally cause the leading species to go extinct first. Surprisingly, we also find cases where traits evolve in the opposite direction to the changing environment because of a 'vacuum of competitive release' created when the lagging species declines in number. Thus, the species exhibiting the slowest rate of trait evolution is not always the most likely to go extinct in a changing environment. Our results demonstrate that the extent to which species appear to be tracking environmental change and the extent to which they are preadapted to that change may not necessarily determine which species will be the winners and which will be the losers in a rapidly changing world. © 2017 The Author(s).

Gas volume contents within a container, smart volume instrument

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Van Buskirk, Paul D. (Inventor); Kelley, Anthony R. (Inventor)

2008-01-01

A method for determining the volume of an incompressible gas in a system including incompressible substances in a zero-gravity environment. The method includes inducing a volumetric displacement within a container and measuring the resulting pressure change. From this data, the liquid level can be determined.

Using Foraminifera Shell Geochemistry to Test Proxies for Paleoclimate Reconstruction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hudson, C. Y.; Herrmann, A. D.

2016-02-01

Previous research conducted on Foraminifera tests determined that the elemental concentrations of the shell reflect pH and salinity of the environment these organisms lived in. Changes in concentrations of Boron and Uranium were analyzed because they are both pH and salinity indicators. For this project, sand samples were gathered from two different stations along Terrebonne Bay in the Gulf of Mexico. Each station had a different depth and salinity. Alabaminella sp. were then separated from the sand sample. Foraminifera were analyzed using an LA-ICP-MS to determine if there were geochemical differences in the shells from different stations. If differences were determined to exist, then it would be possible to use these differences to reconstruct changes in past coastal environments. Because the depth and salinity at each Terrebonne station was different, it was expected that the geochemisty of the shells would also be different. It has been concluded that the Foraminifera shells from each station show no significant variation in their Boron and Uranium concentrations. Therefore, paleoclimate pH and salinity cannot be accurately reconstructed using these Foraminifera collected from Terrebonne Bay. The similarity of the geochemistries is likely due to the short distance between stations, allowing the Foraminifera to easily move from one location to another. Further tests can evaluate whether Foraminifera collected from stations farther apart do show the expected geochemical changes that result from different environments.

GLOBEC: Global Ocean Ecosystems Dynamics: A component of the US Global Change Research Program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1991-01-01

GLOBEC (GLOBal ocean ECosystems dynamics) is a research initiative proposed by the oceanographic and fisheries communities to address the question of how changes in global environment are expected to affect the abundance and production of animals in the sea. The approach to this problem is to develop a fundamental understanding of the mechanisms that determine both the abundance of key marine animal populations and their variances in space and time. The assumption is that the physical environment is a major contributor to patterns of abundance and production of marine animals, in large part because the planktonic life stages typical of most marine animals are intrinsically at the mercy of the fluid motions of the medium in which they live. Consequently, the authors reason that a logical approach to predicting the potential impact of a globally changing environment is to understand how the physical environment, both directly and indirectly, contributes to animal abundance and its variability in marine ecosystems. The plans for this coordinated study of of the potential impact of global change on ocean ecosystems dynamics are discussed.

Advancing Transdisciplinary and Translational Research Practice: Issues and Models of Doctoral Education in Public Health

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Neuhauser, Linda; Richardson, Dawn; Mackenzie, Sonja; Minkler, Meredith

2007-01-01

Finding solutions to complex health problems, such as obesity, violence, and climate change, will require radical changes in cross-disciplinary education, research, and practice. The fundamental determinants of health include many interrelated factors such as poverty, culture, education, environment, and government policies. However, traditional…

Evolution and behavioural responses to human-induced rapid environmental change

PubMed Central

Sih, Andrew; Ferrari, Maud C O; Harris, David J

2011-01-01

Almost all organisms live in environments that have been altered, to some degree, by human activities. Because behaviour mediates interactions between an individual and its environment, the ability of organisms to behave appropriately under these new conditions is crucial for determining their immediate success or failure in these modified environments. While hundreds of species are suffering dramatically from these environmental changes, others, such as urbanized and pest species, are doing better than ever. Our goal is to provide insights into explaining such variation. We first summarize the responses of some species to novel situations, including novel risks and resources, habitat loss/fragmentation, pollutants and climate change. Using a sensory ecology approach, we present a mechanistic framework for predicting variation in behavioural responses to environmental change, drawing from models of decision-making processes and an understanding of the selective background against which they evolved. Where immediate behavioural responses are inadequate, learning or evolutionary adaptation may prove useful, although these mechanisms are also constrained by evolutionary history. Although predicting the responses of species to environmental change is difficult, we highlight the need for a better understanding of the role of evolutionary history in shaping individuals’ responses to their environment and provide suggestion for future work. PMID:25567979

Evolution and behavioural responses to human-induced rapid environmental change.

PubMed

Sih, Andrew; Ferrari, Maud C O; Harris, David J

2011-03-01

Almost all organisms live in environments that have been altered, to some degree, by human activities. Because behaviour mediates interactions between an individual and its environment, the ability of organisms to behave appropriately under these new conditions is crucial for determining their immediate success or failure in these modified environments. While hundreds of species are suffering dramatically from these environmental changes, others, such as urbanized and pest species, are doing better than ever. Our goal is to provide insights into explaining such variation. We first summarize the responses of some species to novel situations, including novel risks and resources, habitat loss/fragmentation, pollutants and climate change. Using a sensory ecology approach, we present a mechanistic framework for predicting variation in behavioural responses to environmental change, drawing from models of decision-making processes and an understanding of the selective background against which they evolved. Where immediate behavioural responses are inadequate, learning or evolutionary adaptation may prove useful, although these mechanisms are also constrained by evolutionary history. Although predicting the responses of species to environmental change is difficult, we highlight the need for a better understanding of the role of evolutionary history in shaping individuals' responses to their environment and provide suggestion for future work.

[Inconsistencies between building regulations in force in Italy for indoor environment and wellness factors].

PubMed

Faggioli, A; Capasso, L

2015-01-01

Indoor environment is one of major health determinants, and the regulations that set the sanitary requirements are of primary importance for the protection of public health. The authors analyse the critical aspects of the complex Italian regulatory system, starting from the EU regulations, through national and regional laws, and finally the municipal regulations. They underline the need for more uniformity and clarity in the determination of health standards, as well as for a simplification of the existing legislation. Moreover, they highlight the importance of controlling and monitoring indoor environment, currently almost completely absent in Italy due to the effects of the regulatory changes of the latest years.

THE EXPERIMENTAL DEALER TRAINING PROGRAM, CHANGES IN KNOWLEDGE, ATTITUDES AND PERFORMANCE OF FARM SUPPLY DEALERS, CHANGES IN BUSINESS FIRMS. RURAL SOCIOLOGY REPORT NUMBER 55.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

WARREN, RICHARD D.; AND OTHERS

A RESEARCH PROJECT WAS CONDUCTED BY THE IOWA AGRICULTURAL AND HOME ECONOMICS EXPERIMENT STATION TO DETERMINE THE INFLUENCE OF AN INTENSIVE TRAINING PROGRAM FOR GENERAL MANAGERS OF LOCAL RETAIL FARM SUPPLY BUSINESSES DEALING IN FERTILIZER AND AGRICULTURAL CEHMICALS. CHANGES IN KNOWLEDGE, ATTITUDES AND PERFORMANCE, INTERNAL ENVIRONMENT AND…

Wide Bandgap Semiconductor Detector Optimization for Flash X-Ray Measurements

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

Roecker, Caleb Daniel; Schirato, Richard C.

2017-11-17

Charge trapping, resulting in a decreased and spatially dependent electric field, has long been a concern for wide bandgap semiconductor detectors. While significant work has been performed to characterize this degradation at varying temperatures and radiation environments, this work concentrates upon examining the event-to-event response in a flash X-ray environment. The following work investigates if charge trapping is a problem for CZT detectors, with particular emphasis on flash X-ray radiation fields at cold temperatures. Results are compared to a non-flash radiation field, using an Am-241 alpha source and similar temperature transitions. Our ability to determine if a response change occurredmore » was hampered by the repeatability of our flash X-ray systems; a small response change was observed with the Am-241 source. Due to contrast of these results, we are in the process of revisiting the Am-241 measurements in the presence of a high radiation environment. If the response change is more pronounced in the high radiation environment, a similar test will be performed in the flash X-ray environment.« less

Pronounced within-individual plasticity in sperm morphometry across social environments.

PubMed

Immler, Simone; Pryke, Sarah R; Birkhead, Tim R; Griffith, Simon C

2010-06-01

Sperm morphometry (i.e., size and shape) and function are important determinants of male reproductive success and are thought to be under stabilizing selection. However, recent studies suggest that sperm morphometry can be a phenotypically plastic trait, which can be adjusted to varying conditions. We tested whether different behavioral strategies in aggression between aggressive red and nonaggressive black males of the color polymorphic Gouldian finch (Erythrura gouldiae) can influence sperm morphometry. We show pronounced within-individual phenotypic plasticity in sperm morphometry of male Gouldian finches in three different social environments. Both red and black males placed in intermediate to high competitive environments (high frequency of red males) increased the relative length of their sperm midpiece. By contrast, red males placed in low to intermediate competitive environments (higher frequency of black males) increased the length of the sperm flagellum. Significant changes in stress and sex steroid hormone levels (in response to the competitive environment) appear to influence sperm traits in red but not in black males, suggesting that changes in hormonal levels are not solely responsible for the observed changes in sperm morphometry. These findings imply that males can adjust sperm morphometry across social environments.

Fifteen years of change in the food environment in a rural Mexican community: the Maycoba project.

PubMed

Chaudhari, Lisa S; Begay, R C; Schulz, Leslie O

2013-01-01

Indigenous populations worldwide who are shifting to a westernized lifestyle experience high rates of type 2 diabetes and obesity. These conditions are commonly the result of genetic predisposition and environmental factors that promote excess energy intake and decreased energy expenditure. The purpose of this study was to examine changes in the food environment, specifically looking at retail and subsistence-food availability, and food-acquisition behaviors in the rural Mexican town of Maycoba and surrounding communities between 1995 and 2010. The population in this area includes indigenous Pima, genetically-related to the Pima Indians in Arizona who have the highest documented rates of diabetes, and non-Pima Mexican (ie non indigenous and other indigenous). An initial study in 1995 compared the prevalence of diabetes and obesity in the Maycoba population with that of Pima Indians of Arizona and found a dramatically lower type 2 diabetes prevalence in the Maycoba region due to the protective effect of a traditional lifestyle despite a genetic predisposition to diabetes. The 2010 follow-up study was undertaken to determine the prevalence of obesity and type 2 diabetes as well as to examine lifestyle changes over the 15 year time span, following changes to housing and the local environment. This study focused on the food environment, examining changes in food acquisition behaviors in the retail and subsistence aspects. The study included a household survey (n=71), two focus group discussions, and participant-observation. To determine changes in retail food availability, seven stores throughout the study region were audited. The main findings were an increasing presence and use of retail stores for food: an expansion in the selection of processed foods, their prominent placement, and refrigeration allowing more perishable foods to be available to the local population. Subsistence activities remained significant, although some aspects of specific subsistence activities are in decline, such as the area allocated to home gardens and a reduction in the variety of crops cultivated in them. Although there have been a number of changes in the food environment during the 15 year period, a traditional subsistence-based lifestyle prevails.

Associations between neighborhood socioeconomic environment and physical activity in Cuban immigrants.

PubMed

Affuso, Olivia; Singleton, Chelsea R; Brown, Scott C; Perrino, Tatiana; Huang, Shi; Szapocznik, José

2016-12-01

Physical inactivity is a major public health concern because it is a determinant of obesity and obesity-related chronic diseases. Few longitudinal studies have examined the association between neighborhood socioeconomic (SES) environment and change in physical activity behaviors. Additionally, few studies have examined this association in immigrant groups or Hispanic subgroups such as Cubans. This research aimed to determine if neighborhood SES is associated with longitudinal change in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) among Cuban immigrants who participate in the Cuban Health Study in Miami, Florida. Data on 280 participants [mean age: 37.4 (± 4.6), 48.9% women, mean body mass index: 25.0 (± 2.5)] collected at baseline, 12 months and 24 months were analyzed. Minutes of MVPA were objectively measured during each data collection period using accelerometers. A neighborhood SES score was calculated for each participant's residential census tract from American Community Survey data on median household income, median housing value, educational attainment and occupation. The neighborhood SES score was grouped into tertiles, reflecting low, moderate and high neighborhood SES environment. Multilevel linear models were used to examine the relationship between neighborhood SES and change in MVPA over 24 months. At baseline, 94 (33.6%), 108 (38.6%) and 78 (27.9%) participants resided in low, moderate, and high SES neighborhoods, respectively. After adjusting for age, sex, and body mass index, no difference in average change in MVPA over time was observed between participants residing in low and moderate SES neighborhoods ( p =0.48) or low and high SES neighborhoods ( p =0.62). In Cuban immigrants, longitudinal change in MVPA may not vary by neighborhood socioeconomic environment.

Nutrition and physical activity in child care centers: the impact of a wellness policy initiative on environment and policy assessment and observation outcomes, 2011.

PubMed

Lyn, Rodney; Maalouf, Joyce; Evers, Sarah; Davis, Justin; Griffin, Monica

2013-05-23

The child care environment has emerged as an ideal setting in which to implement policies that promote healthy body weight of children. The purpose of this study was to assess the effect of a wellness policy and training program on the physical activity and nutrition environment in 24 child care centers in Georgia. We used the Environment and Policy Assessment and Observation instrument to identify changes to foods served, staff behaviors, and physical activity opportunities. Observations were performed over 1 day, beginning with breakfast and concluding when the program ended for the day. Observations were conducted from February 2010 through April 2011 for a total of 2 observations in each center. Changes to nutrition and physical activity in centers were assessed on the basis of changes in scores related to the physical activity and nutrition environment documented in the observations. Paired t test analyses were performed to determine significance of changes. Significant improvements to total nutrition (P < .001) and physical activity scores (P < .001) were observed. Results indicate that centers significantly improved the physical activity environments of centers by enhancing active play (P = .02), the sedentary environment (P = .005), the portable environment (P = .002), staff behavior (P = .004), and physical activity training and education (P < .001). Significant improvements were found for the nutrition environment (P < .001), and nutrition training and education (P < .001). Findings from this study suggest that implementing wellness policies and training caregivers in best practices for physical activity and nutrition can promote healthy weight for young children in child care settings.

Humanity and Environment Co-influence in the Shadow of Technological Convergence

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ezdina, Natalya

2017-11-01

Today one of the most important issues is the search for controlled ways of sustainable development of civilization, society, and a human. Previously, the development of society was determined by natural and evolutionary factors based on the principle of natural selection of living organisms and populations. However, as social institutions are developing, the technological factors of development, determined by the ideas about this phenomenon - the special arrangement of productive forces and the need to protect or change the environment, began to appear. The end of the 20th century was marked by the realization of a new, universal form of economic and technological synthesis - convergence, which, in the process of developing science and improving technology, became so comprehensive and widespread that today it can be called the force that transforms the environment. In this regard, it is convergent technologies that become the focus and the basis for research of the processes uniting the main spheres of human activity - science, society and technology, which will lead to a new form of interaction with the environment, conditioned not only by scientific and technological changes and social factors, but also new organizational forms of their interaction.

Deconstructing Technological Literacy: Opening a Window to Problem Solving

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ward, Brandt

2015-01-01

In an environment of rapid and unpredictable change determined and directed by technologies that are constantly changing, the assumption that being technologically literate is the key to being a sustained, contributing life-long learner is well founded. However, technological literacy is seldom referred to or considered in academic arguments as a…

Community identities as visions for landscape change

Treesearch

William P. Stewart; Derek Liebert; Kevin W. Larkin

2004-01-01

Residents' felt senses of their community can play substantial roles in determining visions for landscape change. Community identities are often anchored in tangible environments and events of a community, and have the potential to serve as visions for landscape planning processes. Photo-elicitation is applied in this study to connect community-based meanings to...

Microbial diversity of an oil-water processing site and its associated oil field: the possible role of microorganisms as information carriers from oil-associated environments.

PubMed

van der Kraan, Geert M; Bruining, Johannes; Lomans, Bart P; van Loosdrecht, Mark C M; Muyzer, Gerard

2010-03-01

The phylogenetic diversity of Bacteria and Archaea in water retrieved from a Dutch oil field and units of the associated oil-water separation site were determined using two culture-independent methods. Denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis of PCR-amplified 16S rRNA gene fragments was used to scan the microbial diversity in (1) the oil-water emulsion produced, (2) two different oil-water separator tanks, (3) a wash tank and (4) a water injector. Longer 16S rRNA gene fragments were amplified, cloned and sequenced to determine the diversity in more detail. One of the questions addressed was whether the detected microorganisms could serve as indicators for the environments from which they were retrieved. It was observed that the community found in the production water resembled those reported previously in oil reservoirs, indicating that these ecosystems harbor specific microbial communities. It was shown that changes, like a decrease in temperature, cause a distinctive shift in these communities. The addition of SO(3)(2-) to the wash tank as ammonium bisulphite, used in the oil industry to scavenge oxygen, resulted in a complete community change, giving rise to an unwanted sulphate-reducing community. The fact that these changes in the community can be linked to changes in their environment might indicate that these tools can be used for the monitoring of changing conditions in oil reservoirs upon, for example, water flooding.

a Voxel-Based Metadata Structure for Change Detection in Point Clouds of Large-Scale Urban Areas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gehrung, J.; Hebel, M.; Arens, M.; Stilla, U.

2018-05-01

Mobile laser scanning has not only the potential to create detailed representations of urban environments, but also to determine changes up to a very detailed level. An environment representation for change detection in large scale urban environments based on point clouds has drawbacks in terms of memory scalability. Volumes, however, are a promising building block for memory efficient change detection methods. The challenge of working with 3D occupancy grids is that the usual raycasting-based methods applied for their generation lead to artifacts caused by the traversal of unfavorable discretized space. These artifacts have the potential to distort the state of voxels in close proximity to planar structures. In this work we propose a raycasting approach that utilizes knowledge about planar surfaces to completely prevent this kind of artifacts. To demonstrate the capabilities of our approach, a method for the iterative volumetric approximation of point clouds that allows to speed up the raycasting by 36 percent is proposed.

Determination of the Innovative Capacity of Ecuadorian Universities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Loaiza-Aguirre, María I.; Andrade-Abarca, Paola S.; Salazar-Romero, Ángela del Cisne

2017-01-01

Today the Higher Education Institutions are immersed in a world of constant change, and it is necessary to adapt to this environment with skill and speed. This has forced universities to adopt practices that create or strengthen their capacity to innovate, based on the determination of factors that influence it positively. This study is centered…

The Determinants of Training in SMEs in Northern Ireland

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Reid, Renee S.; Harris, Richard I. D.

2002-01-01

This study looks at SME spending on training in Northern Ireland. We include a range of human resource management functions, as well as workforce characteristics, the external environment, size, and the impact of changes in ownership status as important determinants of training expenditure in SMEs. Particular attention is also paid to the…

Neo-Archaean Palaeo-Environmental Changes Determined by Microbial Activities Using Stable Isotopic Compositions.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grassineau, N.; Yang, J.; Zerkle, A.; Nisbet, E. G.

2017-12-01

Reconstitution of Archaean environments can be challenging due to the lack of complete rock records and thermal overprinting, and information is then lost. Many past studies have been based on scattered results because of limited material available. They relate to very specific time "capsules" and it is not always appropriate to generalize the findings at a global scale. As now in the Phanerozoic, environmental variations existed in the Archaean and one model-fits-all can be misleading. Recent studies have uncovered how remarkably similar some of the conditions in the Archaean are to more recent periods. Each new Archaean locality adds to the general database to help to create a more complete picture, however a continuous record for one locality can bring more information because of its temporal and spatial context. Studying metabolisms of early life in Archaean is a very good approach to determine environmental conditions, and Greenstone Belts are the preferred formations to look for traces of life. Carbon and sulphur isotopes are important tools to study them, as metabolic processes leave isotopic fingerprints, which are often the only remaining evidence of biological activity. Study of carbon- and sulphur-rich cherts and dark shales of 2.7 to 2.65 Ga deposited in a sedimentary basin, from three well-preserved cores and coexisting stromatolites in the Belingwe Greenstone Belt (Zimbabwe), allows reconstitution of contemporary Archaean environments by determining how life responded to changes in its ecosystem. Overall ranges of 39‰ for delta13Cred and 40‰ for delta34S suggest a wide spectrum of bacterial activities. There is evidence of a change from aerobic to more anaerobic activity, most likely due to modification of the environmental conditions. New major and trace element data also confirm changes in the basin deposition with decrease in Al, K, Ba and Rb concentrations towards the upper sediments. These parameters indicate a deepening of the basin. The reducing environment corresponds to a lower sedimentation rate. Stable isotopic study of microbial activities in 3 cores determines spatial and temporal variation within the basin at different depths. Even in the Neo-Archaean, well established sulphur and carbon biological cycles allowed interactive bacterial communities to adapt to the changing environment.

Autonomous Collision-Free Navigation of Microvehicles in Complex and Dynamically Changing Environments.

PubMed

Li, Tianlong; Chang, Xiaocong; Wu, Zhiguang; Li, Jinxing; Shao, Guangbin; Deng, Xinghong; Qiu, Jianbin; Guo, Bin; Zhang, Guangyu; He, Qiang; Li, Longqiu; Wang, Joseph

2017-09-26

Self-propelled micro- and nanoscale robots represent a rapidly emerging and fascinating robotics research area. However, designing autonomous and adaptive control systems for operating micro/nanorobotics in complex and dynamically changing environments, which is a highly demanding feature, is still an unmet challenge. Here we describe a smart microvehicle for precise autonomous navigation in complicated environments and traffic scenarios. The fully autonomous navigation system of the smart microvehicle is composed of a microscope-coupled CCD camera, an artificial intelligence planner, and a magnetic field generator. The microscope-coupled CCD camera provides real-time localization of the chemically powered Janus microsphere vehicle and environmental detection for path planning to generate optimal collision-free routes, while the moving direction of the microrobot toward a reference position is determined by the external electromagnetic torque. Real-time object detection offers adaptive path planning in response to dynamically changing environments. We demonstrate that the autonomous navigation system can guide the vehicle movement in complex patterns, in the presence of dynamically changing obstacles, and in complex biological environments. Such a navigation system for micro/nanoscale vehicles, relying on vision-based close-loop control and path planning, is highly promising for their autonomous operation in complex dynamic settings and unpredictable scenarios expected in a variety of realistic nanoscale scenarios.

Migration, Acculturation and Environment: Determinants of Obesity among Iranian Migrants in Australia

PubMed Central

Delavari, Maryam; Sønderlund, Anders Larrabee; Mellor, David; Mohebbi, Mohammadreza; Swinburn, Boyd

2015-01-01

While migration from low- to high-income countries is typically associated with weight gain, the obesity risks of migration from middle-income countries are less certain. In addition to changes in behaviours and cultural orientation upon migration, analyses of changes in environments are needed to explain post-migration risks for obesity. The present study examines the interaction between obesity-related environmental factors and the pattern of migrant acculturation in a sample of 152 Iranian immigrants in Victoria, Australia. Weight measurements, demographics, physical activity levels and diet habits were also surveyed. The pattern of acculturation (relative integration, assimilation, separation or marginalization) was not related to body mass index, diet, or physical activity behaviours. Three relevant aspects of participants’ perception of the Australian environment (physically active environments, social pressure to be fit, unhealthy food environments) varied considerably by demographic characteristics, but only one (physically active environments) was related to a pattern of acculturation (assimilation). Overall, this research highlighted a number of key relationships between acculturation and obesity-related environments and behaviours for our study sample. Theoretical models on migration, culture and obesity need to include environmental factors. PMID:25648171

Program documentation for the space environment test division post-test data reduction program (GNFLEX)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jones, L. D.

1979-01-01

The Space Environment Test Division Post-Test Data Reduction Program processes data from test history tapes generated on the Flexible Data System in the Space Environment Simulation Laboratory at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration/Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center. The program reads the tape's data base records to retrieve the item directory conversion file, the item capture file and the process link file to determine the active parameters. The desired parameter names are read in by lead cards after which the periodic data records are read to determine parameter data level changes. The data is considered to be compressed rather than full sample rate. Tabulations and/or a tape for generating plots may be output.

Trajectories of Martian Habitability

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Abstract Beginning from two plausible starting points—an uninhabited or inhabited Mars—this paper discusses the possible trajectories of martian habitability over time. On an uninhabited Mars, the trajectories follow paths determined by the abundance of uninhabitable environments and uninhabited habitats. On an inhabited Mars, the addition of a third environment type, inhabited habitats, results in other trajectories, including ones where the planet remains inhabited today or others where planetary-scale life extinction occurs. By identifying different trajectories of habitability, corresponding hypotheses can be described that allow for the various trajectories to be disentangled and ultimately a determination of which trajectory Mars has taken and the changing relative abundance of its constituent environments. Key Words: Mars—Habitability—Liquid water—Planetary science. Astrobiology 14, 182–203. PMID:24506485

Simple dynamic electromagnetic radiation detector

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Been, J. F.

1972-01-01

Detector monitors gamma dose rate at particular position in a radiation facility where a mixed neutron-gamma environment exists, thus determining reactor power level changes. Device also maps gamma intensity profile across a neutron-gamma beam.

Economic Valuation on Change of Tourism Quality in Rawapening, Indonesia: An Application of Random Utility Method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Subanti, S.; Irawan, B. R. M. B.; Sasongko, G.; Hakim, A. R.

2017-04-01

This study aims to determine the profit (loss) earned economic actors tourism activities if the condition or quality of tourism in Rawapening be improved (deteriorated). Change condition or quality can be seen by traveling expenses, natural environment, Japanese cultural performances, and traditional markets. The method used to measure changes in the economic benefits or economic loss with a random utility approach. The study was found that travel cost, natural environment, Japanese cultural performances, and traditional markets have significant factors about respondent preferences to choose the change of tourism condition. The value of compensation received by visitors as a result of changes in conditions improved by 2,932 billion, while the change in the condition worsens by 2,628 billion. Recommendation of this study is the local government should consider environmental factors in the formulation of tourism development in Rawapening.

Conflict over condition-dependent sex allocation can lead to mixed sex-determination systems

PubMed Central

Kuijper, Bram; Pen, Ido

2014-01-01

Theory suggests that genetic conflicts drive turnovers between sex-determining mechanisms, yet these studies only apply to cases where sex allocation is independent of environment or condition. Here, we model parent–offspring conflict in the presence of condition-dependent sex allocation, where the environment has sex-specific fitness consequences. Additionally, one sex is assumed to be more costly to produce than the other, which leads offspring to favor a sex ratio less biased toward the cheaper sex in comparison to the sex ratio favored by mothers. The scope for parent–offspring conflict depends on the relative frequency of both environments: when one environment is less common than the other, parent–offspring conflict can be reduced or even entirely absent, despite a biased population sex ratio. The model shows that conflict-driven invasions of condition-independent sex factors (e.g., sex chromosomes) result either in the loss of condition-dependent sex allocation, or, interestingly, lead to stable mixtures of condition-dependent and condition-independent sex factors. The latter outcome corresponds to empirical observations in which sex chromosomes are present in organisms with environment-dependent sex determination. Finally, conflict can also favor errors in environmental perception, potentially resulting in the loss of condition-dependent sex allocation without genetic changes to sex-determining loci. PMID:25180669

USGS global change research

USGS Publications Warehouse

,

1995-01-01

The Earth's global environment--its interrelated climate, land, oceans, fresh water, atmospheric and ecological systems-has changed continually throughout Earth history. Human activities are having ever-increasing effects on these systems. Sustaining our environment as population and demands for resources increase requires a sound understanding of the causes and cycles of natural change and the effects of human activities on the Earth's environmental systems. The U.S. Global Change Research Program was authorized by Congress in 1989 to provide the scientific understanding necessary to develop national and international policies concerning global environmental issues, particularly global climate change. The program addresses questions such as: what factors determine global climate; have humans already begun to change the global climate; will the climate of the future be very different; what will be the effects of climate change; and how much confidence do we have in our predictions? Through understanding, we can improve our capability to predict change, reduce the adverse effects of human activities, and plan strategies for adapting to natural and human-induced environmental change.

Environmental influences on small eating behavior change to promote weight loss among Black and Hispanic populations.

PubMed

Eldridge, Johanna D; Devine, Carol M; Wethington, Elaine; Aceves, Luz; Phillips-Caesar, Erica; Wansink, Brian; Charlson, Mary E

2016-01-01

Small eating behavior changes are proposed as more feasible to achieve and maintain than larger changes used in traditional behavioral weight loss studies. However, it is unclear whether overweight Black and Hispanic adults in a low-income urban setting experience small changes as feasible and what might influence feasibility. Participants' experiences in a 12-week pilot weight loss intervention were explored qualitatively to determine the feasibility of making small eating behavior changes in this population. After the intervention (69% retention), semi-structured interviews with 46 men and women (mean age 51, 50% Non-Hispanic Black, 43% Hispanic) revealed that making small eating changes was a process shaped by participants' intrapersonal and interpersonal eating environments. Participants responded to intrapersonal and interpersonal eating environmental challenges by adapting small change strategies, navigating eating environments, and negotiating household eating practices. Findings highlight how even small eating behavior changes called for adaptation, navigation, and negotiation of complex eating environments in daily life. These findings were used to improve the trial that followed and underline the importance of feasibility studies to inform community trials. Findings also add to understanding of contextual challenges and the skills needed to implement small changes in a low income, ethnic minority population. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Environmental influences on small eating behavior change to promote weight loss among Black and Hispanic populations

PubMed Central

Eldridge, Johanna D.; Devine, Carol M.; Wethington, Elaine; Aceves, Luz; Phillips-Caesar, Erica; Wansink, Brian; Charlson, Mary E.

2015-01-01

Small eating behavior changes are proposed as more feasible to achieve and maintain than larger changes used in traditional behavioral weight loss studies. However, it is unclear whether overweight Black and Hispanic adults in a low-income urban setting experience small changes as feasible and what might influence feasibility. Participants' experiences in a 12-week pilot weight loss intervention were explored qualitatively to determine the feasibility of making small eating behavior changes in this population. After the intervention (69% retention), semi-structured interviews with 46 men and women (mean age 51, 50% Non-Hispanic Black, 43% Hispanic) revealed that making small eating changes was a process shaped by participants' intrapersonal and interpersonal eating environments. Participants responded to intrapersonal and interpersonal eating environmental challenges by adapting small change strategies, navigating eating environments, and negotiating household eating practices. Findings highlight how even small eating behavior changes called for adaptation, navigation, and negotiation of complex eating environments in daily life. These findings were used to improve the trial that followed and underline the importance of feasibility studies to inform community trials. Findings also add to understanding of contextual challenges and the skills needed to implement small changes in a low income, ethnic minority population. PMID:26368577

Determining environmental causes of biological effects: the need for a mechanistic physiological dimension in conservation biology.

PubMed

Seebacher, Frank; Franklin, Craig E

2012-06-19

The emerging field of Conservation Physiology links environmental change and ecological success by the application of physiological theory, approaches and tools to elucidate and address conservation problems. Human activity has changed the natural environment to a point where the viability of many ecosystems is now under threat. There are already many descriptions of how changes in biological patterns are correlated with environmental changes. The next important step is to determine the causative relationship between environmental variability and biological systems. Physiology provides the mechanistic link between environmental change and ecological patterns. Physiological research, therefore, should be integrated into conservation to predict the biological consequences of human activity, and to identify those species or populations that are most vulnerable.

XAS Studies of Arsenic in the Environment

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

Charnock, J. M.; School of Earth, Atmospheric and Environmental Sciences, University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester, M13 9PL; Polya, D. A.

2007-02-02

Arsenic is present in low concentrations in much of the Earth's crust and changes in its speciation are vital to understanding its transport and toxicity in the environment. We have used X-ray absorption spectroscopy to investigate the coordination sites of arsenic in a wide variety of samples, including soil and earthworm tissues from arsenic-contaminated land, and human hair and nail samples from people exposed to arsenic in Cambodia. Our results confirm the effectiveness of using X-ray absorption near edge structure (XANES) and X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) spectroscopy to determine speciation changes in environmental samples.

Assessing Quality of Kindergarten Classrooms in Singapore: Psychometric Properties of the Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale-Revised

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bull, Rebecca; Yao, Shih-Ying; Ng, Ee Lynn

2017-01-01

The early childhood sector in Singapore has witnessed vast changes in the past two decades. One of the key policy aims is to improve classroom quality. To ensure a rigorous evaluation of the quality of early childhood environments in Singapore, it is important to determine whether commonly used assessments of quality are valid indicators across…

Educational and home-environment asthma interventions for children in urban, low-income, minority families.

PubMed

Welker, Kristen; Nabors, Laura; Lang, Myia; Bernstein, Jonathan

2018-02-08

This review examined the impact of environmental change and educational interventions targeting young children from minority groups living in urban environments and who were from low-income families. A scoping methodology was used to find research across six databases, including CINAHL, ERIC, PsycINFO, PubMed, MEDLINE, and EMBASE. 299 studies were identified. Duplicates were removed leaving 159 studies. After reviewing for inclusion and exclusion criteria, 23 manuscripts were identified for this study: 11 featured home-environment change interventions and 12 emphasized education of children. Studies were reviewed to determine key interventions and outcomes for children. Both environmental interventions and educational programs had positive outcomes. Interventions did not always impact health outcomes, such as emergency department visits. Results indicated many of the environmental change and education interventions improved asthma management and some symptoms. A multipronged approach may be a good method for targeting both education and change in the home and school environment to promote the well-being of young children in urban areas. New research with careful documentation of information about study participants, dose of intervention (i.e., number and duration of sessions, booster sessions) and specific intervention components also will provide guidance for future research.

Seasonal and multi-year surface displacements measured by DInSAR in a High Arctic permafrost environment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rudy, Ashley C. A.; Lamoureux, Scott F.; Treitz, Paul; Short, Naomi; Brisco, Brian

2018-02-01

Arctic landscapes undergo seasonal and long-term changes as the active layer thaws and freezes, which can result in localized or irregular subsidence leading to the formation of thermokarst terrain. Differential Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (DInSAR) is a technique capable of measuring ground surface displacements resulting from thawing permafrost at centimetre precision and is quickly gaining acceptance as a means of measuring ground displacement in permafrost regions. Using RADARSAT-2 stacked DInSAR data from 2013 and 2015 we determined the magnitude and patterns of land surface change in a continuous permafrost environment. At our study site situated in the Canadian High Arctic, DInSAR seasonal ground displacement patterns were consistent with field observations of permafrost degradation. As expected, many DInSAR values are close to the detection threshold (i.e., 1 cm) and therefore do not indicate significant change; however, DInSAR seasonal ground displacement patterns aligned well with climatological and soil conditions and offer geomorphological insight into subsurface processes in permafrost environments. While our dataset is limited to two years of data representing a three-year time period, the displacements derived from DInSAR provide insight into permafrost change in a High Arctic environment and demonstrate that DInSAR is an applicable tool for understanding environmental change in remote permafrost regions.

Data Versus Information: Which Should We Distribute?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Haskin, Marvin E.; Haskin, Pamela H.; Laffey, Patricia A.; Teplick, J. George; Teplick, Steven K.; Satchell, Thomas; Ehmann, Mark; Auger, Arnold; McGinley, John

1985-09-01

The ultimate purpose of any PACs system is to improve the state of health of individuals and the community. The way one attempts to achieve this goal in our current environment will determine the design and performance specifications of any PACs system. Within the hospital environment, one must determine the functional requirements by understanding that a hospital is intrinsically a place for physicians. It is the referring physician who admits patients, determines their treatment, when the treatment is to be changed, and when the patient is to be discharged. The referring physician is the Chief Executive Officer of patient care. It is a reasonable goal of a diagnostic imaging and PACs systems to furnish timely and accurate information to the Chief Executive Officer of patient care. The role of the referring physician i.e., the C.E.O., is becoming even more critical within the changing economic environment of American medicine. DRG legislation has lead to the greatest change in American medicine since the introduction of Medicare. Previously we have been under a cost reimbursement formula whereby the more one spent the more reimbursement one got. With this cost reimbursement formula, elegant and expensive systems could be justified and actually be profitable. This is now changed. We are now going to be reimbursed by discharge diagnosis at a rate fixed at a national average. The average rate of reimbursement will be that of the 100-bed hospital since this, statistically, is the national average level. In addition, the DRG's impose financial penalties both in cost overruns and in excess length of stay. One of the goals, therefore, of any system would be to help decrease length of patients' stay so that profitability of the hospital can be maintained.

Real options analysis for photovoltaic project under climate uncertainty

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Kyeongseok; Kim, Sejong; Kim, Hyoungkwan

2016-08-01

The decision on photovoltaic project depends on the level of climate environments. Changes in temperature and insolation affect photovoltaic output. It is important for investors to consider future climate conditions for determining investments on photovoltaic projects. We propose a real options-based framework to assess economic feasibility of photovoltaic project under climate change. The framework supports investors to evaluate climate change impact on photovoltaic projects under future climate uncertainty.

Hormonally mediated maternal effects, individual strategy and global change

PubMed Central

Meylan, Sandrine; Miles, Donald B.; Clobert, Jean

2012-01-01

A challenge to ecologists and evolutionary biologists is predicting organismal responses to the anticipated changes to global ecosystems through climate change. Most evidence suggests that short-term global change may involve increasing occurrences of extreme events, therefore the immediate response of individuals will be determined by physiological capacities and life-history adaptations to cope with extreme environmental conditions. Here, we consider the role of hormones and maternal effects in determining the persistence of species in altered environments. Hormones, specifically steroids, are critical for patterning the behaviour and morphology of parents and their offspring. Hence, steroids have a pervasive influence on multiple aspects of the offspring phenotype over its lifespan. Stress hormones, e.g. glucocorticoids, modulate and perturb phenotypes both early in development and later into adulthood. Females exposed to abiotic stressors during reproduction may alter the phenotypes by manipulation of hormones to the embryos. Thus, hormone-mediated maternal effects, which generate phenotypic plasticity, may be one avenue for coping with global change. Variation in exposure to hormones during development influences both the propensity to disperse, which alters metapopulation dynamics, and population dynamics, by affecting either recruitment to the population or subsequent life-history characteristics of the offspring. We suggest that hormones may be an informative index to the potential for populations to adapt to changing environments. PMID:22566673

Nutrition in early life, and risk of cancer and metabolic disease: alternative endings in an epigenetic tale?

PubMed Central

Burdge, Graham C; Lillycrop, Karen A; Jackson, Alan A

2008-01-01

There is substantial evidence which shows that constraints in the early life environment is an important determinant of risk of metabolic and cardiovascular disease. There is emerging evidence that higher birth weight, which reflects a more abundant prenatal environment, is associated with increased risk of cancer, in particular breast cancer and childhood leukaemia. Using specific examples from epidemiology and experimental studies, this review discusses the hypothesis that increased susceptibility to cardiovascular, metabolic disease and cancer have a common origin in developmental changes induced in the developing fetus by aspects of the intra uterine environment including nutrition which involve stable changes to the epigenetic regulation of specific genes. However, the induction of specific disease risk is dependent upon the nature of the environmental challenge and interactions between the susceptibility set by the altered epigenome and the environment throughout the life course. PMID:19079817

A shirt containing multistage phase change material and active cooling components was associated with increased exercise capacity in a hot, humid environment.

PubMed

McFarlin, Brian K; Henning, Andrea L; Venable, Adam S; Williams, Randall R; Best Sampson, Jill N

2016-08-01

Recent advances in clothing design include the incorporation of phase change materials (PCM) and other active cooling components (ACC) to provide better body heat dissipation. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of wearing a shirt containing multistage PCM/ACC on exercise capacity at low (5.0), moderate-high (7.5) and extreme (9.0) levels of the physiological strain index (PSI). Fourteen individuals tested two shirts (control vs. cooling) during 45-min of interval running in a hot, humid (35 ± 1 °C; 55 ± 6% RH) environment. The cooling shirt resulted in an 8% improvement in exercise capacity at a PSI of 7.5 (p < 0.05). The observed increase in exercise capacity would likely translate to a significant improvement in exercise performance. More research is needed to determine a best practice approach for the use of cooling clothing as a counter to exercise-induced heat exposure. Practitioner Summary: In this report, we demonstrate that when forced to exercise in a hot, humid environment, an individual's exercise capacity may increase by as much as 8% when wearing a shirt composed of multistage phase change material and active cooling components.

Laboratory Office Hours as Outreach in the Health Sciences: Better Research Skills for Better Careers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Prusin, Todd

2012-01-01

Medical librarianship is changing in health care environments. Since 1996, by which time the standards that determine how hospitals acquire accreditation changed, many hospitals have been acquiring accreditation without a qualified medical librarian on site. For that reason, it has become even more important that health care professionals,…

Determining suitable locations for seed transfer under climate change: a global quantitative method

Treesearch

Kevin M. Potter; William W. Hargrove

2012-01-01

Changing climate conditions will complicate efforts to match seed sources with the environments to which they are best adapted. Tree species distributions may have to shift to match new environmental conditions, potentially requiring the establishment of some species entirely outside of their current distributions to thrive. Even within the portions of tree species...

Protective factors at school: reciprocal effects among adolescents' perceptions of the school environment, engagement in learning, and hope.

PubMed

Van Ryzin, Mark J

2011-12-01

Although some research suggests that schools can be a source of protective factors for students, the processes by which school environments impact students' behavior, performance and adjustment over time are not clear. Guided by both self-determination theory and hope theory, this article evaluated reciprocal effects among adolescent perceptions of the school environment, engagement in learning, hope, and academic achievement. Using a sample of 423 students (M age 15.72 years; 46.7% female; 77.6% white; 30.9% eligible for FRPL) from five small secondary schools in the upper Midwest, students' perceptions of the school environment were linked to engagement in learning, which, in turn, was linked to change in academic achievement and hope over the span of 1 year. Evidence was found for reciprocal links between earlier levels of engagement and hope and later perceptions of the environment. These results suggest that the school environment represents a potential leverage point for educational reform, and interventions that target students' perceptions of autonomy, teacher/peer support, and goal orientation may be able to promote engagement, hope, and academic achievement. In addition, such changes may create a positive feedback loop in which change in academic performance and adjustment accelerate over time.

Environmental effects on the structure of the G-matrix.

PubMed

Wood, Corlett W; Brodie, Edmund D

2015-11-01

Genetic correlations between traits determine the multivariate response to selection in the short term, and thereby play a causal role in evolutionary change. Although individual studies have documented environmentally induced changes in genetic correlations, the nature and extent of environmental effects on multivariate genetic architecture across species and environments remain largely uncharacterized. We reviewed the literature for estimates of the genetic variance-covariance (G) matrix in multiple environments, and compared differences in G between environments to the divergence in G between conspecific populations (measured in a common garden). We found that the predicted evolutionary trajectory differed as strongly between environments as it did between populations. Between-environment differences in the underlying structure of G (total genetic variance and the relative magnitude and orientation of genetic correlations) were equal to or greater than between-population differences. Neither environmental novelty, nor the difference in mean phenotype predicted these differences in G. Our results suggest that environmental effects on multivariate genetic architecture may be comparable to the divergence that accumulates over dozens or hundreds of generations between populations. We outline avenues of future research to address the limitations of existing data and characterize the extent to which lability in genetic correlations shapes evolution in changing environments. © 2015 The Author(s). Evolution © 2015 The Society for the Study of Evolution.

40 CFR Appendix D to Part 52 - Determination of Sulfur Dioxide Emissions From Stationary Sources by Continuous Monitors

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... Emissions From Stationary Sources by Continuous Monitors D Appendix D to Part 52 Protection of Environment... equipment required for the continuous determination of SO2 gas concentration in a given source effluent. 1... Drift. The change in measurement system output over a stated period of time of normal continuous...

Coaches' interpersonal style, basic psychological needs and the well- and ill-being of young soccer players: a longitudinal analysis.

PubMed

Balaguer, Isabel; González, Lorena; Fabra, Priscila; Castillo, Isabel; Mercé, Juan; Duda, Joan L

2012-01-01

This study entailed a longitudinal test of basic psychological needs theory, a sub-theory in the self-determination framework (Deci & Ryan, 2000), in young soccer players. We examined whether changes in soccer players' perceptions of the coaches' interpersonal style (autonomy supportive and controlling) predicted changes in the players' need satisfaction/need thwarting, and in turn, variability in their reported subjective vitality and burnout over the course of a season. Young male soccer players (M = 12.58 ± 0.54 years) completed a questionnaire at two time points in the season [n(T1) = 725; n(T2) = 597]. Changes in the players' perceptions of an autonomy supportive environment significantly predicted changes in psychological need satisfaction (positively) and in psychological need thwarting (negatively). Changes in psychological need satisfaction positively predicted changes in subjective vitality and negatively related to cross-time variation in global burnout scores. In contrast, changes in the players' perceptions of a controlling coach-created environment were positively associated with changes in psychological need thwarting that corresponded to increases in player burnout. Finally, results provided support for the assumed mediational roles of psychological need satisfaction and need thwarting in the social environment to well- and ill-being relationships.

Using social marketing to create communities for our children and adolescents that do not model and encourage drinking.

PubMed

Jones, Sandra C

2014-11-01

Our children and adolescents are growing up in environments that support, and even, encourage (excessive) drinking. Thus, if we are to address the problem of underage drinking our focus needs to move beyond eliciting behavior change among children and adolescents to changing underlying community attitudes, social norms, and the environment itself. This review sought to examine the evidence base surrounding 'community-based' interventions designed to address underage drinking; to determine the extent to which 'community' interventions have thus far targeted the broader community and gone beyond behavior-focused strategies and endeavored to change social and physical environments. The review found surprisingly few interventions that sought to comprehensively address social norms at a community level. We need to move (research and interventions) beyond narrowly-focused efforts targeting teens and their parents; it is only when we address alcohol consumption at a population level that we will be able to provide an environment for children and adolescents which does not model (excessive) drinking as a normative social behavior. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Impact evaluation of Enabling Mothers to Prevent Pediatric Obesity through Web-Based Education and Reciprocal Determinism (EMPOWER) Randomized Control Trial.

PubMed

Knowlden, Adam P; Sharma, Manoj; Cottrell, Randall R; Wilson, Bradley R A; Johnson, Marcus Lee

2015-04-01

The family and home environment is an influential antecedent of childhood obesity. The purpose of this study was to pilot test The Enabling Mothers to Prevent Pediatric Obesity through Web-Based Education and Reciprocal Determinism (EMPOWER) intervention; a newly developed, theory-based, online program for prevention of childhood obesity. The two-arm, parallel group, randomized, participant-blinded trial targeted mothers with children between 4 and 6 years of age. Measures were collected at baseline, 4 weeks, and 8 weeks to evaluate programmatic effects on constructs of social cognitive theory (SCT) and obesity-related behaviors. Process evaluation transpired concurrently with each intervention session. Fifty-seven participants were randomly assigned to receive either experimental EMPOWER (n = 29) or active control Healthy Lifestyles (n = 28) intervention. Significant main effects were identified for child physical activity, sugar-free beverage consumption, and screen time, indicating that both groups improved in these behaviors. A significant group-by-time interaction was detected for child fruit and vegetable (FV) consumption as well as the SCT construct of environment in the EMPOWER cohort. An increase of 1.613 cups of FVs (95% confidence interval = [0.698, 2.529]) was found in the experimental group, relative to the active control group. Change score analysis found changes in the home environment accounted for 31.4% of the change in child FV intake for the experimental group. Child physical activity, sugar-free beverage consumption, and screen time improved in both groups over the course of the trial. Only the theory-based intervention was efficacious in increasing child FV consumption. The EMPOWER program was robust for inducing change in the home environment leading to an increase in child FV intake (Cohen's f = 0.160). © 2014 Society for Public Health Education.

Improving Nutritional Health of the Public through Social Change: Finding Our Roles in Collective Action.

PubMed

Raine, Kim D

2014-09-01

Improving the nutritional health of the public continues to be a major challenge. Our mission of advancing health through food and nutrition has become increasingly complex, particularly as food environments shape the availability, affordability, and social acceptability of food and nutrition "choices". Promoting nutritional health requires that dietitians expand our knowledge in understanding the determinants of healthy eating and of social change strategies that advocates for and acts on improving food environments. While no single strategy can solve the challenges of public health nutrition, we can each identify unique strengths and opportunities. If we practice in complementary ways, using those strengths for collective action will make us stronger together toward social change supporting improved nutritional health of the public.

[On the influence of local molecular environment on the redox potential of electron transfer cofactors in bacterial photosynthetic reaction centers].

PubMed

Krasil'nikov, P M; Noks, P P; Rubin, A B

2011-01-01

The addition of cryosolvents (glycerol, dimethylsulfoxide) to a water solution containing bacterial photosynthetic reaction centers changes the redox potential of the bacteriochlorophyll dimer, but does not affect the redox potential of the quinone primary acceptor. It has been shown that the change in redox potential can be produced by changes of the electrostatic interactions between cofactors and the local molecular environment modified by additives entered into the solution. The degree of influence of a solvent on the redox potential of various cofactors is determined by degree of availability of these cofactors for molecules of solvent, which depends on the arrangement of cofactors in the structure of reaction centers.

USGS: Science at the intersection of land and ocean

USGS Publications Warehouse

Myers, M.D.

2009-01-01

The US Geological Survey (USGS) conducts an ongoing national assessment of coastal change hazards in order to help protect lives and support management of coastal infrastructure and resources. The research group rapidly gathers to investigate coastal changes along the Gulf Coast's sandy beaches after each hurricane to examine the magnitude and variability of impacts. This investigation helps to protect the environment and the American people by preparing maps that show the extreme coastal change. It also posts online video and still photography and LIDAR (light detection and ranging) survey data after each storm, to provide a clear picture of the devastated area. The USGS provides data to understand changing coastal vulnerabilities so that informed decisions can be made to protect disaster affected areas and its resources. Earth scientists in the USGS are learning more about coastal dynamics, determining changes, and improving the ability to forecast how coastal environments will respond to the next storm.

Response of microbial community composition and function to soil climate change

USGS Publications Warehouse

Waldrop, M.P.; Firestone, M.K.

2006-01-01

Soil microbial communities mediate critical ecosystem carbon and nutrient cycles. How microbial communities will respond to changes in vegetation and climate, however, are not well understood. We reciprocally transplanted soil cores from under oak canopies and adjacent open grasslands in a California oak-grassland ecosystem to determine how microbial communities respond to changes in the soil environment and the potential consequences for the cycling of carbon. Every 3 months for up to 2 years, we monitored microbial community composition using phospholipid fatty acid analysis (PLFA), microbial biomass, respiration rates, microbial enzyme activities, and the activity of microbial groups by quantifying 13C uptake from a universal substrate (pyruvate) into PLFA biomarkers. Soil in the open grassland experienced higher maximum temperatures and lower soil water content than soil under the oak canopies. Soil microbial communities in soil under oak canopies were more sensitive to environmental change than those in adjacent soil from the open grassland. Oak canopy soil communities changed rapidly when cores were transplanted into the open grassland soil environment, but grassland soil communities did not change when transplanted into the oak canopy environment. Similarly, microbial biomass, enzyme activities, and microbial respiration decreased when microbial communities were transplanted from the oak canopy soils to the grassland environment, but not when the grassland communities were transplanted to the oak canopy environment. These data support the hypothesis that microbial community composition and function is altered when microbes are exposed to new extremes in environmental conditions; that is, environmental conditions outside of their "life history" envelopes. ?? 2006 Springer Science+Business Media, Inc.

Welfare of apes in captive environments: comments on, and by, a specific group of apes.

PubMed

Savage-Rumbaugh, Sue; Wamba, Kanzi; Wamba, Panbanisha; Wamba, Nyota

2007-01-01

Accurately determining the proper captive environment for apes requires adequately assessing the psychological similarities between apes and humans. Scientists currently believe apes lack mental complexity (Millikan, 2006), raising questions concerning the evolution of human culture from ape-like societies (Tomasello, 1999). A long-term cultural study with bonobos suggests less intellectual divergence from humans than currently postulated (Savage-Rumbaugh, 2005). Because humans view apes as mentally limited, some current captive environments may appear idyllic while offering only an illusion of appropriate care, derived from a simplistic view of what apes are, rather than what they might be. This perception of apes determines their handling, which determines their mental development, which perpetuates the prevailing perception. Only breaking this cycle will allow the current perception of apes to change. Their usual captive environment limits any demonstration of culture. However, the bonobo study reveals what ape culture can become, which should affect future welfare considerations for at least those species genetically close to humans (bonobos and chimpanzees). Development of a languaged bonobo culture allows these nonhuman animals to provide their own responses regarding adequate ape welfare.

40 CFR 164.132 - Procedures governing hearing.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... Section 164.132 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) PESTICIDE PROGRAMS..., ARISING FROM REFUSALS TO REGISTER, CANCELLATIONS OF REGISTRATIONS, CHANGES OF CLASSIFICATIONS, SUSPENSIONS... and environmental risks found by the Administrator in his cancellation or suspension determination and...

40 CFR 164.123 - Emergency order.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

....123 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) PESTICIDE PROGRAMS RULES OF... REFUSALS TO REGISTER, CANCELLATIONS OF REGISTRATIONS, CHANGES OF CLASSIFICATIONS, SUSPENSIONS OF... Hearings § 164.123 Emergency order. (a) Whenever the Environmental Appeals Board determines that an...

40 CFR 164.123 - Emergency order.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

....123 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) PESTICIDE PROGRAMS RULES OF... REFUSALS TO REGISTER, CANCELLATIONS OF REGISTRATIONS, CHANGES OF CLASSIFICATIONS, SUSPENSIONS OF... Hearings § 164.123 Emergency order. (a) Whenever the Environmental Appeals Board determines that an...

Earthshots: Satellite images of environmental change - Phoenix, Arizona, USA

USGS Publications Warehouse

Adamson, Thomas

2013-01-01

Phoenix doesn’t have many cloudy days, so it’s perfect for studying urban growth with satellite images. Scientists and city planners study population growth and urban expansion in fast-growing cities like Phoenix to determine the changes that have occurred over time and to see how those changes impact the surrounding environment, affect the availability of natural resources such as water, and alter the landscape and how it’s used. That information can help people plan for future changes as cities continue to grow.

Inheritance of nesting behaviour across natural environmental variation in a turtle with temperature-dependent sex determination.

PubMed

McGaugh, Suzanne E; Schwanz, Lisa E; Bowden, Rachel M; Gonzalez, Julie E; Janzen, Fredric J

2010-04-22

Nesting behaviour is critical for reproductive success in oviparous organisms with no parental care. In organisms where sex is determined by incubation temperature, nesting behaviour may be a prime target of selection in response to unbalanced sex ratios. To produce an evolutionary change in response to sex-ratio selection, components of nesting behaviour must be heritable. We estimated the field heritability of two key components of nesting behaviour in a population of painted turtles (Chrysemys picta) with temperature-dependent sex determination by applying the 'animal model' to a pedigree reconstructed from genotype data. We obtained estimates of low to non-detectable heritability using repeated records across all environments. We then determined environment-specific heritability by grouping records with similar temperatures for the winter preceding the nesting season, a variable known to be highly associated with our two traits of interest, nest vegetation cover and Julian date of nesting. The heritability estimates of nest vegetation cover and Julian date of nesting were qualitatively highest and significant, or nearly so, after hot winters. Additive genetic variance for these traits was not detectable after cold winters. Our analysis suggests that the potential for evolutionary change of nesting behaviour may be dependent on the thermal conditions of the preceding winter, a season that is predicted to be especially subject to climate change.

Food Store Environment Modifies Intervention Effect on Fruit and Vegetable Intake among Low-Income Women in North Carolina

PubMed Central

Gustafson, Alison A.; Sharkey, Joseph; Samuel-Hodge, Carmen D.; Jones-Smith, Jessica C.; Cai, Jianwen; Ammerman, Alice S.

2012-01-01

Background. The aim of the study is to determine how the food store environment modifies the effects of an intervention on diet among low-income women. Study Design. A 16-week face-to-face behavioral weight loss intervention was delivered among low income midlife women. Methods. The retail food environment for all women was characterized by (1) the number and type of food stores within census tracts; (2) availability of healthy foods in stores where participants shop; (3) an aggregate score of self-reported availability of healthy foods in neighborhood and food stores. Statistical Analyses. Multivariable linear regression was used to model the food store environment as an effect modifier between the intervention effect of fruit and vegetable serving change. Results. Among intervention participants with a low perception of availability of healthy foods in stores, the intervention effect on fruit and vegetable serving change was greater [1.89, 95% CI (0.48, 3.31)] compared to controls. Among intervention participants residing in neighborhoods with few super markets, the intervention effect on fruit and vegetable serving change was greater [1.62, 95% CI (1.27, 1.96)] compared to controls. Conclusion. Results point to how the food store environment may modify the success of an intervention on diet change among low-income women. PMID:22315676

Securing 'supportive environments' for health in the face of ecosystem collapse: meeting the triple threat with a sociology of creative transformation.

PubMed

Poland, Blake; Dooris, Mark; Haluza-Delay, Randolph

2011-12-01

In this paper, we reflect on and explore what remains to be done to make the concept of supportive environments--one of the Ottawa Charter's five core action areas--a reality in the context of growing uncertainty about the future and accelerated pace of change. We pay particular attention to the physical environment, while underscoring the inextricable links between physical and social environments, and particularly the need to link social and environmental justice. The paper begins with a brief orientation to three emerging threats to health equity, namely ecological degradation, climate change, and peak oil, and their connection to economic instability, food security, energy security and other key determinants of health. We then present three contrasting perspectives on the nature of social change and how change is catalyzed, arguing for an examination of the conditions under which cultural change on the scale required to realize the vision of 'supportive environments for all' might be catalyzed, and the contribution that health promotion as a field could play in this process. Drawing on sociological theory, and specifically practice theory and the work of Pierre Bourdieu, we advocate rethinking education for social change by attending more adequately to the social conditions of transformative learning and cultural change. We conclude with an explication of three key implications for health promotion practice: a more explicit alignment with those seeking to curtail environmental destruction and promote environmental justice, strengthening engagement with local or settings-focused 'communities of practice' (such as the Transition Town movement), and finding new ways to creatively 'engage emergence', a significant departure from the current dominant focus on 'risk management'.

Computational Investigation of Environment-Noise Interaction in Single-Cell Organisms: The Merit of Expression Stochasticity Depends on the Quality of Environmental Fluctuations.

PubMed

Lück, Anja; Klimmasch, Lukas; Großmann, Peter; Germerodt, Sebastian; Kaleta, Christoph

2018-01-10

Organisms need to adapt to changing environments and they do so by using a broad spectrum of strategies. These strategies include finding the right balance between expressing genes before or when they are needed, and adjusting the degree of noise inherent in gene expression. We investigated the interplay between different nutritional environments and the inhabiting organisms' metabolic and genetic adaptations by applying an evolutionary algorithm to an agent-based model of a concise bacterial metabolism. Our results show that constant environments and rapidly fluctuating environments produce similar adaptations in the organisms, making the predictability of the environment a major factor in determining optimal adaptation. We show that exploitation of expression noise occurs only in some types of fluctuating environment and is strongly dependent on the quality and availability of nutrients: stochasticity is generally detrimental in fluctuating environments and beneficial only at equal periods of nutrient availability and above a threshold environmental richness. Moreover, depending on the availability and nutritional value of nutrients, nutrient-dependent and stochastic expression are both strategies used to deal with environmental changes. Overall, we comprehensively characterize the interplay between the quality and periodicity of an environment and the resulting optimal deterministic and stochastic regulation strategies of nutrient-catabolizing pathways.

Charter School Directors' and Principals' Self-Reported Knowledge of Inclusive Aspects of Special Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Christensen, Jaime Dereta

2009-01-01

The purpose of this study was to determine the reported level of special education knowledge of Utah charter school principals/directors. In order for charter schools to provide a learning environment that is accommodating, accepting, and promotes the success of children with special needs a systems change may be in order. For the change to be…

A Multi-Cultural Transformative Approach to Learning: Assessing Attitude Change in Doctoral Students following an Online Diversity Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Enger, Kathy; Lajimodiere, Denise

2011-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to examine the attitudes of students following the completion of an online doctoral level multicultural diversity course at a university in the Midwestern USA based on Banks' transformative approach to learning in an effort to determine if the online environment could successfully intervene to change student…

When can stress facilitate divergence by altering time to flowering?

PubMed

Jordan, Crispin Y; Ally, Dilara; Hodgins, Kathryn A

2015-12-01

Stressors and heterogeneity are ubiquitous features of natural environments, and theory suggests that when environmental qualities alter flowering schedules through phenotypic plasticity, assortative mating can result that promotes evolutionary divergence. Therefore, it is important to determine whether common ecological stressors induce similar changes in flowering time. We review previous studies to determine whether two important stressors, water restriction and herbivory, induce consistent flowering time responses among species; for example, how often do water restriction and herbivory both delay flowering? We focus on the direction of change in flowering time, which affects the potential for divergence in heterogeneous environments. We also tested whether these stressors influenced time to flowering and nonphenology traits using Mimulus guttatus. The literature review suggests that water restriction has variable effects on flowering time, whereas herbivory delays flowering with exceptional consistency. In the Mimulus experiment, low water and herbivory advanced and delayed flowering, respectively. Overall, our results temper theoretical predictions for evolutionary divergence due to habitat-induced changes in flowering time; in particular, we discuss how accounting for variation in the direction of change in flowering time can either increase or decrease the potential for divergence. In addition, we caution against adaptive interpretations of stress-induced phenology shifts.

Human Behavior and Environmental Sustainability: promoting a pro-environmental behavior by harnessing the social, psychological and physical influences of the built environment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abusafieh, Shaden; Razem, Maiss

2017-11-01

Recently, technological advancements in the sustainable design field have allowed us to reduce the ecological impact of the built environment, to reduce consumption of non-renewable resources, to create healthy environments and in some cases may even rehabilitate the ecosystem. Nevertheless, several studies have been carried out showing that sustainable technology does not automatically lead to environmentally friendly behaviors in its users. Various environmental problems threaten environmental sustainability and many of these problems are rooted in human behavior. Unfortunately, there is a lack in studies which take into consideration the human behavior influences within a sustainable built environment. We believe that the built environment should be used to support human goals and requirements, but at the same time we should consider it as a context in which human values and behaviors are cultivated. This research aimed to help in promoting environmental sustainability by using architectural design in changing relevant human behavior toward an environmentally friendly behavior. In order to achieve this, the research adopted Environment-centered Approach to gain more acute perspective into the relationship between the physical environment and human behavior, focusing on social, psychological and physical influences of the built environment. It appears that environmental psychology's merits have high potential in changing behavior within the built environment. The research provides a systematic approach for selecting, assessing, evaluating the behaviors to be changed and the factors that determine them. Furthermore, this approach helps in choosing the best interventions that could be applied in built environment to encourage such a sustainable behavior. This study tried to construct an agenda for further researches to find particular architectural design elements and strategies that we can harness to develop a pro-environment human behavior.

To Meet or Not To Meet Physical vs. Virtual Configuration Control Board

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rice, Shelley

2017-01-01

This presentation will define the CCB, discuss its functions and members. We will look into traditional processes of managing change control via the CCB meeting and advanced practices utilizing enhanced product tools and technologies. Well step through a summary of the feedback from the community of CM professionals at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center of best practices as well as pros and cons for facilitating both a physical CCB and managing stakeholder approvals in a virtual environment. Attendees will come away with current industry strategies to determine if process for managing change control and approvals can be streamlined within their local work environments.

X-Ray Computed Tomography Reveals the Response of Root System Architecture to Soil Texture1[OPEN

PubMed Central

Rogers, Eric D.; Monaenkova, Daria; Mijar, Medhavinee; Goldman, Daniel I.

2016-01-01

Root system architecture (RSA) impacts plant fitness and crop yield by facilitating efficient nutrient and water uptake from the soil. A better understanding of the effects of soil on RSA could improve crop productivity by matching roots to their soil environment. We used x-ray computed tomography to perform a detailed three-dimensional quantification of changes in rice (Oryza sativa) RSA in response to the physical properties of a granular substrate. We characterized the RSA of eight rice cultivars in five different growth substrates and determined that RSA is the result of interactions between genotype and growth environment. We identified cultivar-specific changes in RSA in response to changing growth substrate texture. The cultivar Azucena exhibited low RSA plasticity in all growth substrates, whereas cultivar Bala root depth was a function of soil hardness. Our imaging techniques provide a framework to study RSA in different growth environments, the results of which can be used to improve root traits with agronomic potential. PMID:27208237

The Roles of Standing Genetic Variation and Evolutionary History in Determining the Evolvability of Anti-Predator Strategies

PubMed Central

Dworkin, Ian; Wagner, Aaron P.

2014-01-01

Standing genetic variation and the historical environment in which that variation arises (evolutionary history) are both potentially significant determinants of a population's capacity for evolutionary response to a changing environment. Using the open-ended digital evolution software Avida, we evaluated the relative importance of these two factors in influencing evolutionary trajectories in the face of sudden environmental change. We examined how historical exposure to predation pressures, different levels of genetic variation, and combinations of the two, affected the evolvability of anti-predator strategies and competitive abilities in the presence or absence of threats from new, invasive predator populations. We show that while standing genetic variation plays some role in determining evolutionary responses, evolutionary history has the greater influence on a population's capacity to evolve anti-predator traits, i.e. traits effective against novel predators. This adaptability likely reflects the relative ease of repurposing existing, relevant genes and traits, and the broader potential value of the generation and maintenance of adaptively flexible traits in evolving populations. PMID:24955847

Reconstructed Historical Land Cover and Biophysical Parameters for Studies of Land-Atmosphere Interactions within the Eastern United States

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Steyaert, Louis T.; Knox, Robert G.

2007-01-01

The local environment where we live within the Earth's biosphere is often taken for granted. This environment can vary depending on whether the land cover is a forest, grassland, wetland, water body, bare soil, pastureland, agricultural field, village, residential suburb, or an urban complex with concrete, asphalt, and large buildings. In general, the type and characteristics of land cover influence surface temperatures, sunlight exposure and duration, relative humidity, wind speed and direction, soil moisture amount, plant life, birds, and other wildlife in our backyards. The physical and biological properties (biophysical characteristics) of land cover help to determine our surface environment because they directly affect surface radiation, heat, and soil moisture processes, and also feedback to regional weather and climate. Depending on the spatial scale and land use intensity, land cover changes can have profound impacts on our local and regional environment. Over the past 350 years, the eastern half of the United States, an area extending from the grassland prairies of the Great Plains to the Gulf and Atlantic coasts, has experienced extensive land cover and land use changes that began with land clearing in the 1600s, led to extensive deforestation and intensive land use practices by 1920, and then evolved to the present-day landscape. Determining the consequences of such land cover changes on regional and global climate is a major research issue. Such research requires detailed historical land cover data and modeling experiments simulating historical climates. Given the need to understand the effects of historical land cover changes in the eastern United States, some questions include: - What were the most important land cover transformations and how did they alter biophysical characteristics of the land cover at key points in time since the mid-1600s? - How have land cover and land use changes over the past 350 years affected the land surface environment including surface weather, hydrologic, and climatic variability? - How do the potential effects of regional human-induced land cover change on the environment compare to similar changes that are caused by the natural variations of the Earth's climate system? To help answer these questions, we reconstructed a fractional land cover and biophysical parameter dataset for the eastern United States at 1650, 1850, 1920, and 1992 time-slices. Each land cover fraction is associated with a biophysical parameter class, a suite of parameters defining the biophysical characteristics of that kind of land cover. This new dataset is designed for use in computer models of land-atmosphere interactions, to understand and quantify the effects of historical land cover changes on the water, energy, and carbon cycles

Adaptive COIN in Sri Lanka: What Contributed to the Demise of the LTTE?

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-06-01

influence on the conflict, and the Sri Lankan military’s adaptations in order to determine what contributed to the demise of the LTTE. This thesis...exploring the internal political dynamics, external influence on the conflict, and the Sri Lankan military’s adaptations in order to determine what...ability to learn, understand, and adapt to the changes in an operational environment that determines the success or failure of that army.28 Also, based

Regional shipping and port development strategies under a changing maritime environment

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2002-02-01

It has become increasingly clear that there are no insurmountable technical barriers to the future increase in size of containerships. The limits to growth, if there are any, will be market-determined. Nevertheless, there is a significant divergence ...

Effect of changes in human ecology and behavior on patterns of sexually transmitted diseases, including human immunodeficiency virus infection.

PubMed Central

Wasserheit, J N

1994-01-01

The last 20 years have witnessed six striking changes in patterns of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs): emergence of new STD organisms and etiologies, reemergence of old STDs, shifts in the populations in which STDs are concentrated, shifts in the etiological spectra of STD syndromes, alterations in the incidence of STD complications, and increases in antimicrobial resistance. For example, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) emerged to devastate the United States with a fatal pandemic involving at least 1 million people. The incidence of syphilis rose progressively after 1956 to reach a 40-year peak by 1990. In both cases, disease patterns shifted from homosexual men to include minority heterosexuals. Over the last decade, gonorrhea became increasingly concentrated among adolescents, and several new types of antimicrobial resistance appeared. Three interrelated types of environments affect STD patterns. The microbiologic, hormonal, and immunologic microenvironments most directly influence susceptibility, infectiousness, and development of sequelae. These microenvironments are shaped, in part, by the personal environments created by an individual's sexual, substance-use, and health-related behaviors. The personal environments are also important determinants of acquisition of infection and development of sequelae but, in addition, they mediate risk of exposure to infection. These are, therefore, the environments that most directly affect changing disease patterns. Finally, individuals' personal environments are, in turn, molded by powerful macroenvironmental forces, including socioeconomic, demographic, geographic, political, epidemiologic, and technological factors. Over the past 20 years, the profound changes that have occurred in many aspects of the personal environment and the macroenvironment have been reflected in new STD patterns. PMID:8146135

Climate change in wildland management: taking the long view

Treesearch

Scott Stine

2004-01-01

Climate constitutes one of the great determinants of all natural environments. As such, it goes a long way in accounting for the distributions of the plant and animal species that inhabit the Sierra Nevada today. Most land managers are well aware that climate has changed over geologic time—indeed, one needs to look no farther than the polished rock of high Sierra...

NASA information resources management handbook

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1992-01-01

This National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Handbook (NHB) implements recent changes to Federal laws and regulations involving the acquisition, management, and use of Federal Information Processing (FIP) resources. This document defines NASA's Information Resources Management (IRM) practices and procedures and is applicable to all NASA personnel. The dynamic nature of the IRM environment requires that the controlling management practices and procedures for an Agency at the leading edge of technology, such as NASA, must be periodically updated to reflect the changes in this environment. This revision has been undertaken to accommodate changes in the technology and the impact of new laws and regulations dealing with IRM. The contents of this document will be subject to a complete review annually to determine its continued applicability to the acquisition, management, and use of FIP resources by NASA. Updates to this document will be accomplished by page changes. This revision cancels NHB 2410.1D, dated April 1985.

Phase change references for in-flight recalibration of orbital thermometry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Topham, T. S.; Latvakoski, H.; Watson, M.

2013-09-01

Several critical questions need to be answered to determine the potential utility of phase change materials as long-term orbital references: How accurate and repeatable will phase change reference implementations be after incorporating necessary design trade-offs to accommodate launch and the space environment? How can the temperature of phase transitions be transferred to something useful for calibration such as a black body. How, if at all, will the microgravity environment affect the phase transitions? To help answer some of these questions, three experiments will be conducted on the International Space Station (ISS). The experiments will test melts and freezes of three different phase change materials in various containment apparatus. This paper addresses the current status of the ISS experiments, as well as results from ground testing of several concepts for space application of PCM recalibration systems in the CORSAIR (Calibration Observations of Radiance Spectra in the far Infrared) black body.

Relative Amino Acid Composition Signatures of Organisms and Environments

PubMed Central

Moura, Alexandra; Savageau, Michael A.; Alves, Rui

2013-01-01

Background Identifying organism-environment interactions at the molecular level is crucial to understanding how organisms adapt to and change the chemical and molecular landscape of their habitats. In this work we investigated whether relative amino acid compositions could be used as a molecular signature of an environment and whether such a signature could also be observed at the level of the cellular amino acid composition of the microorganisms that inhabit that environment. Methodologies/Principal Findings To address these questions we collected and analyzed environmental amino acid determinations from the literature, and estimated from complete genomic sequences the global relative amino acid abundances of organisms that are cognate to the different types of environment. Environmental relative amino acid abundances clustered into broad groups (ocean waters, host-associated environments, grass land environments, sandy soils and sediments, and forest soils), indicating the presence of amino acid signatures specific for each environment. These signatures correlate to those found in organisms. Nevertheless, relative amino acid abundance of organisms was more influenced by GC content than habitat or phylogeny. Conclusions Our results suggest that relative amino acid composition can be used as a signature of an environment. In addition, we observed that the relative amino acid composition of organisms is not highly determined by environment, reinforcing previous studies that find GC content to be the major factor correlating to amino acid composition in living organisms. PMID:24204807

Relative amino acid composition signatures of organisms and environments.

PubMed

Moura, Alexandra; Savageau, Michael A; Alves, Rui

2013-01-01

Identifying organism-environment interactions at the molecular level is crucial to understanding how organisms adapt to and change the chemical and molecular landscape of their habitats. In this work we investigated whether relative amino acid compositions could be used as a molecular signature of an environment and whether such a signature could also be observed at the level of the cellular amino acid composition of the microorganisms that inhabit that environment. To address these questions we collected and analyzed environmental amino acid determinations from the literature, and estimated from complete genomic sequences the global relative amino acid abundances of organisms that are cognate to the different types of environment. Environmental relative amino acid abundances clustered into broad groups (ocean waters, host-associated environments, grass land environments, sandy soils and sediments, and forest soils), indicating the presence of amino acid signatures specific for each environment. These signatures correlate to those found in organisms. Nevertheless, relative amino acid abundance of organisms was more influenced by GC content than habitat or phylogeny. Our results suggest that relative amino acid composition can be used as a signature of an environment. In addition, we observed that the relative amino acid composition of organisms is not highly determined by environment, reinforcing previous studies that find GC content to be the major factor correlating to amino acid composition in living organisms.

Diurnal changes in epidermal UV transmittance of plants in naturally high UV environments.

PubMed

Barnes, Paul W; Flint, Stephan D; Slusser, James R; Gao, Wei; Ryel, Ronald J

2008-06-01

Studies were conducted on three herbaceous plant species growing in naturally high solar UV environments in the subalpine of Mauna Kea, Hawaii, USA, to determine if diurnal changes in epidermal UV transmittance (T(UV)) occur in these species, and to test whether manipulation of the solar radiation regime could alter these diurnal patterns. Additional field studies were conducted at Logan, Utah, USA, to determine if solar UV was causing diurnal T(UV) changes and to evaluate the relationship between diurnal changes in T(UV) and UV-absorbing pigments. Under clear skies, T(UV), as measured with a UV-A-pulse amplitude modulation fluorometer for leaves of Verbascum thapsus and Oenothera stricta growing in native soils and Vicia faba growing in pots, was highest at predawn and sunset and lowest at midday. These patterns in T(UV) closely tracked diurnal changes in solar radiation and were the result of correlated changes in fluorescence induced by UV-A and blue radiation but not photochemical efficiency (F(v)/F(m)) or initial fluorescence yield (F(o)). The magnitude of the midday reduction in T(UV) was greater for young leaves than for older leaves of Verbascum. Imposition of artificial shade eliminated the diurnal changes in T(UV) in Verbascum, but reduction in solar UV had no effect on diurnal T(UV) changes in Vicia. In Vicia, the diurnal changes in T(UV) occurred without detectable changes in the concentration of whole-leaf UV-absorbing compounds. Results suggest that plants actively control diurnal changes in UV shielding, and these changes occur in response to signals other than solar UV; however, the underlying mechanisms responsible for rapid changes in T(UV) remain unclear.

Quantitative assessment of the importance of phenotypic plasticity in adaptation to climate change in wild bird populations.

PubMed

Vedder, Oscar; Bouwhuis, Sandra; Sheldon, Ben C

2013-07-01

Predictions about the fate of species or populations under climate change scenarios typically neglect adaptive evolution and phenotypic plasticity, the two major mechanisms by which organisms can adapt to changing local conditions. As a consequence, we have little understanding of the scope for organisms to track changing environments by in situ adaptation. Here, we use a detailed individual-specific long-term population study of great tits (Parus major) breeding in Wytham Woods, Oxford, UK to parameterise a mechanistic model and thus directly estimate the rate of environmental change to which in situ adaptation is possible. Using the effect of changes in early spring temperature on temporal synchrony between birds and a critical food resource, we focus in particular on the contribution of phenotypic plasticity to population persistence. Despite using conservative estimates for evolutionary and reproductive potential, our results suggest little risk of population extinction under projected local temperature change; however, this conclusion relies heavily on the extent to which phenotypic plasticity tracks the changing environment. Extrapolating the model to a broad range of life histories in birds suggests that the importance of phenotypic plasticity for adjustment to projected rates of temperature change increases with slower life histories, owing to lower evolutionary potential. Understanding the determinants and constraints on phenotypic plasticity in natural populations is thus crucial for characterising the risks that rapidly changing environments pose for the persistence of such populations.

Use of adaptive cruise control functions on motorways and urban roads: Changes over time in an on-road study.

PubMed

Pereira, Marta; Beggiato, Matthias; Petzoldt, Tibor

2015-09-01

The study aimed at investigating how drivers use Adaptive Cruise Control and its functions in distinct road environments and to verify if changes occur over time. Fifteen participants were invited to drive a vehicle equipped with a Stop & Go Adaptive Cruise Control system on nine occasions. The course remained the same for each test run and included roads on urban and motorway environments. Results showed significant effect of experience for ACC usage percentage, and selection of the shortest time headway value in the urban road environment. This indicates that getting to know a system is not a homogenous process, as mastering the use of all the system's functions can take differing lengths of time in distinct road environments. Results can be used not only for the development of the new generation of systems that integrate ACC functionalities but also for determining the length of training required to operate an ACC system. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd and The Ergonomics Society. All rights reserved.

Early Results from the Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer (LADEE)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Elphic, R. C.; Hine, B.; Delory, G. T.; Mahaffy, Paul; Benna, Mehdi; Horanyi, Mihaly; Colaprete, Anthony; Noble, Sarah

2014-01-01

On 6 September, 2013, a near-perfect launch of the first Minotaur V rocket successfully carried NASA's Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer (LADEE) into a high-eccentricity geocentric orbit. After 30 days of phasing, LADEE arrived at the Moon on 6 October, 2013. LADEE's science objectives are twofold: (1) Determine the composition of the lunar atmosphere, investigate processes controlling its distribution and variability, including sources, sinks, and surface interactions; (2) Characterize the lunar exospheric dust environment, measure its spatial and temporal variability, and effects on the lunar atmosphere, if any. After a successful commissioning phase, the three science instruments have made systematic observations of the lunar dust and exospheric environment. These include initial observations of argon, neon and helium exospheres, and their diurnal variations; the lunar micrometeoroid impact ejecta cloud and its variations; spatial and temporal variations of the sodium exosphere; and the search for sunlight extinction caused by dust. LADEE also made observations of the effects of the Chang'e 3 landing on 14 December 2013.

Comparison of multinomial logistic regression and logistic regression: which is more efficient in allocating land use?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lin, Yingzhi; Deng, Xiangzheng; Li, Xing; Ma, Enjun

2014-12-01

Spatially explicit simulation of land use change is the basis for estimating the effects of land use and cover change on energy fluxes, ecology and the environment. At the pixel level, logistic regression is one of the most common approaches used in spatially explicit land use allocation models to determine the relationship between land use and its causal factors in driving land use change, and thereby to evaluate land use suitability. However, these models have a drawback in that they do not determine/allocate land use based on the direct relationship between land use change and its driving factors. Consequently, a multinomial logistic regression method was introduced to address this flaw, and thereby, judge the suitability of a type of land use in any given pixel in a case study area of the Jiangxi Province, China. A comparison of the two regression methods indicated that the proportion of correctly allocated pixels using multinomial logistic regression was 92.98%, which was 8.47% higher than that obtained using logistic regression. Paired t-test results also showed that pixels were more clearly distinguished by multinomial logistic regression than by logistic regression. In conclusion, multinomial logistic regression is a more efficient and accurate method for the spatial allocation of land use changes. The application of this method in future land use change studies may improve the accuracy of predicting the effects of land use and cover change on energy fluxes, ecology, and environment.

The effect of environmental heterogeneity on RPW8-mediated resistance to powdery mildews in Arabidopsis thaliana.

PubMed

Jorgensen, Tove H

2012-03-01

The biotic and abiotic environment of interacting hosts and parasites may vary considerably over small spatial and temporal scales. It is essential to understand how different environments affect host disease resistance because this determines frequency of disease and, importantly, heterogeneous environments can retard direct selection and potentially maintain genetic variation for resistance in natural populations. The effect of different temperatures and soil nutrient conditions on the outcome of infection by a pathogen was quantified in Arabidopsis thaliana. Expression levels of a gene conferring resistance to powdery mildews, RPW8, were compared with levels of disease to test a possible mechanism behind variation in resistance. Most host genotypes changed from susceptible to resistant across environments with the ranking of genotypes differing between treatments. Transcription levels of RPW8 increased after infection and varied between environments, but there was no tight association between transcription and resistance levels. There is a strong potential for a heterogeneous environment to change the resistance capacity of A. thaliana genotypes and hence the direction and magnitude of selection in the presence of the pathogen. Possible causative links between resistance gene expression and disease resistance are discussed in light of the present results on RPW8.

Biogeochemical Processes in Microbial Ecosystems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

DesMarais, David J.

2001-01-01

The hierarchical organization of microbial ecosystems determines process rates that shape Earth's environment, create the biomarker sedimentary and atmospheric signatures of life, and define the stage upon which major evolutionary events occurred. In order to understand how microorganisms have shaped the global environment of Earth and, potentially, other worlds, we must develop an experimental paradigm that links biogeochemical processes with ever-changing temporal and spatial distributions of microbial populations and their metabolic properties. Additional information is contained in the original extended abstract.

DEVELOPMENT OF SAV LOSS-NUTRIENT LOAD RELATIONSHIPS

EPA Science Inventory

The Nutrient Team effort related to SAV is comprised of two components. 1) collection of necessary data to determine the effectiveness of modeling SAV important to Gulf of Mexico estuarine environments; and 2) collaboration with the USGS wetland research center to analyze changes...

Alternate bidding strategies for asphalt and concrete pavement projects utilizing life cycle cost analysis (LCCA).

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2012-07-01

Recent changes in pavement materials costs have impacted the competitive environment relative to the : determination of the most cost effective pavement structure for a specific highway project. In response, State : highway agencies have renewed thei...

Comparison of the Navy Working Capital Fund and Mission Funding as Applied to Navy Shipyards

DTIC Science & Technology

2006-06-01

Working Capital Fund and the mission funding model in the context of a Navy shipyard environment and determines whether the change in financial structure provides an overall benefit that should be pursued for all shipyards.

Computing Thermal Imbalance Forces On Satellites

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Vigue, Yvonne; Schutz, Robert E.; Sewell, Granville; Abusali, Pothai A. M.

1994-01-01

HEAT.PRO computer program calculates imbalance force caused by heating of surfaces of satellite. Calculates thermal imbalance force and determines its effect on orbit of satellite, especially where shadow cast by Earth Causes periodic changes in thermal environment around satellite. Written in FORTRAN 77.

The influence of active vision on the exoskeleton of intelligent agents

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smith, Patrice; Terry, Theodore B.

2016-04-01

Chameleonization occurs when a self-learning autonomous mobile system's (SLAMR) active vision scans the surface of which it is perched causing the exoskeleton to changes colors exhibiting a chameleon effect. Intelligent agents having the ability to adapt to their environment and exhibit key survivability characteristics of its environments would largely be due in part to the use of active vision. Active vision would allow the intelligent agent to scan its environment and adapt as needed in order to avoid detection. The SLAMR system would have an exoskeleton, which would change, based on the surface it was perched on; this is known as the "chameleon effect." Not in the common sense of the term, but from the techno-bio inspired meaning as addressed in our previous paper. Active vision, utilizing stereoscopic color sensing functionality would enable the intelligent agent to scan an object within its close proximity, determine the color scheme, and match it; allowing the agent to blend with its environment. Through the use of its' optical capabilities, the SLAMR system would be able to further determine its position, taking into account spatial and temporal correlation and spatial frequency content of neighboring structures further ensuring successful background blending. The complex visual tasks of identifying objects, using edge detection, image filtering, and feature extraction are essential for an intelligent agent to gain additional knowledge about its environmental surroundings.

The Secondary Structure of Human Hageman Factor (Factor XII) and its Alteration by Activating Agents

PubMed Central

McMillin, Carl R.; Saito, Hidehiko; Ratnoff, Oscar D.; Walton, Alan G.

1974-01-01

Hageman factor (factor XII) is activated by exposure to surfaces such as glass or by solutions of certain compounds, notably ellagic acid. Changes in the structure of Hageman factor accompanying activation have been examined in this study by circular dichroism spectroscopy. The spectrum of unactivated Hageman factor in aqueous solutions suggests that its conformation is mainly aperiodic. Various perturbants altered the conformation of Hageman factor in differing ways, demonstrating the sensitivity of Hageman factor to its environment. After activation of Hageman factor with solutions of ellagic acid, a negative trough appeared in the region of the circular dichroism spectrum commonly assigned to tyrosine residues, along with other minor changes in the peptide spectral region. Some of these changes are similar to changes that occurred upon partial neutralization of the basic residues at alkali pH. Activation of Hageman factor by adsorption to quartz surfaces (in an aqueous environment) also produced changes similar to those in the ellagic acid-activated Hageman factor, including the negative ellipticity in the tyrosine region. These observations suggest that the activation process may be related to a change in status of some of the basic amino acid residues, coupled with a specific change in the environment of some tyrosine residues. The importance of these changes during the activation process remains to be determined. The sensitivity of Hageman factor to its environment is consistent with the view that the initiation of clotting by exposure of plasma to appropriate agents is brought about by alterations in the conformation of Hageman factor that occur in the apparent absence of Fletcher factor or other recognized clotting factors. Images PMID:4373492

Early experiences matter: a review of the effects of prenatal environment on offspring characteristics in poultry.

PubMed

Dixon, L M; Sparks, N H C; Rutherford, K M D

2016-03-01

Early life experiences can be important in determining offspring phenotypes and may influence interaction with the environment and hence health, welfare, and productivity. The prenatal environment of poultry can be divided into the pre-lay environment and the egg storage/incubation environment, both of which can affect offspring outcomes. The ability to separate maternal and egg/incubation effects makes birds well suited to this type of research. There are many factors, including feeding and nutrition, environmental conditions, husbandry practices, housing system, social environment, infectious environment, and maternal health status, that can influence both the health and performance and behavior and cognition of the offspring. There are some aspects of the environments that can be changed to produce beneficial effects in the offspring, like addition of certain additives to feed or short changes in incubation temperatures, while other aspects should be avoided to reduce negative effects, such as unpredictable feeding and lighting regimens. Measures of offspring characteristics may prove to be a useful method of assessing parent stock welfare if known stressors result in predictable offspring outcomes. This has the advantage of assessing the parent environment without interfering with the animals and possibly affecting their responses and could lead to improved welfare for the animals. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Poultry Science Association.

Ocean acidification and temperature increase impact mussel shell shape and thickness: problematic for protection?

PubMed

Fitzer, Susan C; Vittert, Liberty; Bowman, Adrian; Kamenos, Nicholas A; Phoenix, Vernon R; Cusack, Maggie

2015-11-01

Ocean acidification threatens organisms that produce calcium carbonate shells by potentially generating an under-saturated carbonate environment. Resultant reduced calcification and growth, and subsequent dissolution of exoskeletons, would raise concerns over the ability of the shell to provide protection for the marine organism under ocean acidification and increased temperatures. We examined the impact of combined ocean acidification and temperature increase on shell formation of the economically important edible mussel Mytilus edulis. Shell growth and thickness along with a shell thickness index and shape analysis were determined. The ability of M. edulis to produce a functional protective shell after 9 months of experimental culture under ocean acidification and increasing temperatures (380, 550, 750, 1000 μatm pCO 2, and 750, 1000 μatm pCO 2 + 2°C) was assessed. Mussel shells grown under ocean acidification conditions displayed significant reductions in shell aragonite thickness, shell thickness index, and changes to shell shape (750, 1000 μatm pCO 2) compared to those shells grown under ambient conditions (380 μatm pCO 2). Ocean acidification resulted in rounder, flatter mussel shells with thinner aragonite layers likely to be more vulnerable to fracture under changing environments and predation. The changes in shape presented here could present a compensatory mechanism to enhance protection against predators and changing environments under ocean acidification when mussels are unable to grow thicker shells. Here, we present the first assessment of mussel shell shape to determine implications for functional protection under ocean acidification.

The Determination of User Information Requirements during the Development of Management Information Systems.

DTIC Science & Technology

1983-06-01

Werner , Greenburg, and Goldberg [Ref. 51 1 for determining the p information needs of an outpatient clinic) tries to make up for this difficulty. Rather...observed to determine what information is being used and how it is being used. Werner et al. point out that, "The behavior of the physician does not...the " Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle," namely: ...any system development activity inevitably changes the environment out of which tte need for the

Experimental Evolution of UV-C Radiation Tolerance: Emergence of Adaptive and Non-Adaptive Traits in Escherichia coli Under Differing Flux Regimes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moffet, A.; Okansinski, A.; Sloan, C.; Grace, J. M.; Paulino-Lima, I. G.; Gentry, D.; Rothschild, L. J.; Camps, M.

2014-12-01

High-energy ultraviolet (UV-C) radiation is a significant challenge to life in environments such as high altitude areas, the early Earth, the Martian surface, and space. As UV-C exposure is both a selection pressure and a mutagen, adaptation dynamics in such environments include a high rate of change in both tolerance-related and non-tolerance-related genes, as well changes in linkages between the resulting traits. Determining the relationship between the intensity and duration of the UV-C exposure, mutation rate, and emergence of UV-C resistance will inform our understanding of both the emergence of radiation-related extremophily in natural environments and the optimal strategies for generating artificial extremophiles. In this study, we iteratively exposed an Escherichia colistrain to UV-C radiation of two different fluxes, 3.3 J/m^2/s for 6 seconds and 0.5 J/m^2/s for 40 seconds, with the same overall fluence of 20 J/m^2. After each iteration, cells from each exposure regime were assayed for increased UV-C tolerance as an adaptive trait. The exposed cells carried a plasmid bearing a TEM beta-lactamase gene, which in the absence of antibiotic treatment is a neutral reporter for mutagenesis. Sequencing of this gene allowed us to determine the baseline mutation frequency for each flux. As an additional readout for adaptation, the presence of extended-spectrum beta-lactamase mutations was tested by plating UV-exposed cultures in cefotaxime plates. We observed an increase of approximately one-million-fold in UV-C tolerance over seven iterations; no significant difference between the two fluxes was found. Future work will focus on identifying the genomic changes responsible for the change in UV-C tolerance; determining the mechanisms of the emerged UV-C tolerance; and performing competition experiments between the iteration strains to quantify fitness tradeoffs resulting from UV-C adaptation.

The built environment moderates effects of family-based childhood obesity treatment over 2 years.

PubMed

Epstein, Leonard H; Raja, Samina; Daniel, Tinuke Oluyomi; Paluch, Rocco A; Wilfley, Denise E; Saelens, Brian E; Roemmich, James N

2012-10-01

Research suggests the neighborhood built environment is related to child physical activity and eating. The purpose of this study was to determine if characteristics of the neighborhood environment moderate the relationship between obesity treatment and weight loss, and if outcomes of particular treatments are moderated by built environment characteristics. The relationship between the built environment and standardized BMI (zBMI) changes for 191 8-12-year-old children who participated in one of four randomized, controlled trials of pediatric weight management was assessed using mixed models analysis of covariance. At 2-year follow-up, greater parkland, fewer convenience stores, and fewer supermarkets were associated with greater zBMI reduction across all interventions. No treatments interacted with characteristics of the built environment. Activity- and eating-related built neighborhood characteristics are associated with child success in behavioral obesity treatments. Efficacy may be improved by individualizing treatments based on built environment characteristics.

A graphical, rule based robotic interface system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mckee, James W.; Wolfsberger, John

1988-01-01

The ability of a human to take control of a robotic system is essential in any use of robots in space in order to handle unforeseen changes in the robot's work environment or scheduled tasks. But in cases in which the work environment is known, a human controlling a robot's every move by remote control is both time consuming and frustrating. A system is needed in which the user can give the robotic system commands to perform tasks but need not tell the system how. To be useful, this system should be able to plan and perform the tasks faster than a telerobotic system. The interface between the user and the robot system must be natural and meaningful to the user. A high level user interface program under development at the University of Alabama, Huntsville, is described. A graphical interface is proposed in which the user selects objects to be manipulated by selecting representations of the object on projections of a 3-D model of the work environment. The user may move in the work environment by changing the viewpoint of the projections. The interface uses a rule based program to transform user selection of items on a graphics display of the robot's work environment into commands for the robot. The program first determines if the desired task is possible given the abilities of the robot and any constraints on the object. If the task is possible, the program determines what movements the robot needs to make to perform the task. The movements are transformed into commands for the robot. The information defining the robot, the work environment, and how objects may be moved is stored in a set of data bases accessible to the program and displayable to the user.

23 CFR 771.130 - Supplemental environmental impact statements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... 23 Highways 1 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false Supplemental environmental impact statements. 771.130... ENVIRONMENT ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT AND RELATED PROCEDURES § 771.130 Supplemental environmental impact statements... supplemented whenever the Administration determines that: (1) Changes to the proposed action would result in...

LIPID ANALYSIS TO DETERMINE THE EFFECT OF A SOURCE REMEDIAL TECHNOLOGY IN MICROBIAL ECOLOGY

EPA Science Inventory

Microbial community structures and related changes in the subsurface environment were investigated following in situ chemical oxidation (ISCO) treatment at Launch Complex 34, Cape Canaveral Air Station, Florida. The site has dense non-aqueous phase (DNAPL) concentrations of TCE ...

DEVELOPMENTAL EXPRESSION OF ALDEHYDE DEHYDROGENASE IN RAT: A COMPARISON OF LIVER AND LUNG DEVELOPMENT

EPA Science Inventory

Metabolism is one of the major determinants for age-related susceptibility changes to chemicals. Aldehydes are highly reactive molecules present in the environment and can be produced during biotransformation of xenobiotics. Aldehyde dehydrogenases (ALDH) are important in aldehyd...

Incremental learning of concept drift in nonstationary environments.

PubMed

Elwell, Ryan; Polikar, Robi

2011-10-01

We introduce an ensemble of classifiers-based approach for incremental learning of concept drift, characterized by nonstationary environments (NSEs), where the underlying data distributions change over time. The proposed algorithm, named Learn(++). NSE, learns from consecutive batches of data without making any assumptions on the nature or rate of drift; it can learn from such environments that experience constant or variable rate of drift, addition or deletion of concept classes, as well as cyclical drift. The algorithm learns incrementally, as other members of the Learn(++) family of algorithms, that is, without requiring access to previously seen data. Learn(++). NSE trains one new classifier for each batch of data it receives, and combines these classifiers using a dynamically weighted majority voting. The novelty of the approach is in determining the voting weights, based on each classifier's time-adjusted accuracy on current and past environments. This approach allows the algorithm to recognize, and act accordingly, to the changes in underlying data distributions, as well as to a possible reoccurrence of an earlier distribution. We evaluate the algorithm on several synthetic datasets designed to simulate a variety of nonstationary environments, as well as a real-world weather prediction dataset. Comparisons with several other approaches are also included. Results indicate that Learn(++). NSE can track the changing environments very closely, regardless of the type of concept drift. To allow future use, comparison and benchmarking by interested researchers, we also release our data used in this paper. © 2011 IEEE

You can lead a horse to water … what Self-Determination Theory can contribute to our understanding of clinical policy implementation.

PubMed

Smith, Geoffrey P; Williams, Theresa M

2017-01-01

There has been increasing reliance on policy directives as instruments for shaping clinical practice in health care, despite it being widely recognized that there is a significant translation gap between clinical policy and its implementation. Self-Determination Theory, a widely researched and empirically validated theory of human needs' fulfilment and motivation, offers a potentially valuable theoretical framework for understanding not only why the current policy environment has not led to the anticipated improvement in the quality and safety of clinical care but, importantly, also provides guidance about how organizations can create an environment that can nurture behavioural change in the workforce. We describe an alternative approach to clinical policy-making underpinned by Self-Determination Theory, which we believe has broad application for the science of clinical implementation theory.

A new perspective on how humans assess their surroundings; derivation of head orientation and its role in ‘framing’ the environment

PubMed Central

Wilson, Gwendoline Ixia; Holton, Mark D.; Walker, James; Jones, Mark W.; Grundy, Ed; Davies, Ian M.; Clarke, David; Luckman, Adrian; Russill, Nick; Wilson, Vianney; Plummer, Rosie

2015-01-01

Understanding the way humans inform themselves about their environment is pivotal in helping explain our susceptibility to stimuli and how this modulates behaviour and movement patterns. We present a new device, the Human Interfaced Personal Observation Platform (HIPOP), which is a head-mounted (typically on a hat) unit that logs magnetometry and accelerometry data at high rates and, following appropriate calibration, can be used to determine the heading and pitch of the wearer’s head. We used this device on participants visiting a botanical garden and noted that although head pitch ranged between −80° and 60°, 25% confidence limits were restricted to an arc of about 25° with a tendency for the head to be pitched down (mean head pitch ranged between −43° and 0°). Mean rates of change of head pitch varied between −0.00187°/0.1 s and 0.00187°/0.1 s, markedly slower than rates of change of head heading which varied between −0.3141°/0.1 s and 0.01263°/0.1 s although frequency distributions of both parameters showed them to be symmetrical and monomodal. Overall, there was considerable variation in both head pitch and head heading, which highlighted the role that head orientation might play in exposing people to certain features of the environment. Thus, when used in tandem with accurate position-determining systems, the HIPOP can be used to determine how the head is orientated relative to gravity and geographic North and in relation to geographic position, presenting data on how the environment is being ‘framed’ by people in relation to environmental content. PMID:26157643

Alterations in gut transport of minerals and in binding proteins during simulated weightlessness

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bikle, D. D.

1984-01-01

The structural components of the skeleton develop and are maintained in a 1 g environment, shaped by the mechanical load to which they are constantly exposed. Altering such a mechanical load by reducing the gravitational force imposed on the system, as in space flight, has profound effects on the skeleton and permits an exploration of the molecular events which regulate normal skeletal homeostasis. The objective was to determine whether simulated weightlessness reduced intestinal calcium transport, and if so, to determine the molecular mechanisms for such an effect. A nonstressful tail suspension in which the rats gained weight normally while suspended was used to simulate weightlessness. A significant change in intestinal calcium transport was not demonstrated. However, a cyclic change in bone formation with suspension was shown. Based on these observations, the objective changed to determination of the hormonal regulation of bone formation during simulated weightlessness.

Inclusion of ecologically based trait variation in plant functional types reduces the projected land carbon sink in an earth system model.

PubMed

Verheijen, Lieneke M; Aerts, Rien; Brovkin, Victor; Cavender-Bares, Jeannine; Cornelissen, Johannes H C; Kattge, Jens; van Bodegom, Peter M

2015-08-01

Earth system models demonstrate large uncertainty in projected changes in terrestrial carbon budgets. The lack of inclusion of adaptive responses of vegetation communities to the environment has been suggested to hamper the ability of modeled vegetation to adequately respond to environmental change. In this study, variation in functional responses of vegetation has been added to an earth system model (ESM) based on ecological principles. The restriction of viable mean trait values of vegetation communities by the environment, called 'habitat filtering', is an important ecological assembly rule and allows for determination of global scale trait-environment relationships. These relationships were applied to model trait variation for different plant functional types (PFTs). For three leaf traits (specific leaf area, maximum carboxylation rate at 25 °C, and maximum electron transport rate at 25 °C), relationships with multiple environmental drivers, such as precipitation, temperature, radiation, and CO2 , were determined for the PFTs within the Max Planck Institute ESM. With these relationships, spatiotemporal variation in these formerly fixed traits in PFTs was modeled in global change projections (IPCC RCP8.5 scenario). Inclusion of this environment-driven trait variation resulted in a strong reduction of the global carbon sink by at least 33% (2.1 Pg C yr(-1) ) from the 2nd quarter of the 21st century onward compared to the default model with fixed traits. In addition, the mid- and high latitudes became a stronger carbon sink and the tropics a stronger carbon source, caused by trait-induced differences in productivity and relative respirational costs. These results point toward a reduction of the global carbon sink when including a more realistic representation of functional vegetation responses, implying more carbon will stay airborne, which could fuel further climate change. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

ARC-2005-ACD05-0022-025

NASA Image and Video Library

2005-02-04

Ames Mars Wind Tunnel Facility N-245: NASA is simulating small martian 'dust devils' and wind in a laboraotry to determine how they may affect the landscape and environment of the red planet. Dust Devils on Mars are often a great deal biggger than those on Earth and can at times cover the whole planet. Martian winds & dust devils, big and little, collectively are a great force that is constantly changing the planet's environment. shown here: is the control room for the Mars W.T. with Eric Eddlemon

Introduction: Man and his total environment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1977-01-01

Environmental changes and the utilization of finite resources are analyzed. Beyond the satisfaction of basic physical needs, the advancement of civilization toward an ever-improving quality of like is likewise dependent upon mans' interaction with his entire environment. This larger system is controlled externally by electromagnetic and particle energy from the sun and internally by the dynamic interchange of energy between the solid earth, oceans, the atmosphere, and the magnetosphere. This exchange of energy that determines the structure of the earth's environemental system is evaluated.

Multi-level Expression Design Language: Requirement level (MEDL-R) system evaluation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1980-01-01

An evaluation of the Multi-Level Expression Design Language Requirements Level (MEDL-R) system was conducted to determine whether it would be of use in the Goddard Space Flight Center Code 580 software development environment. The evaluation is based upon a study of the MEDL-R concept of requirement languages, the functions performed by MEDL-R, and the MEDL-R language syntax. Recommendations are made for changes to MEDL-R that would make it useful in the Code 580 environment.

ARC-2005-ACD05-0022-017

NASA Image and Video Library

2005-02-04

Ames Mars Wind Tunnel Facility N-245: NASA is simulating small martian 'dust devils' and wind in a laboraotry to determine how they may affect the landscape and environment of the red planet. Dust Devils on Mars are often a great deal biggger than those on Earth and can at times cover the whole planet. Martian winds & dust devils, big and little, collectively are a great force that is constantly changing the planet's environment. shown here: Silica Sand (Oklahoma 90) particles used in vortex generatory and Mars Wind Tunnel

ARC-2005-ACD05-0022-019

NASA Image and Video Library

2005-02-04

Ames Mars Wind Tunnel Facility N-245: NASA is simulating small martian 'dust devils' and wind in a laboraotry to determine how they may affect the landscape and environment of the red planet. Dust Devils on Mars are often a great deal biggger than those on Earth and can at times cover the whole planet. Martian winds & dust devils, big and little, collectively are a great force that is constantly changing the planet's environment. shown here: Carbondale Red Clay dust used in vortex generatory and Mars Wind Tunnel

Ecogenomics: Ensemble Analysis of Gene Expression in Microbial Communities

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sogin, Mitchell; DesMarais, David J.; Stahl, D. A.; Pace, Norman R.

2001-01-01

The hierarchical organization of microbial ecosystems determines process rates that shape Earth's environment, create the biomarker sedimentary and atmospheric signatures of life, and define the stage upon which major evolutionary events occurred. In order to understand how microorganisms have shaped the global environment of Earth and, potentially, other worlds, we must develop an experimental paradigm that links biogeochemical processes with ever-changing temporal and spatial distributions of microbial populations and their metabolic properties. Additional information is contained in the original extended abstract.

The Role of Intelligence in Social Learning.

PubMed

Vostroknutov, Alexander; Polonio, Luca; Coricelli, Giorgio

2018-05-02

Studies in cultural evolution have uncovered many types of social learning strategies that are adaptive in certain environments. The efficiency of these strategies also depends on the individual characteristics of both the observer and the demonstrator. We investigate the relationship between intelligence and the ways social and individual information is utilised to make decisions in an uncertain environment. We measure fluid intelligence and study experimentally how individuals learn from observing the choices of a demonstrator in a 2-armed bandit problem with changing probabilities of a reward. Participants observe a demonstrator with high or low fluid intelligence. In some treatments they are aware of the intelligence score of the demonstrator and in others they are not. Low fluid intelligence individuals imitate the demonstrator more when her fluid intelligence is known than when it is not. Conversely, individuals with high fluid intelligence adjust their use of social information, as the observed behaviour changes, independently of the knowledge of the intelligence of the demonstrator. We provide evidence that intelligence determines how social and individual information is integrated in order to make choices in a changing uncertain environment.

X-Ray Computed Tomography Reveals the Response of Root System Architecture to Soil Texture.

PubMed

Rogers, Eric D; Monaenkova, Daria; Mijar, Medhavinee; Nori, Apoorva; Goldman, Daniel I; Benfey, Philip N

2016-07-01

Root system architecture (RSA) impacts plant fitness and crop yield by facilitating efficient nutrient and water uptake from the soil. A better understanding of the effects of soil on RSA could improve crop productivity by matching roots to their soil environment. We used x-ray computed tomography to perform a detailed three-dimensional quantification of changes in rice (Oryza sativa) RSA in response to the physical properties of a granular substrate. We characterized the RSA of eight rice cultivars in five different growth substrates and determined that RSA is the result of interactions between genotype and growth environment. We identified cultivar-specific changes in RSA in response to changing growth substrate texture. The cultivar Azucena exhibited low RSA plasticity in all growth substrates, whereas cultivar Bala root depth was a function of soil hardness. Our imaging techniques provide a framework to study RSA in different growth environments, the results of which can be used to improve root traits with agronomic potential. © 2016 American Society of Plant Biologists. All Rights Reserved.

Chance vs. necessity in living systems: a false antinomy.

PubMed

Buiatti, Marcello; Buiatti, Marco

2008-01-01

The concepts of order and randomness are crucial to understand 'living systems' structural and dynamical rules. In the history of biology, they lay behind the everlasting debate on the relative roles of chance and determinism in evolution. Jacques Monod [1970] built a theory where chance (randomness) and determinism (order) were considered as two complementary aspects of life. In the present paper, we will give an up to date version of the problem going beyond the dichotomy between chance and determinism. To this end, we will first see how the view on living systems has evolved from the mechanistic one of the 19th century to the one stemming from the most recent literature, where they emerge as complex systems continuously evolving through multiple interactions among their components and with the surrounding environment. We will then report on the ever increasing evidence of "friendly" co-existence in living beings between a number of "variability generators", fixed by evolution, and the "spontaneous order" derived from interactions between components. We will propose that the "disorder" generated is "benevolent" because it allows living systems to rapidly adapt to changes in the environment by continuously changing, while keeping their internal harmony.

Eco-evolutionary spatial dynamics in the Glanville fritillary butterfly.

PubMed

Hanski, Ilkka A

2011-08-30

Demographic population dynamics, gene flow, and local adaptation may influence each other and lead to coupling of ecological and evolutionary dynamics, especially in species inhabiting fragmented heterogeneous environments. Here, I review long-term research on eco-evolutionary spatial dynamics in the Glanville fritillary butterfly inhabiting a large network of approximately 4,000 meadows in Finland. The metapopulation persists in a balance between frequent local extinctions and recolonizations. The genetic spatial structure as defined by neutral markers is much more coarse-grained than the demographic spatial structure determined by the fragmented habitat, yet small-scale spatial structure has important consequences for the dynamics. I discuss three examples of eco-evolutionary spatial dynamics. (i) Extinction-colonization metapopulation dynamics influence allele frequency changes in the phosphoglucose isomerase (Pgi) gene, which leads to strong associations between genetic variation in Pgi and dispersal, recolonization, and local population dynamics. (ii) Inbreeding in local populations increases their risk for extinction, whereas reciprocal effects between inbreeding, population size, and emigration represent likely eco-evolutionary feedbacks. (iii) Genetically determined female oviposition preference for two host plant species exhibits a cline paralleling a gradient in host plant relative abundances, and host plant preference of dispersing females in relation to the host plant composition of habitat patches influences immigration (gene flow) and recolonization (founder events). Eco-evolutionary spatial dynamics in heterogeneous environments may not lead to directional evolutionary changes unless the environment itself changes, but eco-evolutionary dynamics may contribute to the maintenance of genetic variation attributable to fluctuating selection in space and time.

Animal behaviour shapes the ecological effects of ocean acidification and warming: moving from individual to community-level responses.

PubMed

Nagelkerken, Ivan; Munday, Philip L

2016-03-01

Biological communities are shaped by complex interactions between organisms and their environment as well as interactions with other species. Humans are rapidly changing the marine environment through increasing greenhouse gas emissions, resulting in ocean warming and acidification. The first response by animals to environmental change is predominantly through modification of their behaviour, which in turn affects species interactions and ecological processes. Yet, many climate change studies ignore animal behaviour. Furthermore, our current knowledge of how global change alters animal behaviour is mostly restricted to single species, life phases and stressors, leading to an incomplete view of how coinciding climate stressors can affect the ecological interactions that structure biological communities. Here, we first review studies on the effects of warming and acidification on the behaviour of marine animals. We demonstrate how pervasive the effects of global change are on a wide range of critical behaviours that determine the persistence of species and their success in ecological communities. We then evaluate several approaches to studying the ecological effects of warming and acidification, and identify knowledge gaps that need to be filled, to better understand how global change will affect marine populations and communities through altered animal behaviours. Our review provides a synthesis of the far-reaching consequences that behavioural changes could have for marine ecosystems in a rapidly changing environment. Without considering the pervasive effects of climate change on animal behaviour we will limit our ability to forecast the impacts of ocean change and provide insights that can aid management strategies. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Economic and Environmental Impacts of the Columbia-Snake River Extended Lock Outage

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2012-03-01

This reports main objective is to analyze the change in rates and modal costs for shippers, commodity industries and ports prior to, during and after the fifteen week lock outage and to determine the impacts on the environment in the form of energ...

Gender Differences in Resilience of Academic Deans

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Isaacs, Albert J.

2014-01-01

The purpose of this investigation was to determine the difference in the levels of resilience characteristics between male and female deans within a state university system. Resilience is the ability to operate in a changing environment while consistently maintaining one's effectiveness. This quantitative study utilized the survey, Personal…

Organization culture and the marketing concept: diagnostic keys for hospitals.

PubMed

Arnold, D R; Capella, L M; Sumrall, D A

1987-03-01

For successful adaptation to changing environmental conditions, hospital organizational cultures must incorporate the marketing concept to enhance flexibility and orientation toward the external environment. The authors propose procedures for diagnosing a hospital's culture and determining how well it has adopted and implemented the marketing concept.

CHANGES IN SPECTRAL AND PHOTOCHEMICAL PROPERTIES OF COLORED DISSOLVED ORGANIC MATTER IN A COASTAL ESTUARY

EPA Science Inventory

Colored dissolved organic matter (CDOM) is the primary determinant of UV penetration and exposure in freshwater and coastal environments. CDOM is photochemically reactive and its photoreactions can lead to reductions in UV absorbance and increased UV exposure in aquatic ecosystem...

Usability Definitions in a Dynamically Changing Information Environment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chen, Yu-Hui; Rorissa, Abebe; Germain, Carol Anne

2015-01-01

The authors compared Web usability definitions, collected from library professionals at academic institutions of the Association of Research Libraries (ARL) through online surveys in 2007 and 2012, to determine whether library practitioners' perspectives had altered as information technologies evolved during this time. The authors applied three…

Ecosystem Research in EPA: Process Studies, Field Investigations, and Integrated Environmental Modeling

EPA Science Inventory

The Ecosystems Research Division (ERD) is located in Athens, GA, USA. The research goals of ERD is to assess and quantify pathways and transformations of contaminants in the environment and to determine how physical changes (e.g., development, mining roads, green infrastructure, ...

Pseudogymnoascus destructans transcriptome changes during white-nose syndrome infections

Treesearch

Sophia M. Reeder; Jonathan M. Palmer; Jenni M. Prokkola; Thomas M. Lilley; DeeAnn M. Reeder; Kenneth A. Field

2017-01-01

White nose syndrome (WNS) is caused by the psychrophilic fungus Pseudogymnoascus destructans that can grow in the environment saprotrophically or parasitically by infecting hibernating bats. Infections are pathological in many species of North American bats, disrupting hibernation and causing mortality. To determine what fungal pathways are...

The effect of fidelity: how expert behavior changes in a virtual reality environment.

PubMed

Ioannou, Ioanna; Avery, Alex; Zhou, Yun; Szudek, Jacek; Kennedy, Gregor; O'Leary, Stephen

2014-09-01

We compare the behavior of expert surgeons operating on the "gold standard" of simulation-the cadaveric temporal bone-against a high-fidelity virtual reality (VR) simulation. We aim to determine whether expert behavior changes within the virtual environment and to understand how the fidelity of simulation affects users' behavior. Five expert otologists performed cortical mastoidectomy and cochleostomy on a human cadaveric temporal bone and a VR temporal bone simulator. Hand movement and video recordings were used to derive a range of measures, to facilitate an analysis of surgical technique, and to compare expert behavior between the cadaveric and simulator environments. Drilling time was similar across the two environments. Some measures such as total time and burr change count differed predictably due to the ease of switching burrs within the simulator. Surgical strokes were generally longer in distance and duration in VR, but these measures changed proportionally to cadaveric measures across the stages of the procedure. Stroke shape metrics differed, which was attributed to the modeling of burr behavior within the simulator. This will be corrected in future versions. Slight differences in drill interaction between a virtual environment and the real world can have measurable effects on surgical technique, particularly in terms of stroke length, duration, and curvature. It is important to understand these effects when designing and implementing surgical training programs based on VR simulation--and when improving the fidelity of VR simulators to facilitate use of a similar technique in both real and simulated situations. © 2014 The American Laryngological, Rhinological and Otological Society, Inc.

"Go home, sit less: The impact of home versus hospital rehabilitation environment on activity levels of stroke survivors".

PubMed

Simpson, Dawn B; Breslin, Monique; Cumming, Toby; de Zoete, Sam; Gall, Seana L; Schmidt, Matthew; English, Coralie; Callisaya, Michele L

2018-05-08

To examine whether change in rehabilitation environment (hospital or home) and other factors, influence time spent sitting, upright and walking after stroke. Observational study. Two inpatient rehabilitation units, and community residences following discharge. Thirty-four participants with stroke were recruited. An activity monitor was worn continuously for 7 days during the final week in hospital, and first week home. Other covariates included mood, fatigue, physical function, pain and cognition. Linear mixed models were performed to examine the associations between the environment (exposure) and physical activity levels (outcome) in hospital and at home. Interaction terms between the exposure and other covariates were added to the model to determine whether they modified activity with change in environment. The mean age of participants was 68 [SD 13] years and 53% were male. At home, participants spent 45 fewer minutes sitting (95% CI -84.8, -6.1; p=0.02), 45 more minutes upright (95% CI 6.1, 84.8; p=0.02), 12 more minutes walking (95% CI 5, 19; p=0.001) and completed 724 additional steps (95% CI 199, 1250; p=0.01) each day compared to in hospital. Depression at discharge predicted greater sitting time and less upright time (p=0.03 respectively) at home. Environmental change from hospital to home was associated with reduced sitting time and increased the time spent physically active, though depression modified this change. The rehabilitation environment may be a target to reduce sitting and promote physical activity. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Using Time-Driven Activity-Based Costing to Implement Change.

PubMed

Sayed, Ellen N; Laws, Sa'ad; Uthman, Basim

2017-01-01

Academic medical libraries have responded to changes in technology, evolving professional roles, reduced budgets, and declining traditional services. Libraries that have taken a proactive role to change have seen their librarians emerge as collaborators and partners with faculty and researchers, while para-professional staff is increasingly overseeing traditional services. This article addresses shifting staff and schedules at a single-service-point information desk by using time-driven activity-based costing to determine the utilization of resources available to provide traditional library services. Opening hours and schedules were changed, allowing librarians to focus on patrons' information needs in their own environment.

SNL-EFDC Simulations of Tidal Turbine-Related Changes to Hydrodynamics and Flushing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Roberts, J. D.; Johnson, E.; James, S. C.; Barco, J.; Jones, C.

2012-12-01

The marine and hydrokinetic (MHK) industry in the United States faces challenges associated with siting, permitting, construction, and operation of pilot- and full-scale facilities that must be addressed to accelerate environmentally sound deployment of these renewable energy technologies. Little is known about the potential effects of MHK device operation in coastal areas, estuaries, or rivers, or of the cumulative impacts of these devices on aquatic ecosystems. This lack of knowledge affects the actions of regulatory agencies, the opinions of stakeholder groups, and the commitment of energy project developers and investors. Two particularly important factors that can be used as a precursor for MHK-driven environmental changes in estuaries are the effect of decreased tidal range and flushing. For example, tidal-range changes could affect wetland systems that are only wetted under the highest of tides. Significant changes in tidal range could completely change the character of the wetlands through long-term drying. Changes to flushing must also be understood, especially when municipal wastewater and other pollutant sources are discharged into a bay. When MHK operation alters flow rates, decreased flushing of an embayment could yield increased residence times, decreased nutrient and contaminant dispersion, and even the possibility of algal blooms. Small changes to the flow could manifest as noticeable changes to sediment transport and water quality. This work provides example assessments of changes to the physical environment (i.e. currents, tidal ranges, water age, and e-folding time) potentially imposed by the operation of MHK turbine arrays in marine estuary environments using the modeling platform SNL-EFDC. Comparing model results with and without an MHK array facilitates an understanding of how an array of turbines might alter the environment. By using models to simulate water circulation, commensurate changes in water quality, benthic habitat quality, and aquatic food webs may be predicted. Scenarios may be developed that examine the limits of environmental changes that could occur in specific aquatic areas before unacceptable environmental degradation occurs. These simulations and scenario analyses can provide cost-effective planning tools for use before proceeding to detailed siting, engineering designs, and deployment of devices. The results of the models also imply that no single metric is suitable for determining the impact an array of MHK devices will have on a system and additional system-specific metrics should be included for a complete analysis. While it will be left to regulators and environmentalists to determine what degree of environmental changes are acceptable, or if an alternate design, array layout, or decreased power generation capacity is warranted, SNL-EFDC provides a tool developers and regulators can reference to determine the impact MHK devices will have on a site-by-site basis.

Making fate and exposure models for freshwater ecotoxicity in life cycle assessment suitable for organic acids and bases.

PubMed

van Zelm, Rosalie; Stam, Gea; Huijbregts, Mark A J; van de Meent, Dik

2013-01-01

Freshwater fate and exposure factors were determined for organic acids and bases, making use of the knowledge on electrical interaction of ionizing chemicals and their sorption to particles. The fate factor represents the residence time in the environment whereas exposure factors equal the dissolved fraction of a chemical. Multimedia fate, exposure, and effect model USES-LCA was updated to take into account the influence of ionization, based upon the acid dissociation constant (pK(a)) of a chemical, and the environmental pH. Freshwater fate (FF) and exposure (XF) factors were determined for 415 acids and 496 bases emitted to freshwater, air, and soil. The relevance of taking account of the degree of ionization of chemicals was tested by determining the ratio (R) of the new vs. fate and exposure factors determined with USES-LCA suitable for neutral chemicals only. Our results show that the majority of freshwater fate and exposure factors of chemicals that are largely ionized in the environment are larger with the ionics model compared to the factors determined with the neutrals model version. R(FF) ranged from 2.4×10(-1) to 1.6×10(1) for freshwater emissions, from 1.2×10(-2) to 2.0×10(4) for soil emissions and from 5.8×10(-2) to 6.0×10(3) for air emissions, and R(XF) from 5.3×10(-1) to 2.2×10(1). Prediction of changed solid-water partitioning, implying a change in runoff and in removal via sedimentation, and prediction of negligible air-water partition coefficient, leading to negligible volatilization were the main contributors to the changes in freshwater fate factors. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A Process Analysis of the Uniform Chart of Accounts Personnel Utilization System

DTIC Science & Technology

2002-04-23

business practices is evolving rapidly. The ever- changing health care environment requires all providers to be familiar with the costs of each...advised the standardization of the data used to develop them as well as the formulas for calculating them. These changes mostly related to workload...can also be used to determine site-specific capabilities and to identify potential areas for inter - service support of workload through sharing of

Epigenetics meets endocrinology

PubMed Central

Zhang, Xiang; Ho, Shuk-Mei

2014-01-01

Although genetics determines endocrine phenotypes, it cannot fully explain the great variability and reversibility of the system in response to environmental changes. Evidence now suggests that epigenetics, i.e. heritable but reversible changes in gene function without changes in nucleotide sequence, links genetics and environment in shaping endocrine function. Epigenetic mechanisms, including DNA methylation, histone modification, and microRNA, partition the genome into active and inactive domains based on endogenous and exogenous environmental changes and developmental stages, creating phenotype plasticity that can explain interindividual and population endocrine variability. We will review the current understanding of epigenetics in endocrinology, specifically, the regulation by epigenetics of the three levels of hormone action (synthesis and release, circulating and target tissue levels, and target-organ responsiveness) and the epigenetic action of endocrine disruptors. We will also discuss the impacts of hormones on epigenetics. We propose a three-dimensional model (genetics, environment, and developmental stage) to explain the phenomena related to progressive changes in endocrine functions with age, the early origin of endocrine disorders, phenotype discordance between monozygotic twins, rapid shifts in disease patterns among populations experiencing major lifestyle changes such as immigration, and the many endocrine disruptions in contemporary life. We emphasize that the key for understanding epigenetics in endocrinology is the identification, through advanced high-throughput screening technologies, of plasticity genes or loci that respond directly to a specific environmental stimulus. Investigations to determine whether epigenetic changes induced by today's lifestyles or environmental `exposures' can be inherited and are reversible should open doors for applying epigenetics to the prevention and treatment of endocrine disorders. PMID:21322125

Changes in Consumer Purchases in Stores Participating in an Obesity Prevention Initiative.

PubMed

Woodward-Lopez, Gail; Kao, Janice; Kuo, Elena S; Rauzon, Suzanne; Taylor, Anthony C; Goette, Christina; Collins, Carole; Gonzalez, Esmeralda P; Ronshausen, Danielle R; Boyle, Kathryn; Williamson, Dana; Cheadle, Allen

2018-05-01

From 2011 to 2014, small stores in three communities participated in a community-wide obesity prevention initiative. The study aimed to determine how participation in the initiative influenced store environments and consumer purchases. Pre- and post-intervention without control. Structured observations of the store environments and intercept surveys of adult shoppers at all stores, and of children at two stores, conducted at baseline and follow-up. Manager/owner interviews regarding perceived impacts of the intervention conducted at follow-up. Shoppers at nine small stores in three diverse, low-income communities in Northern California. The store interventions were determined locally with combinations of strategies such as product displays, healthier options, marketing and promotion, store layout, and facility improvements that were implemented to varying degrees at each site. Changes in store environments and purchases of select foods and beverages. Stores experienced consistent, but not always significant, declines in purchases of sweets and chips and increases in purchases of fruits and vegetables at select stores. Decreases in purchases of targeted sugar-sweetened beverages were offset by increases in purchases of other sugar-sweetened beverages. Changes in store environments and promotional activities varied widely from store to store and corresponded to variations in changes in purchasing. The owners/managers perceived benefits to their bottom line and community/customer relations, but challenges were identified that may account for the varied degree of implementation. Substantive improvements in fruit and vegetable availability and promotion were needed to achieve a measurable impact on purchases but reducing purchases of unhealthy foods, like sweets and chips, required a less consistent intensive effort. These findings suggest it may be challenging to achieve the consistent and targeted implementation of changes and ongoing promotional efforts at a large enough proportion of stores where residents shop that would be required to get measurable impacts at the community level. This article is part of a supplement entitled Building Thriving Communities Through Comprehensive Community Health Initiatives, which is sponsored by Kaiser Permanente, Community Health. Copyright © 2018 American Journal of Preventive Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

REACH--Richmond Enhanced Academics for Change. Nabisco Richmond Model. Skills Effectiveness Training for Workplace Literacy: The Non-Intrusive Determination of Workplace Literacy Skills Requirements in a Union Environment. Final Reports.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nabisco, Richmond, VA.

A workplace literacy project was conducted at the Nabisco Richmond Facility for the following purposes: to determine what academic skills are necessary to perform 10 selected jobs, to develop a validated assessment to evaluate an employee's literacy skills, to develop a job-specific curriculum to improve skill deficits, and to provide an…

Dispersal patterns, active behaviour, and flow environment during early life history of coastal cold water fishes.

PubMed

Stanley, Ryan; Snelgrove, Paul V R; Deyoung, Brad; Gregory, Robert S

2012-01-01

During the pelagic larval phase, fish dispersal may be influenced passively by surface currents or actively determined by swimming behaviour. In situ observations of larval swimming are few given the constraints of field sampling. Active behaviour is therefore often inferred from spatial patterns in the field, laboratory studies, or hydrodynamic theory, but rarely are these approaches considered in concert. Ichthyoplankton survey data collected during 2004 and 2006 from coastal Newfoundland show that changes in spatial heterogeneity for multiple species do not conform to predictions based on passive transport. We evaluated the interaction of individual larvae with their environment by calculating Reynolds number as a function of ontogeny. Typically, larvae hatch into a viscous environment in which swimming is inefficient, and later grow into more efficient intermediate and inertial swimming environments. Swimming is therefore closely related to length, not only because of swimming capacity but also in how larvae experience viscosity. Six of eight species sampled demonstrated consistent changes in spatial patchiness and concomitant increases in spatial heterogeneity as they transitioned into more favourable hydrodynamic swimming environments, suggesting an active behavioural element to dispersal. We propose the tandem assessment of spatial heterogeneity and hydrodynamic environment as a potential approach to understand and predict the onset of ecologically significant swimming behaviour of larval fishes in the field.

The effect of environmental heterogeneity on RPW8-mediated resistance to powdery mildews in Arabidopsis thaliana

PubMed Central

Jorgensen, Tove H.

2012-01-01

Background and Aims The biotic and abiotic environment of interacting hosts and parasites may vary considerably over small spatial and temporal scales. It is essential to understand how different environments affect host disease resistance because this determines frequency of disease and, importantly, heterogeneous environments can retard direct selection and potentially maintain genetic variation for resistance in natural populations. Methods The effect of different temperatures and soil nutrient conditions on the outcome of infection by a pathogen was quantified in Arabidopsis thaliana. Expression levels of a gene conferring resistance to powdery mildews, RPW8, were compared with levels of disease to test a possible mechanism behind variation in resistance. Key Results Most host genotypes changed from susceptible to resistant across environments with the ranking of genotypes differing between treatments. Transcription levels of RPW8 increased after infection and varied between environments, but there was no tight association between transcription and resistance levels. Conclusions There is a strong potential for a heterogeneous environment to change the resistance capacity of A. thaliana genotypes and hence the direction and magnitude of selection in the presence of the pathogen. Possible causative links between resistance gene expression and disease resistance are discussed in light of the present results on RPW8. PMID:22234559

Effects of cutting parameters and machining environments on surface roughness in hard turning using design of experiment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mia, Mozammel; Bashir, Mahmood Al; Dhar, Nikhil Ranjan

2016-07-01

Hard turning is gradually replacing the time consuming conventional turning process, which is typically followed by grinding, by producing surface quality compatible to grinding. The hard turned surface roughness depends on the cutting parameters, machining environments and tool insert configurations. In this article the variation of the surface roughness of the produced surfaces with the changes in tool insert configuration, use of coolant and different cutting parameters (cutting speed, feed rate) has been investigated. This investigation was performed in machining AISI 1060 steel, hardened to 56 HRC by heat treatment, using coated carbide inserts under two different machining environments. The depth of cut, fluid pressure and material hardness were kept constant. The Design of Experiment (DOE) was performed to determine the number and combination sets of different cutting parameters. A full factorial analysis has been performed to examine the effect of main factors as well as interaction effect of factors on surface roughness. A statistical analysis of variance (ANOVA) was employed to determine the combined effect of cutting parameters, environment and tool configuration. The result of this analysis reveals that environment has the most significant impact on surface roughness followed by feed rate and tool configuration respectively.

A model for the effect of real leaks on the transport of microorganisms into a vacuum freeze-dryer.

PubMed

Jennings, T A

1990-01-01

This paper proposes a model for determining the effect that real leaks, whose flow is viscous in nature, could have on the microorganism density in a vacuum freeze-dryer during a drying process. The model considers the entry of microorganisms to result from real leaks stemming from an environment containing a known bioburden. A means for determining the relationship between the rate of pressure rise of the system (ROR) and the density of microorganisms in a system, stemming from an environment of a known bioburden, is examined. The model also considers the change in the bioburden of the dryer with respect to variations in the primary and secondary drying process.

Effect of virtual reality distraction on pain among patients with hand injury undergoing dressing change.

PubMed

Guo, Chunlan; Deng, Hongyan; Yang, Jian

2015-01-01

To assess the effect of virtual reality distraction on pain among patients with a hand injury undergoing a dressing change. Virtual reality distraction can effectively alleviate pain among patients undergoing a dressing change. Clinical research has not addressed pain control during a dressing change. A randomised controlled trial was performed. In the first dressing change sequence, 98 patients were randomly divided into an experimental group and a control group, with 49 cases in each group. Pain levels were compared between the two groups before and after the dressing change using a visual analog scale. The sense of involvement in virtual environments was measured using the Pearson correlation coefficient analysis, which determined the relationship between the sense of involvement and pain level. The difference in visual analog scale scores between the two groups before the dressing change was not statistically significant (t = 0·196, p > 0·05), but the scores became statistically significant after the dressing change (t = -30·792, p < 0·01). The correlation between the sense of involvement in a virtual environment and pain level during the dressing was statistically significant (R(2) = 0·5538, p < 0·05). Virtual reality distraction can effectively alleviate pain among patients with a hand injury undergoing a dressing change. Better results can be obtained by increasing the sense of involvement in a virtual environment. Virtual reality distraction can effectively relieve pain without side effects and is not reliant on a doctor's prescription. This tool is convenient for nurses to use, especially when analgesics are unavailable. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Monitoring the availability of healthy and unhealthy foods and non-alcoholic beverages in community and consumer retail food environments globally.

PubMed

Ni Mhurchu, C; Vandevijvere, S; Waterlander, W; Thornton, L E; Kelly, B; Cameron, A J; Snowdon, W; Swinburn, B

2013-10-01

Retail food environments are increasingly considered influential in determining dietary behaviours and health outcomes. We reviewed the available evidence on associations between community (type, availability and accessibility of food outlets) and consumer (product availability, prices, promotions and nutritional quality within stores) food environments and dietary outcomes in order to develop an evidence-based framework for monitoring the availability of healthy and unhealthy foods and non-alcoholic beverages in retail food environments. Current evidence is suggestive of an association between community and consumer food environments and dietary outcomes; however, substantial heterogeneity in study designs, methods and measurement tools makes it difficult to draw firm conclusions. The use of standardized tools to monitor local food environments within and across countries may help to validate this relationship. We propose a step-wise framework to monitor and benchmark community and consumer retail food environments that can be used to assess density of healthy and unhealthy food outlets; measure proximity of healthy and unhealthy food outlets to homes/schools; evaluate availability of healthy and unhealthy foods in-store; compare food environments over time and between regions and countries; evaluate compliance with local policies, guidelines or voluntary codes of practice; and determine the impact of changes to retail food environments on health outcomes, such as obesity. © 2013 The Authors. Obesity Reviews published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of the International Association for the Study of Obesity.

School Climate Assessment Programs. Technical Assistance Bulletin 38.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National School Resource Network, Washington, DC.

Numerous studies indicate that climate, the prevailing "feeling" of the environment, not only contributes to behavioral and situational outcomes, but that climate can be changed to help bring about the behaviors and outcomes desired. Researchers have identified characteristics of positive school climates and ways of determining the presence or…

Determining trace gas flux from container-grown woody ornamentals

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

In recent years, anthropogenic climate change and its effects on the global environment has garnered significant attention from the scientific community. Increased trace gas emissions (CO2, CH4, and N2O) are widely believed to be the driving force behind global warming. Agriculture is a large contri...

Attentional Set-Shifting in Fragile X Syndrome

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Van der Molen, M. J. W.; Van der Molen, M. W.; Ridderinkhof, K. R.; Hamel, B. C. J.; Curfs, L. M. G.; Ramakers, G. J. A.

2012-01-01

The ability to flexibly adapt to the changing demands of the environment is often reported as a core deficit in fragile X syndrome (FXS). However, the cognitive processes that determine this attentional set-shifting deficit remain elusive. The present study investigated attentional set-shifting ability in fragile X syndrome males with the…

Memory Load Affects Object Individuation in 18-Month-Old Infants

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zosh, Jennifer M.; Feigenson, Lisa

2012-01-01

Accurate representation of a changing environment requires individuation--the ability to determine how many numerically distinct objects are present in a scene. Much research has characterized early individuation abilities by identifying which object features infants can use to individuate throughout development. However, despite the fact that…

Final Rule - Protection of Stratospheric Ozone: Change of Listing Status for Certain Substitutes under the Significant New Alternatives Policy Program

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Section 612 provides that EPA must prohibit the use of a substitute where EPA has determined that there are other available substitutes or potentially available substitutes that pose less overall risk to human health and the environment.

Teaching and Learning Centres: Towards Maturation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Challis, Di; Holt, Dale; Palmer, Stuart

2009-01-01

Approximately 70% of Australian Teaching and Learning Centres have been restructured and/or have undergone leadership changes in the last three years. The volatility of this environment reflects the number of significant challenges faced by Teaching and Learning Centres. In determining what makes Centres successful, the issues that are likely to…

Sustaining Urban Forests

Treesearch

John F. Dwyer; David J. Nowak

2003-01-01

The significance of the urban forest resource and the powerful forces for change in the urban environment make sustainability a critical issue in urban forest management. The diversity, connectedness, and dynamics of the urban forest establish the context for management that will determine the sustainability of forest structure, health, functions, and benefits. A...

Counselor-Advocate-Scholar Model: Changing the Dominant Discourse in Counseling

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ratts, Manivong J.; Greenleaf, Arie T.

2018-01-01

Discourse represents the languages, ideas, and images that together shape one's understanding of the world. In counseling, discourse determines clinical practice. The authors posit that dominant discourse in counseling promotes an intrapsychic status quo that discounts the relationship between individuals and their environment, which often leads…

Listeria monocytogenes DNA glycosylase AdiP affects flagellar motility, biofilm formation, virulence, and stress responses

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The temperature-dependent alteration of flagellar motility gene expression is critical for the foodborne pathogen Listeria monocytogenes to respond to a changing environment. In this study, a genetic determinant, L. monocytogenes f2365_0220 (lmof2365_0220), encoding a putative protein that is struct...

Classifying rarity and abundance at a regional scale: Implementation within a new ecoinformatics tool

EPA Science Inventory

One factor that determines a species vulnerability to extinction is its rarity in the environment and a goal of many species analyses is to evaluate geographic patterns of abundance. In an attempt to assess vulnerability to climate change, we evaluated relative species abundance...

MORPHOGENESIS OF DOUGLAS-FIR BUDS IN ALTERED AT ELEVATED TEMPERATURE BUT NOT AT ELEVATED CO21

EPA Science Inventory

Global climatic change as expressed by increased CO2 and temperature has the potential for dramatic effects on trees. To determine what its effects may be on Pacific Northwest forests, Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) seedlings were grown in sun-lit controlled environment cham...

Anxiety in Science Classrooms: Its Measurement and Relationship to Classroom Environment.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fraser, Barry J.; And Others

1983-01-01

Determined reliability/usefulness of a simple anxiety measure administered to 2,068 grade eight and nine students. Also found relationships between anxiety and such classroom characteristics as participation, teacher support, and competition. Suggests use of the measure in guiding teachers to change classrooms to reduce student anxiety. (JN)

Leadership challenges to move nurses toward collaborative individualism within a neo-corporate bureaucratic environment.

PubMed

Hurley, John; Linsley, Paul

2007-10-01

The purpose of this article was to highlight the increasing corporate style pressures being exerted upon the NHS in England and Wales and how the nursing profession needs to fundamentally change in response to this emerging environment. Through examining a range of nursing leadership responses this paper offers a way forward to meet these challenges. Given the accelerating pace of fundamental change within health service delivery the nursing profession is particularly challenged to enact not just new structures but a new, eclectic model of nursing leadership that engages nurses at the clinical interface. Without this, both individual nurses and the wider professions risks being inert within an era of profound change. The palpable incongruence between health organizations and leadership models create ineffectiveness and a paucity of self-determinism within nursing. Apparent is the wide range of leadership styles required to respond to these challenges that overtly exceed a single leadership model alone.

Environment and genotype effects on antioxidant properties of organically grown wheat varieties: a 3-year study.

PubMed

Di Silvestro, Raffaella; Di Loreto, Alessandro; Bosi, Sara; Bregola, Valeria; Marotti, Ilaria; Benedettelli, Stefano; Segura-Carretero, Antonio; Dinelli, Giovanni

2017-01-01

Wheat grain (Triticum aestivum L.) possesses significant amounts of antioxidants that contribute to the dietary antiradical protection against a number of chronic diseases. Despite the increasing interest in organic food among both consumers and scientists, the availability of literature studies concerning the environment effect under organic management is still scarce. The aim of this study was to evaluate the antioxidant properties of wheat varieties by considering the genotype response to different environmental factors under biodynamic management. The soluble fraction of phenolic compounds was mainly determined by the environment, whereas a major genotypic effect was observed for the bound forms, which were present at higher amounts in red grain varieties. Moreover, a predominant effect of genotype was observed for yellow pigment content and antioxidant activity determined by the FRAP method. Despite some changes induced by environment, most genotypes had stable antioxidant properties and different phenolic profiles as determined by high-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry, except for the old variety Inallettabile, which was the most sensitive to environmental fluctuations. The red grain varieties Andriolo, Gentil rosso and Verna were identified as the most promising breeding material for the development of varieties with high nutraceutical value under low-input management. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry.

The impact of Nursing Rounds on the practice environment and nurse satisfaction in intensive care: pre-test post-test comparative study.

PubMed

Aitken, Leanne M; Burmeister, Elizabeth; Clayton, Samantha; Dalais, Christine; Gardner, Glenn

2011-08-01

Factors previously shown to influence patient care include effective decision making, team work, evidence based practice, staffing and job satisfaction. Clinical rounds have the potential to optimise these factors and impact on patient outcomes, but use of this strategy by intensive care nurses has not been reported. To determine the effect of implementing Nursing Rounds in the intensive care environment on patient care planning and nurses' perceptions of the practice environment and work satisfaction. Pre-test post-test 2 group comparative design. Two intensive care units in tertiary teaching hospitals in Australia. A convenience sample of registered nurses (n=244) working full time or part time in the participating intensive care units. Nurses in participating intensive care units were asked to complete the Practice Environment Scale-Nursing Work Index (PES-NWI) and the Nursing Worklife Satisfaction Scale (NWSS) prior to and after a 12 month period during which regular Nursing Rounds were conducted in the intervention unit. Issues raised during Nursing Rounds were described and categorised. The characteristics of the sample and scale scores were summarised with differences between pre and post scores analysed using t-tests for continuous variables and chi-square tests for categorical variables. Independent predictors of the PES-NWI were determined using multivariate linear regression. Nursing Rounds resulted in 577 changes being initiated for 171 patients reviewed; these changes related to the physical, psychological--individual, psychological--family, or professional practice aspects of care. Total PES-NWI and NWSS scores were similar before and after the study period in both participating units. The NWSS sub-scale of interaction between nurses improved in the intervention unit during the study period (pre--4.85±0.93; post--5.36±0.89, p=0.002) with no significant increase in the control group. Factors independently related to higher PES-NWI included intervention site and less years in critical care (p<0.05). Implementation of Nursing Rounds within the intensive care environment is feasible and is an effective strategy for initiating change to patient care. Application and testing of this strategy, including identification of the most appropriate methods of measuring impact, in other settings is needed to determine generalisability. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Sleep Quality but Not Quantity Altered With a Change in Training Environment in Elite Australian Rules Football Players.

PubMed

Pitchford, Nathan W; Robertson, Sam J; Sargent, Charli; Cordy, Justin; Bishop, David J; Bartlett, Jonathan D

2017-01-01

To assess the effects of a change in training environment on the sleep characteristics of elite Australian Rules football (AF) players. In an observational crossover trial, 19 elite AF players had time in bed (TIB), total sleep time (TST), sleep efficiency (SE), and wake after sleep onset (WASO) assessed using wristwatch activity devices and subjective sleep diaries across 8-d home and camp periods. Repeated-measures ANOVA determined mean differences in sleep, training load (session rating of perceived exertion [RPE]), and environment. Pearson product-moment correlations, controlling for repeated observations on individuals, were used to assess the relationship between changes in sleep characteristics at home and camp. Cohen effect sizes (d) were calculated using individual means. On camp TIB (+34 min) and WASO (+26 min) increased compared with home. However, TST was similar between home and camp, significantly reducing camp SE (-5.82%). Individually, there were strong negative correlations for TIB and WASO (r = -.75 and r = -.72, respectively) and a moderate negative correlation for SE (r = -.46) between home and relative changes on camp. Camp increased the relationship between individual s-RPE variation and TST variation compared with home (increased load r = -.367 vs .051, reduced load r = .319 vs -.033, camp vs home respectively). Camp compromised sleep quality due to significantly increased TIB without increased TST. Individually, AF players with higher home SE experienced greater reductions in SE on camp. Together, this emphasizes the importance of individualized interventions for elite team-sport athletes when traveling and/or changing environments.

Methods and apparatus for measurement of a dimensional characteristic and methods of predictive modeling related thereto

DOEpatents

Robertson, Eric P [Idaho Falls, ID; Christiansen, Richard L [Littleton, CO

2007-05-29

A method of optically determining a change in magnitude of at least one dimensional characteristic of a sample in response to a selected chamber environment. A magnitude of at least one dimension of the at least one sample may be optically determined subsequent to altering the at least one environmental condition within the chamber. A maximum change in dimension of the at least one sample may be predicted. A dimensional measurement apparatus for indicating a change in at least one dimension of at least one sample. The dimensional measurement apparatus may include a housing with a chamber configured for accommodating pressure changes and an optical perception device for measuring a dimension of at least one sample disposed in the chamber. Methods of simulating injection of a gas into a subterranean formation, injecting gas into a subterranean formation, and producing methane from a coal bed are also disclosed.

Methods for measurement of a dimensional characteristic and methods of predictive modeling related thereto

DOEpatents

Robertson, Eric P; Christiansen, Richard L.

2007-10-23

A method of optically determining a change in magnitude of at least one dimensional characteristic of a sample in response to a selected chamber environment. A magnitude of at least one dimension of the at least one sample may be optically determined subsequent to altering the at least one environmental condition within the chamber. A maximum change in dimension of the at least one sample may be predicted. A dimensional measurement apparatus for indicating a change in at least one dimension of at least one sample. The dimensional measurement apparatus may include a housing with a chamber configured for accommodating pressure changes and an optical perception device for measuring a dimension of at least one sample disposed in the chamber. Methods of simulating injection of a gas into a subterranean formation, injecting gas into a subterranean formation, and producing methane from a coal bed are also disclosed.

Effective use of the built environment to manage behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia: a systematic review.

PubMed

Soril, Lesley J J; Leggett, Laura E; Lorenzetti, Diane L; Silvius, James; Robertson, Duncan; Mansell, Lynne; Holroyd-Leduc, Jayna; Noseworthy, Tom W; Clement, Fiona M

2014-01-01

To determine the effectiveness of built environment interventions in managing behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD) among residents in long-term care settings. Systematic review of literature published from 1995-2013. Studies were included if they: were randomized controlled trials, quasi-experimental trials, or comparative cohort studies; were in long-term or specialized dementia care; included residents with dementia and BPSD; and examined effectiveness of a built environment intervention on frequency and/or severity of BPSD. Quality of included studies was assessed using the Downs and Black Checklist. Study design, patient population, intervention, and outcomes were extracted and narratively synthesized. Five low to moderate quality studies were included. Three categories of interventions were identified: change/redesign of existing physical space, addition of physical objects to environment, and type of living environment. One of the two studies that examined change/redesign of physical spaces reported improvements in BPSD. The addition of physical objects to an existing environment (n = 1) resulted in no difference in BPSD between treatment and control groups. The two studies that examined relocation to a novel living environment reported decreased or no difference in the severity and/or frequency of BPSD post-intervention. No studies reported worsening of BPSD following a built environment intervention. The range of built environment interventions is broad, as is the complex and multi-dimensional nature of BPSD. There is inconclusive evidence to suggest a built environment intervention which is clinically superior in long-term care settings. Further high-quality methodological and experimental studies are required to demonstrate the feasibility and effectiveness of such interventions.

High-spin europium and gadolinium centers in yttrium-aluminum garnet

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vazhenin, V. A.; Potapov, A. P.; Asatryan, G. R.; Uspenskaya, Yu. A.; Petrosyan, A. G.; Fokin, A. V.

2016-08-01

Electron-spin resonance spectra of Eu2+ and Gd3+ centers substituting Y3+ ions in single-crystal yttrium-aluminum garnet have been studied and the parameters of their rhombic spin Hamiltonian have been determined. The fine-structure parameters of the above ions have been calculated in the superposition model disregarding changes in the angular coordinates of the ligand environment of the impurity defect thus demonstrating the necessity of taking these changes into account.

Modifying and reacting to the environmental pH can drive bacterial interactions

PubMed Central

Ratzke, Christoph

2018-01-01

Microbes usually exist in communities consisting of myriad different but interacting species. These interactions are typically mediated through environmental modifications; microbes change the environment by taking up resources and excreting metabolites, which affects the growth of both themselves and also other microbes. We show here that the way microbes modify their environment and react to it sets the interactions within single-species populations and also between different species. A very common environmental modification is a change of the environmental pH. We find experimentally that these pH changes create feedback loops that can determine the fate of bacterial populations; they can either facilitate or inhibit growth, and in extreme cases will cause extinction of the bacterial population. Understanding how single species change the pH and react to these changes allowed us to estimate their pairwise interaction outcomes. Those interactions lead to a set of generic interaction motifs—bistability, successive growth, extended suicide, and stabilization—that may be independent of which environmental parameter is modified and thus may reoccur in different microbial systems. PMID:29538378

Urbanization and environmental change during the economic transition on the Mongolian Plateau: Hohhot and Ulaanbaatar.

PubMed

Fan, Peilei; Chen, Jiquan; John, Ranjeet

2016-01-01

Driven by drastic socioeconomic changes in China and Mongolia, urbanization has become one of the most significant driving forces in the transformation of the Mongolian Plateau in the past 30 years. Using Hohhot and Ulaanbaatar as case studies, we developed a holistic approach to examine the socioeconomic and natural driving forces for urbanization and to investigate the impact on the urban environment. We used a multidisciplinary approach and relied on a variety of data sources to assess the changes of the landscape and environment of the two cities. We detected a rapid urbanization in Hohhot and Ulaanbaatar, both in terms of urban population growth and urban land expansion, from 1990 to 2010, with a much faster speed in 2000-2010. The local geo-physical conditions have constrained the spatial direction of expansion. Ulaanbaatar lagged behind Hohhot for about a decade when measured by indicators of urban population and urban land. Both cities have a degraded urban environment and a growing air pollution epidemic. While Hohhot had worse air pollution than Ulaanbaatar in the early 2000s, the gap between the two cities became smaller after 2010. The research presented here highlights the following as key determinants for urbanization and environmental change: (1) the co-evolution of urbanization, economic development, and environmental change; (2) the urbanization of transitional economies driven by the change of the economic structure, i.e., the development by both manufacturing and tertiary sectors and the change in the primary sector; and (3) the recent institutional changes and increased integration with the global economy. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The evolution of environmental and genetic sex determination in fluctuating environments.

PubMed

Van Dooren, Tom J M; Leimar, Olof

2003-12-01

Twenty years ago, Bulmer and Bull suggested that disruptive selection, produced by environmental fluctuations, can result in an evolutionary transition from environmental sex determination (ESD) to genetic sex determination (GSD). We investigated the feasibility of such a process, using mutation-limited adaptive dynamics and individual-based computer simulations. Our model describes the evolution of a reaction norm for sex determination in a metapopulation setting with partial migration and variation in an environmental variable both within and between local patches. The reaction norm represents the probability of becoming a female as a function of environmental state and was modeled as a sigmoid function with two parameters, one giving the location (i.e., the value of the environmental variable for which an individual has equal chance of becoming either sex) and the other giving the slope of the reaction norm for that environment. The slope can be interpreted as being set by the level of developmental noise in morph determination, with less noise giving a steeper slope and a more switchlike reaction norm. We found convergence stable reaction norms with intermediate to large amounts of developmental noise for conditions characterized by low migration rates, small differential competitive advantages between the sexes over environments, and little variation between individual environments within patches compared to variation between patches. We also considered reaction norms with the slope parameter constrained to a high value, corresponding to little developmental noise. For these we found evolutionary branching in the location parameter and a transition from ESD toward GSD, analogous to the original analysis by Bulmer and Bull. Further evolutionary change, including dominance evolution, produced a polymorphism acting as a GSD system with heterogamety. Our results point to the role of developmental noise in the evolution of sex determination.

The intrinsic cause of color fading in sliced cooked cured beef during chilled storage.

PubMed

Ma, Jing; Yu, Chensha; Guo, Juanjuan; Wu, Mengting; Xu, Yunqiang; Yi, Hongchao; Sun, Weiqing

2017-10-01

The relationship between color change and other physical and chemical characteristics of sliced cooked cured beef (SCCB) during chilled storage were investigated using principal components analysis (PCA) to determine the color fading causes. Samples were prepared and stored at 8°C for up to 35 days in a vacuum package to simulate a supermarket storage environment; related indicators were measured periodically every week. The results showed that the first PC explained 59.82% of the total variation, and the second explained 22.28%. PC1 was a concentrated reflection of color changes of SCCB during storage and PC2 was an environment factor causing the change of color. The change in apparent redness is mainly caused by redox reaction of the nitroso hemochromogen (NH) (eigenvectors of a*, C and NH in PC1 were all the maximum value of 0.28); a* was correlated with NH (0.96), free sulfhydryls (0.98), carbonyl derivatives (-0.95) formed during protein oxidation, and malondialdehyde (-0.98) and dienes (-0.92) formed by lipid oxidation. Color fading was significantly correlated with oxidizing and reducing power, existing forms of nitrogen and with the pH of the meat matrix. Changes in the internal environment of the sample initially influenced L* and b* values, and subsequently a*. © 2017 Japanese Society of Animal Science.

Measuring potential access to food stores and food-service places in rural areas in the U.S.

PubMed

Sharkey, Joseph R

2009-04-01

Geographic access to healthy food resources remains a major focus of research that examines the contribution of the built environment to healthful eating. Methods used to define and measure spatial accessibility can significantly affect the results. Considering the implications for marketing, policy, and programs, adequate measurement of the food environment is important. Little of the published work on food access has focused on rural areas, where the burden of nutrition-related disease is greater. This article seeks to expand our understanding of the challenges to measurement of potential spatial access to food resources in rural areas in the U.S. Key challenges to the accurate measurement of the food environment in rural areas include: (1) defining the rural food environment while recognizing that market factors may be changing; (2) describing characteristics that may differentiate similar types of food stores and food-service places; and (3) determining location coordinates for food stores and food-service places. In order to enhance measurements in rural areas, "ground-truthed" methodology, which includes on-site observation and collection of GPS data, should become the standard for rural areas. Measurement must also recognize the emergence of new and changing store formats. Efforts should be made to determine accessibility, in terms of both proximity to a single location and variety of multiple locations within a specified buffer, from origins other than the home, and consider multipurpose trips and trip chaining. The measurement of food access will be critical for community-based approaches to meet dietary needs. Researchers must be willing to take the steps necessary for rigorous measurement of a dynamic food environment.

Thermal Exposure and Environment Effects on Tension, Fracture and Fatigue of 5XXX Alloys Tested in Different Orientations

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-12-27

were determined and the effects of changes in loading rate and solution on this susceptibility were determined. Technical Approach The technical... approach followed in this completed work has been to conduct quasi- static fracture and fatigue experiments on 5XXX commercial aluminum alloys of interest...Metallic Materials Studied by Correlative Tomography", in 38th Riso International Symposium on Materials Science - IOP Conf. Series: Materials Science

The osmotic stress response of split influenza vaccine particles in an acidic environment.

PubMed

Choi, Hyo-Jick; Kim, Min-Chul; Kang, Sang-Moo; Montemagno, Carlo D

2014-12-01

Oral influenza vaccine provides an efficient means of preventing seasonal and pandemic disease. In this work, the stability of envelope-type split influenza vaccine particles in acidic environments has been investigated. Owing to the fact that hyper-osmotic stress can significantly affect lipid assembly of vaccine, osmotic stress-induced morphological change of split vaccine particles, in conjunction with structural change of antigenic proteins, was investigated by the use of stopped-flow light scattering (SFLS), intrinsic fluorescence, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and hemagglutination assay. Split vaccine particles were found to exhibit a step-wise morphological change in response to osmotic stress due to double-layered wall structure. The presence of hyper-osmotic stress in acidic medium (0.3 osmolarity, pH 2.0) induced a significant level of membrane perturbation as measured by SFLS and TEM, imposing more damage to antigenic proteins on vaccine envelope than can be caused by pH-induced conformational change at acidic iso-osmotic condition. Further supports were provided by the intrinsic fluorescence and hemagglutinin activity measurements. Thus, hyper-osmotic stress becomes an important factor for determining stability of split vaccine particles in acidic medium. These results are useful in better understanding the destabilizing mechanism of split influenza vaccine particles in gastric environment and in designing oral influenza vaccine formulations.

Spectroscopic and theoretical investigation of conformational changes of proteins by synthesized pyrimidine derivative and its sensitivity towards FRET application

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ghosh, Swadesh; Singharoy, Dipti; Bhattacharya, Subhash Chandra

2018-04-01

Interest in synthesizing and characterizing (IR, NMR and HRMS spectroscopic methods) a pyrimidine based Schiff-base ligand, 2-(2-(Anthracen-9-ylmethylene) hydrazinyl)-4,6-dimethyl pyrimidine (ANHP) has been developed for its application to ascertain the conformational change of protein and sensitivity towards fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) process. Location of ANHP in bovine serum albumin (BSA) and human serum albumin (HSA) proteins environment has been determined using different spectroscopic techniques. Weakly fluorescent ANHP have shown greater protein induced fluorescence enhancement (PIFE) in case of HSA than BSA, though in both cases energy transfer efficiency are almost same but difference in binding constant values encourages us to find the location of ANHP within the complex protein environment. From the FRET parameter and α-helicity change, it has been found that ANHP bound with Trp-214 of HSA and surface Trp-134 of BSA. Conformational changes of proteins have been observed more for HSA than BSA in presence of ANHP, which has confirmed the location of ANHP in both the protein environments. Coupled with experimental studies, molecular docking analysis has also been done to explain the locations and distance dependent FRET process of ANHP in both proteins.

Leptospirosis and Workplace Environmental Risk Factors among Cattle Farmers in Northeastern Malaysia.

PubMed

Daud, Aziah Binti; Mohd Fuzi, Nik Mohd Hafiz; Wan Mohammad, Wan Mohd Zahiruddin; Amran, Fairuz; Ismail, Nabilah; Arshad, Mohd Mokhtar; Kamarudin, Suratan

2018-04-01

Leptospirosis is an emerging zoonosis and its occurrence has been reported to be rising globally. The environment plays an important role in the survival of Leptospira and determines the risk of infection. Those who were exposed to and had contact with contaminated environment through their occupational, recreational and other activities can be infected with the organism. To determine the seroprevalence of leptospirosis among cattle farmers, prevalence of pathogenic Leptospira, and the workplace environmental risk factors for leptospirosis among cattle farmers in northeastern Malaysia. A cross-sectional study involving 120 cattle farmers was conducted. The participants answered an interviewer-guided questionnaire that consisted of sociodemographic and workplace environment characteristics questionnaire, before having their blood sample taken for microscopic agglutination test (MAT). Seropositivity was determined using a cut-off titer of ≥1:100. 248 environmental samples were also collected from the cattle farms for polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The overall seroprevalence of leptospiral antibodies was 72.5% (95% CI 63.5% to 80.1%) and the prevalence of pathogenic Leptospira in the cattle farms environment was 12.1% (95% CI 8.4% to 17.0%). The independent factors associated with seropositivity of leptospirosis among cattle farmers were positive pathogenic Leptospira in the environment (Adj OR 5.90, 95% CI 1.34 to 26.01) and presence of garbage dumping in the farm (Adj OR 2.40, 95% CI 1.02 to 5.65). Preventing leptospirosis incidence among cattle farmers necessitates changes in work environment. Identifying modifiable factors may also contribute to the reduction of infection.

The Spatial-Temporal Analysis of Ecological Environment of Red Bed Hills in East Sichuan - Taking LU County as a Case

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, H.; Liu, Y.; Wang, X.; Liu, J.

2018-04-01

Good ecological environment is the foundation of human existence and development, the development of society and economy must be based on the premise of maintaining the stability and balance of the ecological environment. RS and GIS technology are used in this paper while the red-bed hills of Sichuan Province-Lu County have been taken as an example. According to the ecological environment characteristics of the study areas and the principle of choosing evaluation index, this paper selected six evaluation indicators (elevation, slope, aspect, vegetation cover, land use, gully density) to establish evaluation index system of ecological environment of Lu County. This paper determine the weight of each evaluation index by AHP (Analytic Hierarchy Process) and establishes a comprehensive evaluation model by the weighted comprehensive evaluation method. This model is used to divide the ecological environment quality of Lu County into excellent, good, middle, poor and worse, and to analyze the ecological environment change in Lu County in recent ten years.

Evaluating the Coda Phase Delay Method for Determining Temperature Ratios in Windy Environments

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

Albert, Sarah; Bowman, Daniel; Rodgers, Arthur

2017-07-01

We evaluate the acoustic coda phase delay method for estimating changes in atmospheric phenomena in realistic environments. Previous studies verifying the method took place in an environment with negligible wind. The equation for effective sound speed, which the method is based upon, shows that the influence of wind is equal to the square of temperature. Under normal conditions, wind is significant and therefore cannot be ignored. Results from this study con rm the previous statement. The acoustic coda phase delay method breaks down in non-ideal environments, namely those where wind speed and direction varies across small distances. We suggest thatmore » future studies make use of gradiometry to better understand the effect of wind on the acoustic coda and subsequent phase delays.« less

Integrated Data Visualization and Virtual Reality Tool

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dryer, David A.

1998-01-01

The Integrated Data Visualization and Virtual Reality Tool (IDVVRT) Phase II effort was for the design and development of an innovative Data Visualization Environment Tool (DVET) for NASA engineers and scientists, enabling them to visualize complex multidimensional and multivariate data in a virtual environment. The objectives of the project were to: (1) demonstrate the transfer and manipulation of standard engineering data in a virtual world; (2) demonstrate the effects of design and changes using finite element analysis tools; and (3) determine the training and engineering design and analysis effectiveness of the visualization system.

Healthy diet: Health impact, prevalence, correlates, and interventions.

PubMed

de Ridder, Denise; Kroese, Floor; Evers, Catharine; Adriaanse, Marieke; Gillebaart, Marleen

2017-08-01

To discuss healthy diet from a psychological perspective by considering definitions of healthy diet in terms of consumer understanding; the health effects of specific dietary elements in terms of overweight and (chronic) illness; the prevalence of healthy diet; the psychological and environmental determinants of healthy diet; and the psychological interventions that have been designed to promote healthy diet. A systematic review of the psychological literature on healthy diet. Our findings suggest that consumers have a relatively poor understanding of a healthy diet. The literature also demonstrates that there is poor evidence on the health protective effects of single foods or nutrients. We further show that low SES is the single consistent risk factor for not adhering to a healthy diet. Our review of the literature on determinants demonstrates that intentions, habits, self-regulatory skills, and the social and physical environment are the most important determinants of a healthy diet, which are in turn amenable to change by intervention strategies with varying levels of effectiveness. Educational interventions generally show a limited effect on practising a healthy diet whereas interventions targeting habitual behaviour and/or the physical environment seem more promising. In view of the large number of people who are concerned about their diets and make attempts to change their dietary patterns, we conclude that it is crucial to gain a better understanding of both the automatic and environmental influences that are responsible for people not acting upon their good intentions for diet change.

Joint Probability Analysis of Extreme Precipitation and Storm Tide in a Coastal City under Changing Environment

PubMed Central

Xu, Kui; Ma, Chao; Lian, Jijian; Bin, Lingling

2014-01-01

Catastrophic flooding resulting from extreme meteorological events has occurred more frequently and drawn great attention in recent years in China. In coastal areas, extreme precipitation and storm tide are both inducing factors of flooding and therefore their joint probability would be critical to determine the flooding risk. The impact of storm tide or changing environment on flooding is ignored or underestimated in the design of drainage systems of today in coastal areas in China. This paper investigates the joint probability of extreme precipitation and storm tide and its change using copula-based models in Fuzhou City. The change point at the year of 1984 detected by Mann-Kendall and Pettitt’s tests divides the extreme precipitation series into two subsequences. For each subsequence the probability of the joint behavior of extreme precipitation and storm tide is estimated by the optimal copula. Results show that the joint probability has increased by more than 300% on average after 1984 (α = 0.05). The design joint return period (RP) of extreme precipitation and storm tide is estimated to propose a design standard for future flooding preparedness. For a combination of extreme precipitation and storm tide, the design joint RP has become smaller than before. It implies that flooding would happen more often after 1984, which corresponds with the observation. The study would facilitate understanding the change of flood risk and proposing the adaption measures for coastal areas under a changing environment. PMID:25310006

Joint probability analysis of extreme precipitation and storm tide in a coastal city under changing environment.

PubMed

Xu, Kui; Ma, Chao; Lian, Jijian; Bin, Lingling

2014-01-01

Catastrophic flooding resulting from extreme meteorological events has occurred more frequently and drawn great attention in recent years in China. In coastal areas, extreme precipitation and storm tide are both inducing factors of flooding and therefore their joint probability would be critical to determine the flooding risk. The impact of storm tide or changing environment on flooding is ignored or underestimated in the design of drainage systems of today in coastal areas in China. This paper investigates the joint probability of extreme precipitation and storm tide and its change using copula-based models in Fuzhou City. The change point at the year of 1984 detected by Mann-Kendall and Pettitt's tests divides the extreme precipitation series into two subsequences. For each subsequence the probability of the joint behavior of extreme precipitation and storm tide is estimated by the optimal copula. Results show that the joint probability has increased by more than 300% on average after 1984 (α = 0.05). The design joint return period (RP) of extreme precipitation and storm tide is estimated to propose a design standard for future flooding preparedness. For a combination of extreme precipitation and storm tide, the design joint RP has become smaller than before. It implies that flooding would happen more often after 1984, which corresponds with the observation. The study would facilitate understanding the change of flood risk and proposing the adaption measures for coastal areas under a changing environment.

Determination of lipid bilayer affinities and solvation characteristics by electrokinetic chromatography using polymer-bound lipid bilayer nanodiscs.

PubMed

Penny, William M; Palmer, Christopher P

2018-03-01

Styrene-maleic acid polymer-bound lipid bilayer nanodiscs have been investigated and characterized by electrokinetic chromatography. Linear solvation energy relationship analysis was employed to characterize the changes in solvation environment of nanodiscs of varied belt to lipid ratio, belt polymer chemistry and molecular weight, and lipid composition. Increases in the lipid to belt polymer ratio resulted in smaller, more cohesive nanodiscs with greater electrophoretic mobility. Nanodisc structures with belt polymers of different chemistry and molecular weight were compared and showed only minor changes in solvent characteristics and selectivity consistent with changes in structure of the lipid bilayer. Seven phospholipid and sphingomyelin nanodiscs of different lipid composition were characterized. Changes in lipid head group structure had a significant effect on bilayer-solute interactions. In most cases, changes in alkyl tail structure had no discernible effect on solvation environment aside from those explained by changes in the gel-liquid transition temperature. Comparison to vesicles of similar lipid composition show only minor differences in solvation environment, likely due to differences in lipid composition and bilayer curvature. Together these results provide evidence that the dominant solute-nanodisc interactions are with the lipid bilayer and that head group chemistry has a greater impact on bilayer-solute interactions than alkyl tail or belt polymer structure. Nanodisc electrokinetic chromatography is demonstrated to allow characterization of solute interactions with lipid bilayers of varied composition. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Eco-evolutionary spatial dynamics in the Glanville fritillary butterfly

PubMed Central

Hanski, Ilkka A.

2011-01-01

Demographic population dynamics, gene flow, and local adaptation may influence each other and lead to coupling of ecological and evolutionary dynamics, especially in species inhabiting fragmented heterogeneous environments. Here, I review long-term research on eco-evolutionary spatial dynamics in the Glanville fritillary butterfly inhabiting a large network of approximately 4,000 meadows in Finland. The metapopulation persists in a balance between frequent local extinctions and recolonizations. The genetic spatial structure as defined by neutral markers is much more coarse-grained than the demographic spatial structure determined by the fragmented habitat, yet small-scale spatial structure has important consequences for the dynamics. I discuss three examples of eco-evolutionary spatial dynamics. (i) Extinction-colonization metapopulation dynamics influence allele frequency changes in the phosphoglucose isomerase (Pgi) gene, which leads to strong associations between genetic variation in Pgi and dispersal, recolonization, and local population dynamics. (ii) Inbreeding in local populations increases their risk for extinction, whereas reciprocal effects between inbreeding, population size, and emigration represent likely eco-evolutionary feedbacks. (iii) Genetically determined female oviposition preference for two host plant species exhibits a cline paralleling a gradient in host plant relative abundances, and host plant preference of dispersing females in relation to the host plant composition of habitat patches influences immigration (gene flow) and recolonization (founder events). Eco-evolutionary spatial dynamics in heterogeneous environments may not lead to directional evolutionary changes unless the environment itself changes, but eco-evolutionary dynamics may contribute to the maintenance of genetic variation attributable to fluctuating selection in space and time. PMID:21788506

Spectral analysis of resting cardiovascular variables and responses to oscillatory LBNP before and after 6 degree head dowm bedrest

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Knapp, Charles F.; Evans, J. M.; Patwardhan, A.; Levenhagen, D.; Wang, M.; Charles, John B.

1991-01-01

A major focus of our research program is to develop noninvasive procedures for determining changes in cardiovascular function associated with the null gravity environment. We define changes in cardiovascular function to be (1) the result of the regulatory system operating at values different from 'normal' but with an overall control system basically unchanged by the null gravity exposure, or (2) the result of operating with a control system that has significantly different regulatory characteristics after an exposure. To this end, we have used a model of weightlessness that consisted of exposing humans to 2 hrs. in the launch position, followed by 20 hrs. of 6 deg head down bedrest. Our principal objective was to use this model to measure cardiovascular responses to the 6 deg head down bedrest protocol and to develop the most sensitive 'systems identification' procedure for indicating change. A second objective, related to future experiments, is to use the procedure in combination with experiments designed to determine the degree to which a regulatory pathway has been altered and to determine the mechanisms responsible for the changes.

The Impact of External Factors on the Epigenome: In Utero and over Lifetime.

PubMed

Toraño, Estela G; García, María G; Fernández-Morera, Juan Luis; Niño-García, Pilar; Fernández, Agustín F

2016-01-01

Epigenetic marks change during fetal development, adult life, and aging. Some changes play an important role in the establishment and regulation of gene programs, but others seem to occur without any apparent physiological role. An important future challenge in the field of epigenetics will be to describe how the environment affects both of these types of epigenetic change and to learn if interaction between them can determine healthy and disease phenotypes during lifetime. Here we discuss how chemical and physical environmental stressors, diet, life habits, and pharmacological treatments can affect the epigenome during lifetime and the possible impact of these epigenetic changes on pathophysiological processes.

Toward a Theory of Coaching Paradox

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Barnson, Steven C.

2014-01-01

Multiple tensions exist as part of the coaching process. How a coach responds to these tensions is a fundamental determinant of an athlete or team's fate. In today's highly competitive, socially demanding, and ever-changing sports environment, and as the expectations on coaches become more complex, the paradox becomes a critical lens to…

The importance of determining carbon sequestration and greenhouse gas mitigation potential in ornamental horticulture

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Over the past three decades, one issue which has received significant attention from the scientific community is climate change and the possible impacts on the global environment. Increased atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) concentration, along with other trace gases [i.e., methane (CH4) and nitrous ...

Determining trace gas efflux from container production of woody nursery crops

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

In recent years, climate change and its effects on the global environment has garnered significant attention from the scientific community. Increased trace gas emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O) are widely believed to be the driving force behind global warming. ...

Determination of moisture deficit and heat stress tolerance in corn using physiological measurements and a low-cost microcontroller-based monitoring system

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

In the southern United States, corn production encounters moisture deficit coupled with high temperature stress, particularly during the reproductive stage of the plant. In evaluating plants for environmental stress tolerance, it is important to monitor changes in their physical environment under na...

Infiltration on mountain slopes: a comparison of three environments.

Treesearch

Carol P. Harden*; P. Delmas Scruggs

2003-01-01

Water is well established as a major driver of the geomorphic change that eventually reduces mountains to lower relief landscapes. Nonetheless, within the altitudinal limits of continuous vegetation in humid climates, water is also an essential factor in slope stability. In this paper, we present results from field experiments to determine infiltration rates at...

The Influence of PBL on Students' Self-Efficacy Beliefs in Chemistry

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mataka, Lloyd M.; Grunert Kowalske, Megan

2015-01-01

A convergent mixed methods research study was used to investigate whether or not undergraduate students who participated in a problem-based learning (PBL) laboratory environment improved their self-efficacy beliefs in chemistry. The Chemistry Attitude and Experience Questionnaire (CAEQ) was used as a pre- and post-test to determine changes in…

Growth phenology of coast Douglas-fir seed sources planted in diverse environments

Treesearch

Peter J. Gould; Constance A. Harrington; J. Bradley St. Clair

2012-01-01

The timing of periodic life cycle events in plants (phenology) is an important factor determining how species and populations will react to climate change. We evaluated annual patterns of basal-area and height growth of coast Douglas-fir (Pseudotusuga menziesii var. menziesii (Mirb.) Franco) seedlings from four seed sources...

Academic Preparedness as a Predictor of Achievement in an Engineering Design Challenge

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mentzer, Nathan; Becker, Kurt

2010-01-01

The purpose of this study was to determine if a student's academic success, measured by grade point average (GPA) in mathematics, science, and communication courses, is correlated with student change in achievement during an engineering design challenge. Engineering design challenges have been implemented and researched in K-16 environments where…

Determining the Most Suitable E-Learning Delivery Mode for TUT Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Odunaike, Solomon Adeyemi; Chuene, Daniel

2011-01-01

Traditionally, in education and business environment, Information Technology has been seen as purely a support or operational tool. Advances in computing, information storage, software, and networking are all leading to new tools for teaching and learning and are also changing the paradigm for new initiative in the classroom teaching. The Internet…

Combined density functional theory (DFT) and continuum calculations of pKa in carbonic anhydrase.

PubMed

Jiao, Dian; Rempe, Susan B

2012-07-31

Deprotonation of zinc-bound water in carbonic anhydrase II is the rate-limiting step in the catalysis of carbon dioxide between gas- and water-soluble forms. To understand the factors determining the extent of dissociation, or pK(a), of the zinc-bound water, we apply quantum chemistry calculations to the active site coupled with a continuum model of the surrounding environment. Experimentally determined changes in pK(a) associated with mutations of the active site are well reproduced by this approach. Analysis of the active site structure and charge/dipole values provides evidence that mutations cause changes in both conformation of the active site structure and local polarization, which accounts for the shifts in pK(a). More specifically, the shifts in pK(a) correlate with the dipole moments of the zinc-bound water upon deprotonation. The data further support the conclusion that the distinct pK(a) values found in mutations of the same type, but applied to different sites, result from asymmetric ligation and different electronic environments around the zinc ion.

Hard X-ray Fluorescence Microscopy to Determine the Element Distribution of Soil Colloids in Aqueous Environment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gleber, S.-C.; Vogt, S.; Niemeyer, J.; Finney, L.; McNulty, I.; Thieme, J.

2011-09-01

A prominent feature of soil colloids is their huge specific surface. It determines colloidal properties such as adsorption capacity or diffusion. The colloidal interactions differ significantly from the behavior of the same materials in a bulk system. Interactions in the colloidal regime are crucial, for example, for the transport and release of nutrients and toxicants in soils, which then influences directly the growth of plants. However, there is still a need for more analytical resources to study those interactions. To reveal the correlation of the particular trace elements and their distribution in correlation to colloidal interactions as well as changing pH values, experiments at the hard x-ray fluorescence microprobe at beamline 2-ID-E of the Advanced Photon Source (APS), were performed with colloidal clay and soil samples in an aqueous environment as naturally relevant. To obtain further spatial information, stereo imaging has been used. To study the dynamical behavior of these colloidal suspensions at changing pH, a wet sample chamber allowing in situ manipulation was developed and utilized.

Effects of space vacuum and solar ultraviolet irradiation (254 nanometers) on the colony forming ability of Bacillus subtilis spores

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Buecker, H.; Horneck, G.; Wollenhaupt, H.

1973-01-01

Bacillus subtilis spores are highly resistant to harsh environments. Therefore, in the Apollo 16 Microbial Response to Space Environment Experiment (M191), these spores were exposed to space vacuum or solar ultraviolet irradiation, or both, to estimate the change of survival for terrestrial organisms in space. The survival of the spores was determined in terms of colony-forming ability. Comparison of the flight results with results of simulation experiments on earth applying high vacuum or ultraviolet irradiation, or both, revealed no remarkable difference. Simultaneous exposure to both these space factors resulted in a synergistic effect (that is, an ultraviolet supersensitivity). Therefore, the change of survival in space is assumed to depend on the degree of protection against solar ultraviolet irradiation.

Vacuum melting and mechanical testing of simulated lunar glasses

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Carsley, J. E.; Blacic, J. D.; Pletka, B. J.

1992-01-01

Lunar silicate glasses may possess superior mechanical properties compared to terrestrial glasses because the anhydrous lunar environment should prevent hydrolytic weakening of the strong Si-O bonds. This hypothesis was tested by melting, solidifying, and determining the fracture toughness of simulated mare and highlands composition glasses in a high vacuum chamber. The fracture toughness, K(IC), of the resulting glasses was obtained via microindentation techniques. K(IC) increased as the testing environment was changed from air to a vacuum of 10 exp -7 torr. However, this increase in toughness may not result solely from a reduction in the hydrolytic weakening effect; the vacuum-melting process produced both the formation of spinel crystallites on the surfaces of the glass samples and significant changes in the compositions which may have contributed to the improved K(IC).

How does the social environment 'get into the mind'? Epigenetics at the intersection of social and psychiatric epidemiology.

PubMed

Toyokawa, Satoshi; Uddin, Monica; Koenen, Karestan C; Galea, Sandro

2012-01-01

The social environment plays a considerable role in determining major psychiatric disorders. Emerging evidence suggests that features of the social environment modify gene expression independently of the primary DNA sequence through epigenetic processes. Accordingly, dysfunction of epigenetic mechanisms offers a plausible mechanism by which an adverse social environment gets "into the mind" and results in poor mental health. The purpose of this review is to provide an overview of the studies suggesting that epigenetic changes introduced by the social environment then manifest as psychological consequences. Our goal is to build a platform to discuss the ways in which future epidemiologic studies may benefit from including epigenetic measures. We focus on schizophrenia, major depressive disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, anorexia nervosa, and substance dependence as examples that highlight the ways in which social environmental exposures, mediated through epigenetic processes, affect mental health. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Macro-/micro-environment-sensitive chemosensing and biological imaging.

PubMed

Yang, Zhigang; Cao, Jianfang; He, Yanxia; Yang, Jung Ho; Kim, Taeyoung; Peng, Xiaojun; Kim, Jong Seung

2014-07-07

Environment-related parameters, including viscosity, polarity, temperature, hypoxia, and pH, play pivotal roles in controlling the physical or chemical behaviors of local molecules. In particular, in a biological environment, such factors predominantly determine the biological properties of the local environment or reflect corresponding status alterations. Abnormal changes in these factors would cause cellular malfunction or become a hallmark of the occurrence of severe diseases. Therefore, in recent years, they have increasingly attracted research interest from the fields of chemistry and biological chemistry. With the emergence of fluorescence sensing and imaging technology, several fluorescent chemosensors have been designed to respond to such parameters and to further map their distributions and variations in vitro/in vivo. In this work, we have reviewed a number of various environment-responsive chemosensors related to fluorescent recognition of viscosity, polarity, temperature, hypoxia, and pH that have been reported thus far.

Determination of Trophic State Changes with Diel Dissolved Oxygen: A Case Study in a Shallow Lake.

PubMed

Xu, Zhen; Xu, Y Jun

2015-11-01

Current trophic state indices (TSI) have been reported to have limitations in assessing changes in eutrophication status of shallow waters. This study aimed to use intensive measurements on dissolved oxygen (DO) to improve the determination of tropic state changes. The authors deployed an environment monitoring buoy in a eutrophic shallow lake and recorded water temperature, DO, and chlorophyll-a concentrations at 15-minute intervals for two 1-year periods: from August 2008 to July 2009 and from August 2013 to July 2014. In addition, they recorded water levels over the same periods and collected water samples for nutrient analysis. The authors analyzed the high-time resolution DO records, compared the diel DO trends between the two 1-year periods, and proposed a new TSI using DO. They found that analyzing the change in diel DO ranges can improve commonly used methods for classifying trophic states and assessing the change of eutrophication status of waterbodies.

Changes in the radiocarbon reservoir age in Lake Xingyun, Southwestern China during the Holocene.

PubMed

Zhou, Aifeng; He, Yuxin; Wu, Duo; Zhang, Xiaonan; Zhang, Can; Liu, Zhonghui; Yu, Junqing

2015-01-01

Chronology is a necessary component of paleoclimatology. Radiocarbon dating plays a central role in determining the ages of geological samples younger than ca. 50 ka BP. However, there are many limitations for its application, including radiocarbon reservoir effects, which may cause incorrect chronology in many lakes. Here we demonstrate temporal changes in the radiocarbon reservoir age of Lake Xingyun, Southwestern China, where radiocarbon ages based on bulk organic matter have been reported in previous studies. Our new radiocarbon ages, determined from terrestrial plant macrofossils suggest that the radiocarbon reservoir age changed from 960 to 2200 years during the last 8500 cal a BP years. These changes to the reservoir effect were associated with inputs from either pre-aged organic carbon or 14C-depleted hard water in Lake Xingyun caused by hydrological change in the lake system. The radiocarbon reservoir age may in return be a good indicator for the carbon source in lake ecosystems and depositional environment.

Land cover change of watersheds in Southern Guam from 1973 to 2001.

PubMed

Wen, Yuming; Khosrowpanah, Shahram; Heitz, Leroy

2011-08-01

Land cover change can be caused by human-induced activities and natural forces. Land cover change in watershed level has been a main concern for a long time in the world since watersheds play an important role in our life and environment. This paper is focused on how to apply Landsat Multi-Spectral Scanner (MSS) satellite image of 1973 and Landsat Thematic Mapper (TM) satellite image of 2001 to determine the land cover changes of coastal watersheds from 1973 to 2001. GIS and remote sensing are integrated to derive land cover information from Landsat satellite images of 1973 and 2001. The land cover classification is based on supervised classification method in remote sensing software ERDAS IMAGINE. Historical GIS data is used to replace the areas covered by clouds or shadows in the image of 1973 to improve classification accuracy. Then, temporal land cover is utilized to determine land cover change of coastal watersheds in southern Guam. The overall classification accuracies for Landsat MSS image of 1973 and Landsat TM image of 2001 are 82.74% and 90.42%, respectively. The overall classification of Landsat MSS image is particularly satisfactory considering its coarse spatial resolution and relatively bad data quality because of lots of clouds and shadows in the image. Watershed land cover change in southern Guam is affected greatly by anthropogenic activities. However, natural forces also affect land cover in space and time. Land cover information and change in watersheds can be applied for watershed management and planning, and environmental modeling and assessment. Based on spatio-temporal land cover information, the interaction behavior between human and environment may be evaluated. The findings in this research will be useful to similar research in other tropical islands.

Method for determining the effects of oxygen plasma on a specimen

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Whitaker, Ann F. (Inventor)

1991-01-01

A method for determining the effects of exposure of oxygen plasma on a specimen such as a thin film polymer or thin metals. The method includes providing an apparatus with a chamber having a holder supporting the polymer specimen in a plasma environment provided in the chamber. The chamber is regulated to a predetermined pressure and set temperature prior to the introduction of oxygen plasma therein. The specimen is then subjected to the plasma environment for a predetermined time during which time the temperature of the specimen is sensed and regulated to be maintained at the set temperature. Temperature sensing is accomplished by a probe which senses any changes in bulk sample temperature. Temperature regulation is provided by a thermoelectric module and by a coolant flow tube.

A community health worker intervention to address the social determinants of health through policy change.

PubMed

Ingram, Maia; Schachter, Ken A; Sabo, Samantha J; Reinschmidt, Kerstin M; Gomez, Sofia; De Zapien, Jill Guernsey; Carvajal, Scott C

2014-04-01

Public policy that seeks to achieve sustainable improvements in the social determinants of health, such as income, education, housing, food security and neighborhood conditions, can create positive and sustainable health effects. This paper describes preliminary results of Acción para la Salud, a public health intervention in which Community health workers (CHWs) from five health agencies engaged their community in the process of making positive systems and environmental changes. Academic-community partners trained Acción CHWs in community advocacy and provided ongoing technical assistance in developing strategic advocacy plans. The CHWs documented community advocacy activities through encounter forms in which they identified problems, formulated solutions, and described systems and policy change efforts. Strategy maps described the steps of the advocacy plans. Findings demonstrate that CHWs worked to initiate discussions about underlying social determinants and environment-related factors that impact health, and identified solutions to improve neighborhood conditions, create community opportunities, and increase access to services.

Social Organization, Population, and Land Use*

PubMed Central

Axinn, William G.; Ghimire, Dirgha J.

2011-01-01

We present a new approach to the investigation of human influences on environmental change that explicitly adds consideration of social organization. This approach identifies social organization as an influence on the environment that is independent of population size, affluence, and technology. The framework we present also identifies population events, such as births, that are likely to influence environmental outcomes beyond the consequences of population size. The theoretical framework we construct explains that explicit attention to social organization is necessary for micro-level investigation of the population-environment relationship because social organization influences both. We use newly available longitudinal, multilevel, mixed-method measures of local land use changes, local population dynamics, and social organization from the Nepalese Himalayas to provide empirical tests of this new framework. These tests reveal that measures of change in social organization are strongly associated with measures of change in land use, and that the association is independent of common measures of population size, affluence, and technology. Also, local birth events shape local land use changes and key proximate determinants of land use change. Together the empirical results demonstrate key new scientific opportunities arising from the approach we present. PMID:21876607

On their best behavior: how animal behavior can help determine the combined effects of species interactions and climate change.

PubMed

Harmon, Jason P; Barton, Brandon T

2013-09-01

The increasingly appreciated link between climate change and species interactions has the potential to help us understand and predict how organisms respond to a changing environment. As this connection grows, it becomes even more important to appreciate the mechanisms that create and control the combined effect of these factors. However, we believe one such important set of mechanisms comes from species' behavior and the subsequent trait-mediated interactions, as opposed to the more often studied density-mediated effects. Behavioral mechanisms are already well appreciated for mitigating the separate effects of the environment and species interactions. Thus, they could be at the forefront for understanding the combined effects. In this review, we (1) show some of the known behaviors that influence the individual and combined effects of climate change and species interactions; (2) conceptualize general ways behavior may mediate these combined effects; and (3) illustrate the potential importance of including behavior in our current tools for predicting climate change effects. In doing so, we hope to promote more research on behavior and other mechanistic factors that may increase our ability to accurately predict climate change effects. © 2013 New York Academy of Sciences.

Is average chain length of plant lipids a potential proxy for vegetation, environment and climate changes?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, M.; Zhang, W.; Hou, J.

2015-04-01

Average chain length (ACL) of leaf wax components preserved in lacustrine sediments and soil profiles has been widely adopted as a proxy indicator for past changes in vegetation, environment and climate during the late Quaternary. The fundamental assumption is that woody plants produce leaf waxes with shorter ACL values than non-woody plants. However, there is a lack of systematic survey of modern plants to justify the assumption. Here, we investigated various types of plants at two lakes, Blood Pond in the northeastern USA and Lake Ranwu on the southeastern Tibetan Plateau, and found that the ACL values were not significantly different between woody and non-woody plants. We also compiled the ACL values of modern plants in the literatures and performed a meta-analysis to determine whether a significant difference exists between woody and non-woody plants at single sites. The results showed that the ACL values of plants at 19 out of 26 sites did not show a significant difference between the two major types of plants. This suggests that extreme caution should be taken in using ACL as proxy for past changes in vegetation, environment and climate.

Differential responses of individuals with late-stage dementia to two novel environments: a multimedia room and an interior garden.

PubMed

Goto, Seiko; Kamal, Naveed; Puzio, Helene; Kobylarz, Fred; Herrup, Karl

2014-01-01

The purpose of this study was to determine the responses of individuals with advanced dementia to two novel sensory environments in a nursing home facility. The first was a multisensory Snoezelen room; the second was a temporary Japanese garden. Subjects viewed each environment twice a week for 15 minutes during the study. Stress was measured using heart rate and informant-based behavioral changes. By these criteria, the garden-viewing group showed positive behavioral changes while the responses of the subjects in the Snoezelen group were more negative. The response of the subjects' pulse rate was most dramatic. During the 15 minutes in the garden, the average rate (all subjects/all visits) was significantly less than in their residential room. In the Snoezelen room, we detected little or no change. The impact of the garden could also be seen in the negative behavioral signs elicited upon returning the subjects to the garden room after the installation had been replaced with plants and furniture arranged with no formal design. We propose that exposure to a small interior Japanese garden could be an effective intervention for individuals suffering from late stage Alzheimer's disease.

Oscillators entrained by food and the emergence of anticipatory timing behaviors

PubMed Central

SILVER, Rae; BALSAM, Peter

2011-01-01

Circadian rhythms are adjusted to the external environment by the light–dark cycle via the suprachiasmatic nucleus, and to the internal environment of the body by multiple cues that derive from feeding/fasting. These cues determine the timing of sleep/wake cycles and all the activities associated with these states. We suggest that numerous sources of temporal information, including hormonal cues such as corticoids, insulin, and ghrelin, as well as conditioned learned responses determined by the temporal relationships between photic and feeding/fasting signals, can determine the timing of regularly recurring circadian responses. We further propose that these temporal signals can act additively to modulate the pattern of daily activity. Based on such reasoning, we describe the rationale and methodology for separating the influences of these diverse sources of temporal information. The evidence indicates that there are individual differences in sensitivity to internal and external signals that vary over circadian time, time since the previous meal, time until the next meal, or with duration of food deprivation. All of these cues are integrated in sites and circuits modulating physiology and behavior. Individuals detect changes in internal and external signals, interpret those changes as “hunger,” and adjust their physiological responses and activity levels accordingly. PMID:21544255

Mechanical and chemical effects of ion-texturing biomedical polymers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Weigand, A. J.; Cenkus, M. A.

1979-01-01

To determine whether sputter etching may provide substantial polymer surface texturing with insignificant changes in chemical and mechanical properties, an 8 cm beam diameter, electron bombardment, argon ion source was used to sputter etch (ion-texture process) nine biomedical polymers. The materials included silicone rubber, 32% carbon impregnated polyolefin, polyoxymethylene, polytetrafluoroethylene, ultrahigh molecular weight (UHMW) polyethylene, UHMW polyethylene with carbon fibers (10%), and several polyurethanes (bioelectric, segmented, and cross linked). Ion textured microtensile specimens of each material except UHMW polyethylene and UHMW polyethylene with 10% carbon fibers were used to determine the effect of ion texturing on tensile properties. Scanning electron microscopy was used to determine surface morphology changes, and electron spectroscopy for chemical analysis was used to analyze the near surface chemical changes that result from ion texturing. Ion energies of 500 eV with beam current densities ranging from 0.08 to 0.19 mA/sq cm were used to ion texture the various materials. Standard microtensile specimens of seven polymers were exposed to a saline environment for 24 hours prior to and during the tensile testing. The surface chemical changes resulting from sputter etching are minimal in spite of the often significant changes in the surface morphology.

Direct and indirect effects of climate change on the risk of infection by water-transmitted pathogens.

PubMed

Sterk, Ankie; Schijven, Jack; de Nijs, Ton; de Roda Husman, Ana Maria

2013-11-19

Climate change is likely to affect the infectious disease burden from exposure to pathogens in water used for drinking and recreation. Effective intervention measures require quantification of impacts of climate change on the distribution of pathogens in the environment and their potential effects on human health. Objectives of this systematic review were to summarize current knowledge available to estimate how climate change may directly and indirectly affect infection risks due to Campylobacter, Cryptosporidium, norovirus, and Vibrio. Secondary objectives were to prioritize natural processes and interactions that are susceptible to climate change and to identify knowledge gaps. Search strategies were determined based on a conceptual model and scenarios with the main emphasis on The Netherlands. The literature search resulted in a large quantity of publications on climate variables affecting pathogen input and behavior in aquatic environments. However, not all processes and pathogens are evenly covered by the literature, and in many cases, the direction of change is still unclear. To make useful predictions of climate change, it is necessary to combine both negative and positive effects. This review provides an overview of the most important effects of climate change on human health and shows the importance of QMRA to quantify the net effects.

Impact of African traditional worldviews on climate change adaptation.

PubMed

Sanganyado, Edmond; Teta, Charles; Masiri, Busani

2018-03-01

Recent studies show cultural worldviews are a key determinant of environmental risk perceptions; thus, they could influence climate change adaptation strategies. African traditional worldviews encourage harmony between humans and the environment through a complex metaphysical belief system transmitted through folklore, taboos, and traditional knowledge. However, African traditional worldviews hold a belief in traditional gods that was shown to have a low connectedness to nature and a low willingness to change. In Makueni District, Kenya, 45% of agropastoralists surveyed believed drought was god's plan and could not be changed. In contrast, traditional knowledge, which is shaped by African traditional worldviews, is often used to frame adaptive strategies such as migration, changing modes of production, and planting different crop varieties. Furthermore, traditional knowledge has been used as a complement to science in areas where meteorological data was unavailable. However, the role of African traditional worldviews on climate change adaption remains understudied. Hence, there is a need to systematically establish the influence of African traditional worldviews on climate change risk perception, development of adaptive strategies, and policy formulation and implementation. In this commentary, we discuss the potential impacts of African traditional worldviews on climate change adaptation. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2018;14:189-193. © 2018 SETAC. © 2018 SETAC.

Adaptation, plant evolution, and the fossil record

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Knoll, A. H.; Niklas, K. J.

1987-01-01

The importance of adaptation in determining patterns of evolution has become an important focus of debate in evolutionary biology. As it pertains to paleobotany, the issue is whether or not adaptive evolution mediated by natural selection is sufficient to explain the stratigraphic distributions of taxa and character states observed in the plant fossil record. One means of addressing this question is the functional evaluation of stratigraphic series of plant organs set in the context of paleoenvironmental change and temporal patterns of floral composition within environments. For certain organ systems, quantitative estimates of biophysical performance can be made on the basis of structures preserved in the fossil record. Performance estimates for plants separated in time or space can be compared directly. Implicit in different hypotheses of the forces that shape the evolutionary record (e.g. adaptation, mass extinction, rapid environmental change, chance) are predictions about stratigraphic and paleoenvironmental trends in the efficacy of functional performance. Existing data suggest that following the evolution of a significant structural innovation, adaptation for improved functional performance can be a major determinant of evolutionary changes in plants; however, there are structural and development limits to functional improvement, and once these are reached, the structure in question may no longer figure strongly in selection until and unless a new innovation evolves. The Silurian-Devonian paleobotanical record is consistent with the hypothesis that the succession of lowland floodplain dominants preserved in the fossil record of this interval was determined principally by the repeated evolution of new taxa that rose to ecological importance because of competitive advantages conferred by improved biophysical performance. This does not seem to be equally true for Carboniferous-Jurassic dominants of swamp and lowland floodplain environments. In these cases, environmental disruption appears to have been a major factor in shaping the fossil record. This does not mean that continuing adaptation was not important during this interval, but it may indicate that adaptive evolution was strongest in environments other than those best represented in the paleobotanical record.

Adaptation, plant evolution, and the fossil record.

PubMed

Knoll, A H; Niklas, K J

1987-01-01

The importance of adaptation in determining patterns of evolution has become an important focus of debate in evolutionary biology. As it pertains to paleobotany, the issue is whether or not adaptive evolution mediated by natural selection is sufficient to explain the stratigraphic distributions of taxa and character states observed in the plant fossil record. One means of addressing this question is the functional evaluation of stratigraphic series of plant organs set in the context of paleoenvironmental change and temporal patterns of floral composition within environments. For certain organ systems, quantitative estimates of biophysical performance can be made on the basis of structures preserved in the fossil record. Performance estimates for plants separated in time or space can be compared directly. Implicit in different hypotheses of the forces that shape the evolutionary record (e.g. adaptation, mass extinction, rapid environmental change, chance) are predictions about stratigraphic and paleoenvironmental trends in the efficacy of functional performance. Existing data suggest that following the evolution of a significant structural innovation, adaptation for improved functional performance can be a major determinant of evolutionary changes in plants; however, there are structural and development limits to functional improvement, and once these are reached, the structure in question may no longer figure strongly in selection until and unless a new innovation evolves. The Silurian-Devonian paleobotanical record is consistent with the hypothesis that the succession of lowland floodplain dominants preserved in the fossil record of this interval was determined principally by the repeated evolution of new taxa that rose to ecological importance because of competitive advantages conferred by improved biophysical performance. This does not seem to be equally true for Carboniferous-Jurassic dominants of swamp and lowland floodplain environments. In these cases, environmental disruption appears to have been a major factor in shaping the fossil record. This does not mean that continuing adaptation was not important during this interval, but it may indicate that adaptive evolution was strongest in environments other than those best represented in the paleobotanical record.

A young surgeon's perspective.

PubMed

Bold, Richard J

2005-03-01

The environment of health care delivery is responding to a variety of external forces that are changing the practice of surgery. Only when we look back at this period can any assessments be made to determine whether the changes were beneficial or detrimental. The observation that surgeons are retiring at an earlier age may be a reflection of the negative effect of the changing culture of surgery on career satisfaction. As a young surgeon who anticipates an additional 20+ years of a surgical career, these changes are important to me and will clearly affect my practice as well as my satisfaction. This special article provides my personal perspective on some of the current and anticipated changes in surgery that are a manifestation of cultural changes in health care delivery.

Dispersal Patterns, Active Behaviour, and Flow Environment during Early Life History of Coastal Cold Water Fishes

PubMed Central

Stanley, Ryan; Snelgrove, Paul V. R.; deYoung, Brad; Gregory, Robert S.

2012-01-01

During the pelagic larval phase, fish dispersal may be influenced passively by surface currents or actively determined by swimming behaviour. In situ observations of larval swimming are few given the constraints of field sampling. Active behaviour is therefore often inferred from spatial patterns in the field, laboratory studies, or hydrodynamic theory, but rarely are these approaches considered in concert. Ichthyoplankton survey data collected during 2004 and 2006 from coastal Newfoundland show that changes in spatial heterogeneity for multiple species do not conform to predictions based on passive transport. We evaluated the interaction of individual larvae with their environment by calculating Reynolds number as a function of ontogeny. Typically, larvae hatch into a viscous environment in which swimming is inefficient, and later grow into more efficient intermediate and inertial swimming environments. Swimming is therefore closely related to length, not only because of swimming capacity but also in how larvae experience viscosity. Six of eight species sampled demonstrated consistent changes in spatial patchiness and concomitant increases in spatial heterogeneity as they transitioned into more favourable hydrodynamic swimming environments, suggesting an active behavioural element to dispersal. We propose the tandem assessment of spatial heterogeneity and hydrodynamic environment as a potential approach to understand and predict the onset of ecologically significant swimming behaviour of larval fishes in the field. PMID:23029455

Influence of fuels, weather and the built environment on the exposure of property to wildfire

USGS Publications Warehouse

Penman, Trent D.; Collins, Luke S.; Syphard, Alexandra D.; Keeley, Jon E.; Bradstock, Ross A.

2014-01-01

Wildfires can pose a significant risk to people and property. Billions of dollars are spent investing in fire management actions in an attempt to reduce the risk of loss. One of the key areas where money is spent is through fuel treatment – either fuel reduction (prescribed fire) or fuel removal (fuel breaks). Individual treatments can influence fire size and the maximum distance travelled from the ignition and presumably risk, but few studies have examined the landscape level effectiveness of these treatments. Here we use a Bayesian Network model to examine the relative influence of the built and natural environment, weather, fuel and fuel treatments in determining the risk posed from wildfire to the wildland-urban interface. Fire size and distance travelled was influenced most strongly by weather, with exposure to fires most sensitive to changes in the built environment and fire parameters. Natural environment variables and fuel load all had minor influences on fire size, distance travelled and exposure of assets. These results suggest that management of fuels provided minimal reductions in risk to assets and adequate planning of the changes in the built environment to cope with the expansion of human populations is going to be vital for managing risk from fire under future climates.

Influence of Fuels, Weather and the Built Environment on the Exposure of Property to Wildfire

PubMed Central

Penman, Trent D.; Collins, Luke; Syphard, Alexandra D.; Keeley, Jon E.; Bradstock, Ross A.

2014-01-01

Wildfires can pose a significant risk to people and property. Billions of dollars are spent investing in fire management actions in an attempt to reduce the risk of loss. One of the key areas where money is spent is through fuel treatment – either fuel reduction (prescribed fire) or fuel removal (fuel breaks). Individual treatments can influence fire size and the maximum distance travelled from the ignition and presumably risk, but few studies have examined the landscape level effectiveness of these treatments. Here we use a Bayesian Network model to examine the relative influence of the built and natural environment, weather, fuel and fuel treatments in determining the risk posed from wildfire to the wildland-urban interface. Fire size and distance travelled was influenced most strongly by weather, with exposure to fires most sensitive to changes in the built environment and fire parameters. Natural environment variables and fuel load all had minor influences on fire size, distance travelled and exposure of assets. These results suggest that management of fuels provided minimal reductions in risk to assets and adequate planning of the changes in the built environment to cope with the expansion of human populations is going to be vital for managing risk from fire under future climates. PMID:25360741

Integrative studies of thermoregulation in ectothermic vertebrates in aquatic habitats. Annual progress report, 1 October 1981-31 December 1982

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

Spotila, J.R.; Standora, E.A.

1982-08-01

Field experiments are underway to determine the behavioral mechanisms by which largemouth bass, Micropterus salmoides, respond to rapid temperature changes in their natural environment. Site specificity of largemouth bass in Pond C has been determined. Laboratory experiments are clarifying the relationship between basking behavior of the turtle, Pseudemys scripta and its nutritional state. Theoretical analysis and mathematical modeling continue and have been used to define the role of body size in the thermoregulation of turtles.

Fruit metabolite networks in engineered and non-engineered tomato genotypes reveal fluidity in a hormone and agroecosystem specific manner.

PubMed

Fatima, Tahira; Sobolev, Anatoly P; Teasdale, John R; Kramer, Matthew; Bunce, Jim; Handa, Avtar K; Mattoo, Autar K

Metabolomics provides a view of endogenous metabolic patterns not only during plant growth, development and senescence but also in response to genetic events, environment and disease. The effects of the field environment on plant hormone-specific metabolite profiles are largely unknown. Few studies have analyzed useful phenotypes generated by introducing single or multiple gene events alongside the non-engineered wild type control at field scale to determine the robustness of the genetic trait and its modulation in the metabolome as a function of specific agroecosystem environments. We evaluated the influence of genetic background (high polyamine lines; low methyl jasmonate line; low ethylene line; and isogenic genotypes carrying double transgenic events) and environments (hairy vetch, rye, plastic black mulch and bare soil mulching systems) on the metabolomic profile of isogenic reverse genetic mutations and selected mulch based cropping systems in tomato fruit. Net photosynthesis and fruit yield were also determined. NMR spectroscopy was used for quantifying metabolites that are central to primary metabolism. We analyzed both the first moment (means) of metabolic response to genotypes and agroecosystems by traditional univariate/multivariate methods, and the second moment (covariances) of responses by creating networks that depicted changes in correlations of paired metabolites. This particular approach is novel and was necessary because our experimental material yielded highly variable metabolic responses that could not be easily understood using the traditional analytical approaches for first moment statistics. High endogenous spermidine and spermine content exhibited strong effects on amino acids, Krebs cycle intermediates and energy molecules (ADP + ATP) in ripening fruits of plants grown under different agroecosystem environments. The metabolic response to high polyamine genotypes was similar to the response to hairy vetch cover crop mulch; supported by the pattern of changes in correlation between metabolites. Changes in primary metabolites of genotypes mutated for the deficiency of ethylene or methyl jasmonate were unique under all growth conditions and opposite of high polyamine genotype results. The high polyamine trait was found to dominate the low ethylene and low jasmonate mutations under field conditions. For several metabolites low ethylene and low methyl jasmonate genotypes had an inverse relationship. Collectively, these results affirm that interactions between metabolite pathways and growth environments are affected by genotype, and influence the metabolite quality of a crop. This study portrays how metabolite relationships change, both in mean and in correlation, under different genotypic and environmental conditions. Although these networks are surprisingly dynamic, we also find examples of selectively conserved associations.

Determinants of Psychosocial Difficulties Experienced by Persons with Brain Disorders: Towards a ‘Horizontal Epidemiology’ Approach

PubMed Central

Sabariego, Carla; Coenen, Michaela; Ballert, Carolina; Cabello, Maria; Leonardi, Matilde; Anczewska, Marta; Pitkänen, Tuuli; Raggi, Alberto; Mellor, Blanca; Covelli, Venusia; Świtaj, Piotr; Levola, Jonna; Schiavolin, Silvia; Chrostek, Anna; Bickenbach, Jerome; Chatterji, Somnath; Cieza, Alarcos

2015-01-01

Background Persons with brain disorders experience significant psychosocial difficulties (PSD) in daily life, e.g. problems with managing daily routine or emotional lability, and the level of the PSD depends on social, physical and political environments, and psychologic-personal determinants. Our objective is to determine a brief set of environmental and psychologic-personal factors that are shared determinants of PSD among persons with different brain disorders. Methods Cross-sectional study, convenience sample of persons with either dementia, stroke, multiple sclerosis, epilepsy, migraine, depression, schizophrenia, substance dependence or Parkinson’s disease. Random forest regression and classical linear regression were used in the analyses. Results 722 subjects were interviewed in four European countries. The brief set of determinants encompasses presence of comorbidities, health status appraisal, stressful life events, personality changes, adaptation, self-esteem, self-worth, built environment, weather, and health problems in the family. Conclusions The identified brief set of common determinants of PSD can be used to support the implementation of cross-cutting interventions, social actions and policy tools to lower PSD experienced by persons with brain disorders. This set complements a recently proposed reliable and valid direct metric of PSD for brain disorders called PARADISE24. PMID:26675663

Monitoring ethylene emissions from plants cultured for a controlled ecological life support system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Corey, Kenneth A.

1995-01-01

Emission of hydrocarbons and other volatile compounds by materials and organisms in closed environments will be a major concern in the design and management of advanced life support systems with a bioregenerative component. Ethylene, a simple hydrocarbon synthesized by plants, is involved in the elicitation of a wide range of physiological responses. In closed environments, ethylene may build up to levels which become physiologically active. In several growouts of 'Yecora Rojo' wheat in Kennedy Space Center's Biomass Production Chamber (BPC), it was observed that leaf flecking and rolling occurred in the sealed environment and was virtually eliminated when potassium permanganate was used to scrub the atmospheric environment. It was suggested that ethylene, which accumulated to about 60 ppb in the chamber and which was effectively absorbed by potassium permanganate, was responsible for the symptoms. The objectives of this work were to: (1) determine rates of ethylene evolution from lettuce (Lactuca sativa cultivar Waldemann's Green) and wheat (Triticum aestivum cultivar Yecora Rojo) plants during growth and development; (2) determine the effects of exposure of whole, vegetative stage plants to exogenous ethylene concentrations in the range of what would develop in closed environment growth chambers; and (3) develop predictive functions for changes in ethylene concentration that would develop under different cropping and closed environment configurations. Results will lead to the development of management strategies for ethylene in bioregenerative life support systems.

Hippocampal place cell encoding of sloping terrain.

PubMed

Porter, Blake S; Schmidt, Robert; Bilkey, David K

2018-05-21

Effective navigation relies on knowledge of one's environment. A challenge to effective navigation is accounting for the time and energy costs of routes. Irregular terrain in ecological environments poses a difficult navigational problem as organisms ought to avoid effortful slopes to minimize travel costs. Route planning and navigation have previously been shown to involve hippocampal place cells and their ability to encode and store information about an organism's environment. However, little is known about how place cells may encode the slope of space and associated energy costs as experiments are traditionally carried out in flat, horizontal environments. We set out to investigate how dorsal-CA1 place cells in rats encode systematic changes to the slope of an environment by tilting a shuttle box from flat to 15° and 25° while minimizing external cue change. Overall, place cell encoding of tilted space was as robust as their encoding of flat ground as measured by traditional place cell metrics such as firing rates, spatial information, coherence, and field size. A large majority of place cells did, however, respond to slope by undergoing partial, complex remapping when the environment was shifted from one tilt angle to another. The propensity for place cells to remap did not, however, depend on the vertical distance the field shifted. Changes in slope also altered the temporal coding of information as measured by the rate of theta phase precession of place cell spikes, which decreased with increasing tilt angles. Together these observations indicate that place cells are sensitive to relatively small changes in terrain slope and that terrain slope may be an important source of information for organizing place cell ensembles. The terrain slope information encoded by place cells could be utilized by efferent regions to determine energetically advantageous routes to goal locations. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Changes in urine parameters after desert exposure: assessment of stone risk in United States Marines transiently exposed to a desert environment.

PubMed

Masterson, James H; Jourdain, Victor J; Collard, Daniel A; Choe, Chong H; Christman, Matthew S; L'Esperance, James O; Auge, Brian K

2013-01-01

Living in a desert environment has been associated with a higher incidence of kidney stone formation, likely because of concentrated urine output, higher production of vitamin D and genetic predisposition. We determined the changes in urinary parameters after a group of United States Marines temporarily transitioned from a temperate environment to a desert environment. A total of 50 Marines completed a questionnaire and performed 3, 24-hour urine collections before mobilization to the desert, after 30 days in the desert and 2 weeks after returning from the desert. Daily urine output decreased 68% to 0.52 L despite marked increased fluid intake (17 L per day). Total daily urinary excretion of calcium, uric acid, sodium, magnesium and potassium in the desert decreased by 70%, 41%, 53%, 22% and 36%, respectively. Urinary pH decreased from 6.1 to 5.6 while in the desert, and citrate and oxalate had minimal changes. After their return from the desert, apart from a decrease of 22% in oxalate, there were no statistically significant differences from baseline. While in the desert, relative supersaturation risks of uric acid and sodium urate were increased 153% and 56%, respectively. Brushite relative supersaturation decreased 24%. After their return there was no statistical difference from baseline. Our findings suggest that the kidneys preserved water and electrolytes while the Marines were subjected to the desert environment. Despite this conservation, relative saturations indicate increased risk of stones in healthy men exposed to a desert environment with rapid resolution upon return. Copyright © 2013 American Urological Association Education and Research, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Preclinical Medical Student Hematology/Oncology Education Environment.

PubMed

Zumberg, Marc S; Broudy, Virginia C; Bengtson, Elizabeth M; Gitlin, Scott D

2015-12-01

To better prepare medical students to care for patients in today's changing health-care environment as they transition to continuing their education as residents, many US medical schools have been reviewing and modifying their curricula and are considering integration of newer adult learning techniques, including team-based learning, flipped classrooms, and other active learning approaches (Assoc Am Med Coll. 2014). Directors of hematology/oncology (H/O) courses requested an assessment of today's H/O education environment to help them respond to the ongoing changes in the education content and environment that will be necessary to meet this goal. Several recommendations for the improvement of cancer education resulted from American Association for Cancer Education's (ACCE's) "Cancer Education Survey II" including a call for medical schools to evaluate the effectiveness of current teaching methods in achieving cancer education objectives (Chamberlain et al. J Cancer Educ 7(2):105-114.2014). To understand the current environment and resources used in medical student preclinical H/O courses, an Internet-based, Survey Monkey®-formatted, questionnaire focusing on nine topic areas was distributed to 130 United States Hematology/Oncology Course Directors (HOCDs). HOCDs represent a diverse group of individuals who work in variably supportive environments and who are variably satisfied with their position. Several aspects of these courses remain relatively unchanged from previous assessments, including a predominance of traditional lectures, small group sessions, and examinations that are either written or computer-based. Newer technology, including web-based reproduction of lectures, virtual microscopes, and availability of additional web-based content has been introduced into these courses. A variety of learner evaluation and course assessment approaches are used. The ultimate effectiveness and impact of these changes needs to be determined.

Reliability of solid-state lighting electrical drivers subjected to WHTOL accelerated aging

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

Lall, Pradeep; Sakalauku, Peter; Davis, Lynn

An investigation of a solid-state lighting (SSL) luminaire with the focus on the electronic driver which has been exposed to a standard wet hot temperature operating life (WHTOL) of 85% RH and 85°C in order to assess reliability of prolonged exposer to a harsh environment has been conducted. SSL luminaires are beginning introduced as head lamps in some of today's luxury automobiles and may also be fulfilling a variety of important outdoor applications such as overhead street lamps, traffic signals and landscape lighting. SSL luminaires in these environments are almost certain to encounter excessive moisture from humidity and high temperaturesmore » for a persistent period of time. The lack of accelerated test methods for LEDs to assess long-term reliability prior to introduction into the marketplace, a need for SSL physics based PHM modeling indicators for assessment and prediction of LED life, as well as the U.S. Department of Energy's R&D roadmap to replace todays lighting with SSL luminaires makes it important to increase the understanding of the reliability of SSL devices, specifically, in harsh environment applications. In this work, a set of SSL electrical drivers were investigated to determine failure mechanisms that occur during prolonged harsh environment applications. Each driver consists of four aluminum electrolytic capacitors (AECs) of three different types and was considered the weakest component inside the SSL electrical driver. The reliability of the electrical driver was assessed by monitoring the change in capacitance and the change in equivalent series resistance for each AEC, as well as monitoring the luminous flux of the SSL luminaire or the output of the electrical driver. The luminous flux of a pristine SSL electrical driver was also monitored in order to detect minute changes in the electrical drivers output and to aid in the investigation of the SSL luminaires reliability. The failure mechanisms of the electrical drivers have been determined and are presented in this paper.« less

Foraging environment determines the genetic architecture and evolutionary potential of trophic morphology in cichlid fishes.

PubMed

Parsons, Kevin J; Concannon, Moira; Navon, Dina; Wang, Jason; Ea, Ilene; Groveas, Kiran; Campbell, Calum; Albertson, R Craig

2016-12-01

Phenotypic plasticity allows organisms to change their phenotype in response to shifts in the environment. While a central topic in current discussions of evolutionary potential, a comprehensive understanding of the genetic underpinnings of plasticity is lacking in systems undergoing adaptive diversification. Here, we investigate the genetic basis of phenotypic plasticity in a textbook adaptive radiation, Lake Malawi cichlid fishes. Specifically, we crossed two divergent species to generate an F 3 hybrid mapping population. At early juvenile stages, hybrid families were split and reared in alternate foraging environments that mimicked benthic/scraping or limnetic/sucking modes of feeding. These alternate treatments produced a variation in morphology that was broadly similar to the major axis of divergence among Malawi cichlids, providing support for the flexible stem theory of adaptive radiation. Next, we found that the genetic architecture of several morphological traits was highly sensitive to the environment. In particular, of 22 significant quantitative trait loci (QTL), only one was shared between the environments. In addition, we identified QTL acting across environments with alternate alleles being differentially sensitive to the environment. Thus, our data suggest that while plasticity is largely determined by loci specific to a given environment, it may also be influenced by loci operating across environments. Finally, our mapping data provide evidence for the evolution of plasticity via genetic assimilation at an important regulatory locus, ptch1. In all, our data address long-standing discussions about the genetic basis and evolution of plasticity. They also underscore the importance of the environment in affecting developmental outcomes, genetic architectures, morphological diversity and evolutionary potential. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Learning and choosing in an uncertain world: An investigation of the explore-exploit dilemma in static and dynamic environments.

PubMed

Navarro, Daniel J; Newell, Ben R; Schulze, Christin

2016-03-01

How do people solve the explore-exploit trade-off in a changing environment? In this paper we present experimental evidence from an "observe or bet" task, in which people have to determine when to engage in information-seeking behavior and when to switch to reward-taking actions. In particular we focus on the comparison between people's behavior in a changing environment and their behavior in an unchanging one. Our experimental work is motivated by rational analysis of the problem that makes strong predictions about information search and reward seeking in static and changeable environments. Our results show a striking agreement between human behavior and the optimal policy, but also highlight a number of systematic differences. In particular, we find that while people often employ suboptimal strategies the first time they encounter the learning problem, most people are able to approximate the correct strategy after minimal experience. In order to describe both the manner in which people's choices are similar to but slightly different from an optimal standard, we introduce four process models for the observe or bet task and evaluate them as potential theories of human behavior. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Natural Ventilation of Buildings through Light Shafts. Design-Based Solution Proposals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ángel Padilla-Marcos, Miguel; Meiss, Alberto; Feijó-Muñoz, Jesús

2017-10-01

This work analyses how the built environment affects the quality of the air to be introduced into buildings from light shafts. Several factors such as urban environment and building design intervene in the ability of the light shaft to produce its air change process. Urban areas continuously pollute the air in cities which affects the human health and the environment sustainability. Poor air quality outside buildings supposes a big energy waste to promote an acceptable air quality inside buildings. That requires a large flow rate to maintain the indoor air quality which is translated to an energy efficiency term. The main objective focuses on the impact of standardized architecture design in the quality of the indoor air dependent on the air change in the light shaft. The air change capacity of the outdoor space is numbered analysed using the concept of air change efficiency (ACE). ACE is determined by the built environment, the wind conditions and the design of the building containing light shafts. This concept is comparatively evaluated inside a control domain virtually defined to obtain the mean age of the air for a known air volume. The longer the light shaft in the wind direction is, the better the ACE is compared with other options. Light shafts up to 12 metres high are the most suitable in order to obtain acceptable efficiency results. Other studied cases verify that assumption. Different simplified tools for the technicians to evaluate the design of buildings containing light shafts are proposed. Some strategies of architectural design of buildings with light shafts to be used for ventilation are presented.

Storytelling and environmental information: connecting schoolchildren and herpetofauna in Morocco.

PubMed

Fanini, Lucia; Fahd, Soumia

2009-06-01

Northwestern Morocco is undergoing a sudden change in the level of infrastructure growth and pressure on the environment from increased tourism. The ongoing changes are raising questions about how the ecosystem will react, and the relevant drivers of these changes. The Oued Laou valley in north-west Morocco hosts high landscape, species and human cultural diversity. The Talassemtane National Park has been established to preserve the environment in this region; however, what information tools are available to children regarding this environment? The ecosystem is illustrated here using three components: herpetofauna (representing ecosystem components), problems related to water quantity and quality (representing interactions within ecosystem components) and Talassemtane National Park (representing a case of ecosystem management). A children's book was written on this topic, and when the book was delivered to pupils, a questionnaire was included, aimed at determining their sources of environmental information. The results identified major changes in the sources of information utilized by children in this part of Morocco, a clear role of schools in explaining ecosystem components, and an increasing role of TV in environmental information supply. The role of the family was found to be less important than TV or school. Another major source of pupils' environmental knowledge is personal observation and hands-on experience, both for rural and urban children. Children are willing to discover and understand complex systems, and researchers should be encouraged to supply children with correct and up-to-date information on environmental systems, focusing at first on the local environment, as a background for sustainable development. © 2009 ISZS, Blackwell Publishing and IOZ/CAS.

Dynamic Lipid-dependent Modulation of Protein Topology by Post-translational Phosphorylation.

PubMed

Vitrac, Heidi; MacLean, David M; Karlstaedt, Anja; Taegtmeyer, Heinrich; Jayaraman, Vasanthi; Bogdanov, Mikhail; Dowhan, William

2017-02-03

Membrane protein topology and folding are governed by structural principles and topogenic signals that are recognized and decoded by the protein insertion and translocation machineries at the time of initial membrane insertion and folding. We previously demonstrated that the lipid environment is also a determinant of initial protein topology, which is dynamically responsive to post-assembly changes in membrane lipid composition. However, the effect on protein topology of post-assembly phosphorylation of amino acids localized within initially cytoplasmically oriented extramembrane domains has never been investigated. Here, we show in a controlled in vitro system that phosphorylation of a membrane protein can trigger a change in topological arrangement. The rate of change occurred on a scale of seconds, comparable with the rates observed upon changes in the protein lipid environment. The rate and extent of topological rearrangement were dependent on the charges of extramembrane domains and the lipid bilayer surface. Using model membranes mimicking the lipid compositions of eukaryotic organelles, we determined that anionic lipids, cholesterol, sphingomyelin, and membrane fluidity play critical roles in these processes. Our results demonstrate how post-translational modifications may influence membrane protein topology in a lipid-dependent manner, both along the organelle trafficking pathway and at their final destination. The results provide further evidence that membrane protein topology is dynamic, integrating for the first time the effect of changes in lipid composition and regulators of cellular processes. The discovery of a new topology regulatory mechanism opens additional avenues for understanding unexplored structure-function relationships and the development of optimized topology prediction tools. © 2017 by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

Redox theory of aging: implications for health and disease

PubMed Central

Go, Young-Mi; Jones, Dean P.

2017-01-01

Genetics ultimately defines an individual, yet the phenotype of an adult is extensively determined by the sequence of lifelong exposures, termed the exposome. The redox theory of aging recognizes that animals evolved within an oxygen-rich environment, which created a critical redox interface between an organism and its environment. Advances in redox biology show that redox elements are present throughout metabolic and structural systems and operate as functional networks to support the genome in adaptation to environmental resources and challenges during lifespan. These principles emphasize that physical and functional phenotypes of an adult are determined by gene–environment interactions from early life onward. The principles highlight the critical nature of cumulative exposure memories in defining changes in resilience progressively during life. Both plasma glutathione and cysteine systems become oxidized with aging, and the recent finding that cystine to glutathione ratio in human plasma predicts death in coronary artery disease (CAD) patients suggests this could provide a way to measure resilience of redox networks in aging and disease. The emerging concepts of cumulative gene–environment interactions warrant focused efforts to elucidate central mechanisms by which exposure memory governs health and etiology, onset and progression of disease. PMID:28667066

Climate change, water resources, and roads in the Blue Mountains [Chapter 4

Treesearch

Caty F. Clifton; Kate T. Day; Gordon E. Grant; Jessica E. Halofsky; Charles H. Luce; Brian P. Staab

2017-01-01

Water is a critical resource in dry forest and rangeland environments of western North America, largely determining the distribution of plant and animal species across a broad range of elevations and ecosystems. Water is also essential for human endeavors, directly affecting where and how human communities and local economies have developed. The Blue Mountains of...

An improved approach for measuring the impact of multiple CO2 conductances on the apparent photorespiratory CO2 compensation point through slope-intercept regression

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Biochemical models of leaf photosynthesis, which are essential for understanding the impact of photosynthesis to changing environments, depend on accurate parameterizations. The CO2 photocompensation point can be especially difficult to determine accurately but can be measured from the intersection ...

Saving Literacy: How Marks Change Minds. A Guide for Professional Caregivers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sheridan, Susan Rich

2009-01-01

An emphasis on scribbles and drawing as important brain-building behavior makes this book's Neuroconstructive theory of child development and Scribbling/Drawing/Writing practice unique. A child's brain builds itself in response to genetics, DNA codes, and the environment. One of the pre-determined ways a child's brain naturally builds itself is by…

Enhancing the IT Infrastructure at Saint Philip's Hospital: Point-of-Care Solutions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Naydenova, Iva; White, Bruce

2013-01-01

Healthcare has become a rapidly changing field. With the introduction of value-based purchasing to determine reimbursement of Medicare providers based on the quality of care in addition to outcomes in treatment, the environment is becoming ever more competitive. Saint Philip's Hospital is among the largest non-profit hospitals in the nation…

The Users' Views on Different Types of Instructional Materials Provided in Virtual Reality Technologies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yildirim, Gürkan

2017-01-01

Today, it is seen that developing technologies are tried to be used continuously in the learning environments. These technologies have rapidly been diversifying and changing. Recently, virtual reality technology has become one of the technologies that experts have often been dwelling on. The present research tries to determine users' opinions and…

Motivation and Changing Fortunes in Teachers' Output: Empirical Evidence from Selected Secondary Schools in North West Region of Cameroon

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kongnyuy, Patrick

2015-01-01

Workers' feelings, behaviour, attached value (worth) and the environment determines the amount of effort put in for the attainment of organizational objectives. Satisfied teachers are generally productive and can influence students' achievement. This study aimed at identifying and examining the effects of motivation on teacher output in Government…

A Discussion Strategy for an Online Class

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Reese-Durham, Nancy Faith

2014-01-01

As a former teacher of face-to-face classes now assigned to teach only online classes, Nancy Reese Durham found herself challenged to change to accommodate online learners. She was determined to provide an environment in the online class where the high level of discussion she had provided in face-to-face classes could flourish as well. Here she…

Robust, Optimal Subsonic Airfoil Shapes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rai, Man Mohan

2014-01-01

A method has been developed to create an airfoil robust enough to operate satisfactorily in different environments. This method determines a robust, optimal, subsonic airfoil shape, beginning with an arbitrary initial airfoil shape, and imposes the necessary constraints on the design. Also, this method is flexible and extendible to a larger class of requirements and changes in constraints imposed.

Sleep mechanisms: Sleep deprivation and detection of changing levels of consciousness

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dement, W. C.; Barchas, J. D.

1972-01-01

An attempt was made to obtain information relevant to assessing the need to sleep and make up for lost sleep. Physiological and behavioral parameters were used as measuring parameters. Sleep deprivation in a restricted environment, derivation of data relevant to determining sleepiness from EEG, and the development of the Sanford Sleepiness Scale were discussed.

Inflight Pharmacokinetic and Pharmacodynamic Responses to Medications Commonly Used in Spaceflight

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wotring, V. E.; Derendorf, H.; Kast, J.; Barger, L.; Basner, M.

2016-01-01

Researchers do not know if medications act the same in the spaceflight environment as they do on Earth. Aspects of the spaceflight environment (low gravity, radiation exposure, closed environment, stress) have been shown to alter human physiology. Some of these physiological changes could be expected to alter either pharmacokinetics (PK, how the body absorbs, distributes, metabolizes and excretes administered medications) or pharmacodynamics (PD, receptors or signaling systems that are the targets of medication action). Anecdotal data has suggested that, at least for certain medications or indications, inflight medication efficacy is poor. In order to prepare for exploration missions where speedy evacuation to Earth may not be a possibility, the likelihood of unexpected medication action must be determined.

Implication of relationship between natural impacts and land use/land cover (LULC) changes of urban area in Mongolia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gantumur, Byambakhuu; Wu, Falin; Zhao, Yan; Vandansambuu, Battsengel; Dalaibaatar, Enkhjargal; Itiritiphan, Fareda; Shaimurat, Dauryenbyek

2017-10-01

Urban growth can profoundly alter the urban landscape structure, ecosystem processes, and local climates. Timely and accurate information on the status and trends of urban ecosystems is critical to develop strategies for sustainable development and to improve the urban residential environment and living quality. Ulaanbaatar city was urbanized very rapidly caused by herders and farmers, many of them migrating from rural places, have played a big role in this urban expansion (sprawl). Today, 1.3 million residents for about 40% of total population are living in the Ulaanbaatar region. Those human activities influenced stronger to green environments. Therefore, the aim of this study is determined to change detection of land use/land cover (LULC) and estimating their areas for the trend of future by remote sensing and statistical methods. The implications of analysis were provided by change detection methods of LULC, remote sensing spectral indices including normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), normalized difference water index (NDWI) and normalized difference built-up index (NDBI). In addition, it can relate to urban heat island (UHI) provided by Land surface temperature (LST) with local climate issues. Statistical methods for image processing used to define relations between those spectral indices and change detection images and regression analysis for time series trend in future. Remote sensing data are used by Landsat (TM/ETM+/OLI) satellite images over the period between 1990 and 2016 by 5 years. The advantages of this study are very useful remote sensing approaches with statistical analysis and important to detecting changes of LULC. The experimental results show that the LULC changes can image on the present and after few years and determined relations between impacts of environmental conditions.

Reduced mechanical load decreases the density, stiffness, and strength of cancellous bone of the mandibular condyle.

PubMed

Giesen, E B W; Ding, M; Dalstra, M; van Eijden, T M G J

2003-05-01

To investigate the influence of decreased mechanical loading on the density and mechanical properties of the cancellous bone of the human mandibular condyle. Destructive compressive mechanical tests were performed on cancellous bone specimens.Background. Reduced masticatory function in edentate people leads to a reduction of forces acting on the mandible. As bone reacts to its mechanical environment a change in its material properties can be expected. Cylindrical bone specimens were obtained from dentate and edentate embalmed cadavers. Mechanical parameters were determined in the axial and in the transverse directions. Subsequently, density parameters were determined according to a method based on Archimedes' principle. The apparent density and volume fraction of the bone were about 18% lower in the edentate group; no age-related effect on density was found. The decrease of bone in the edentate group was associated with a lower stiffness and strength (about 22% and 28%, respectively). The ultimate strain, however, did not differ between the two groups. Both groups had similar mechanical anisotropy; in axial loading the bone was stiffer and stronger than in transverse loading. Reduced mechanical load had affected the density and herewith the mechanical properties of condylar cancellous bone, but not its anisotropy. The change in material properties of the cancellous bone after loss of teeth indicate that the mandibular condyle is sensitive for changes in its mechanical environment. Therefore, changes in mechanical loading of the condyle have to be accounted for in surgical procedures of the mandible.

Classroom Activities about Water and Climate Change

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rodriguez, M.

2012-04-01

The purpose of this activity is to demonstrate practical work and experiments in the classroom, with students on Water: Water is the most neccesary Earth's resource, although it is decreasing because many human activities are changing its quality and its availability. The activity is designed in order to recreate experiments, simulations, and determine the aspects of the problematic environment currently plaguing our planet, especially those related to water and climate change. The selected activities have to be easy to make, and easy to understand. Each activity will be illustrated, explained and described using pictures and short texts, so teachers could replay them in their classroom. 1. Simulation of the Ocean Water Currents Convection to understand the heat distribution in our planet. 2. Ocean Water Stratification According to Water Salinity. We can understand the behaviour of water when we mix water from different densities 3. Melting of the Arctic and Antarctic Polar Caps. In this experiment, we can see the consequences of changing environment and climate conditions as it pertains to ice and our polar ice caps. We want to show the different behaviours of continental and floating ice and to evaluate the consequences of their melting. 4. Detecting water pollution. Here, we can analyse some water patterns and get to know the existence or absence of pollutants in the water, as well as learning how to determine its pH level, hardness, nitrogen composition, bacteria content and more. 5. Creating a home treatment. We show the necessity to preserve the water quality through a suitable treatment.

[Charles Darwin and the problem of evolutionary progress].

PubMed

Iordanskiĭ, N N

2010-01-01

According to Ch. Darwin's evolutionary theory, evolutionary progress (interpreted as morpho-physiological progress or arogenesis in recent terminology) is one of logical results of natural selection. At the same time, natural selection does not hold any factors especially promoting evolutionary progress. Darwin emphasized that the pattern of evolutionary changes depends on organism nature more than on the pattern of environment changes. Arogenesis specificity is determined by organization of rigorous biological systems - integral organisms. Onward progressive development is determined by fundamental features of living organisms: metabolism and homeostasis. The concept of social Darwinism differs fundamentally from Darwin's ideas about the most important role of social instincts in progress of mankind. Competition and selection play secondary role in socio-cultural progress of human society.

Global Qualitative Flow-Path Modeling for Local State Determination in Simulation and Analysis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Malin, Jane T. (Inventor); Fleming, Land D. (Inventor)

1998-01-01

For qualitative modeling and analysis, a general qualitative abstraction of power transmission variables (flow and effort) for elements of flow paths includes information on resistance, net flow, permissible directions of flow, and qualitative potential is discussed. Each type of component model has flow-related variables and an associated internal flow map, connected into an overall flow network of the system. For storage devices, the implicit power transfer to the environment is represented by "virtual" circuits that include an environmental junction. A heterogeneous aggregation method simplifies the path structure. A method determines global flow-path changes during dynamic simulation and analysis, and identifies corresponding local flow state changes that are effects of global configuration changes. Flow-path determination is triggered by any change in a flow-related device variable in a simulation or analysis. Components (path elements) that may be affected are identified, and flow-related attributes favoring flow in the two possible directions are collected for each of them. Next, flow-related attributes are determined for each affected path element, based on possibly conflicting indications of flow direction. Spurious qualitative ambiguities are minimized by using relative magnitudes and permissible directions of flow, and by favoring flow sources over effort sources when comparing flow tendencies. The results are output to local flow states of affected components.

Computer program CORDET. [computerized simulation of digital phase-lock loop for Omega navigation receiver

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Palkovic, R. A.

1974-01-01

A FORTRAN 4 computer program provides convenient simulation of an all-digital phase-lock loop (DPLL). The DPLL forms the heart of the Omega navigation receiver prototype. Through the DPLL, the phase of the 10.2 KHz Omega signal is estimated when the true signal phase is contaminated with noise. This investigation has provided a convenient means of evaluating loop performance in a variety of noise environments, and has proved to be a useful tool for evaluating design changes. The goals of the simulation are to: (1) analyze the circuit on a bit-by-bit level in order to evaluate the overall design; (2) see easily the effects of proposed design changes prior to actual breadboarding; and (3) determine the optimum integration time for the DPLL in an environment typical of general aviation conditions.

On the nature of solvatochromic effect: The riboflavin absorption spectrum as a case study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Daidone, Isabella; Amadei, Andrea; Aschi, Massimiliano; Zanetti-Polzi, Laura

2018-03-01

We present here the calculation of the absorption spectrum of riboflavin in acetonitrile and dimethyl sulfoxide using a hybrid quantum/classical approach, namely the perturbed matrix method, based on quantum mechanical calculations and molecular dynamics simulations. The calculated spectra are compared to the absorption spectrum of riboflavin previously calculated in water and to the experimental spectra obtained in all three solvents. The experimentally observed variations in the absorption spectra upon change of the solvent environment are well reproduced by the calculated spectra. In addition, the nature of the excited states of riboflavin interacting with different solvents is investigated, showing that environment effects determine a recombination of the gas-phase electronic states and that such a recombination is strongly affected by the polarity of the solvent inducing significant changes in the absorption spectra.

Skeletal Structural Consequences of Reduced Gravity Environments

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ruff, Christropher B.

1999-01-01

The overall goal of this project is to provide structurally meaningful data on bone loss after exposure to reduced gravity environments so that more precise estimates of fracture risk and the effectiveness of countermeasures in reducing fracture risk can be developed. The project has three major components: (1) measure structural changes in the limb bones of rats subjected to complete and partial nonweightbearing, with and without treatment with ibandronate and periodic full weightbearing; (2) measure structural changes in the limb bones of human bedrest subjects, with and without treatment with alendronate and resistive exercise, and Russian cosmonauts flying on the Mir Space Station; and (3) validate and extend the 2-dimensional structural analyses currently possible in the second project component (bedrest and Mir subjects) using 3-dimensional finite element modeling techniques, and determine actual fracture-producing loads on earth and in space.

Developmental plasticity and evolutionary biology.

PubMed

Bateson, Patrick

2007-04-01

Fetal experience determines some of the characteristics of human adults. Well-nourished mothers have offspring who are adapted to affluent conditions; mothers on a low level of nutrition have offspring who are adapted to lean environments. If the mother's forecast of her offspring's future environment is incorrect, the health of her offspring may suffer severely. The developmental plasticity that accounts for the ill health of humans who are living in conditions of rapid economic change is commonplace in biology. Understanding the evolutionary background sets the developmental origins of ill health in humans in context and has profound implications for public health.

Bacterial Serine/Threonine Protein Kinases in Host-Pathogen Interactions*

PubMed Central

Canova, Marc J.; Molle, Virginie

2014-01-01

In bacterial pathogenesis, monitoring and adapting to the dynamically changing environment in the host and an ability to disrupt host immune responses are critical. The virulence determinants of pathogenic bacteria include the sensor/signaling proteins of the serine/threonine protein kinase (STPK) family that have a dual role of sensing the environment and subverting specific host defense processes. STPKs can sense a wide range of signals and coordinate multiple cellular processes to mount an appropriate response. Here, we review some of the well studied bacterial STPKs that are essential virulence factors and that modify global host responses during infection. PMID:24554701

Bacterial serine/threonine protein kinases in host-pathogen interactions.

PubMed

Canova, Marc J; Molle, Virginie

2014-04-04

In bacterial pathogenesis, monitoring and adapting to the dynamically changing environment in the host and an ability to disrupt host immune responses are critical. The virulence determinants of pathogenic bacteria include the sensor/signaling proteins of the serine/threonine protein kinase (STPK) family that have a dual role of sensing the environment and subverting specific host defense processes. STPKs can sense a wide range of signals and coordinate multiple cellular processes to mount an appropriate response. Here, we review some of the well studied bacterial STPKs that are essential virulence factors and that modify global host responses during infection.

Complex and novel determinants of empathy change in medical students

PubMed Central

Ren, Gerald Sng Gui; Min, Joshua Tung Yi; Ping, Yeo Su; Shing, Lee Shuh; Win, Ma Thin Mar; Chuan, Hooi Shing; Samarasekera, Dujeepa D.

2016-01-01

Purpose: Physician empathy is a core attribute in medical professionals, giving better patient outcomes. Medical school is an opportune time for building empathetic foundations. This study explores empathy change and focuses on contributory factors. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study involving 881 students (63%) from Years 1 to 5 in a Singaporean medical school using the Jefferson Scale of Physician Empathy-Student version (JSPE-S) and a questionnaire investigating the relationship between reported and novel personal-social empathy determinants. Results: Empathy declined significantly between preclinical and clinical years. Female and medical specialty interest respondents had higher scores than their counterparts. Despite strong internal consistency, factor analysis suggested that the JSPE model is not a perfect fit. Year 1 students had highest Perspective Taking scores and Year 2 students had highest Compassionate Care scores. High workload and inappropriate learning environments were the most relevant stressors. Time spent with family, arts, and community service correlated with higher empathy scores, whilst time spent with significant others and individual leisure correlated with lower scores. Thematic analysis revealed that the most common self-reported determinants were exposure to activity (community service) or socialisation, personal and family-related event as well as environment (high work-load). Conclusion: While the empathy construct in multicultural Singapore is congruent with a Western model, important differences remain. A more subtle understanding of the heterogeneity of the medical student experience is important. A greater breadth of determinants of empathy, such as engagement in arts-related activities should be considered. PMID:26838570

Complex and novel determinants of empathy change in medical students.

PubMed

Sng, Gerald; Tung, Joshua; Ping, Yeo Su; Lee, Shuh Shing; Win, Ma Thin Mar; Hooi, Shing Chuan; Samarasekera, Dujeepa D

2016-03-01

Physician empathy is a core attribute in medical professionals, giving better patient outcomes. Medical school is an opportune time for building empathetic foundations. This study explores empathy change and focuses on contributory factors. We conducted a cross-sectional study involving 881 students (63%) from Years 1 to 5 in a Singaporean medical school using the Jefferson Scale of Physician Empathy-Student version (JSPE-S) and a questionnaire investigating the relationship between reported and novel personal-social empathy determinants. Empathy declined significantly between preclinical and clinical years. Female and medical specialty interest respondents had higher scores than their counterparts. Despite strong internal consistency, factor analysis suggested that the JSPE model is not a perfect fit. Year 1 students had highest Perspective Taking scores and Year 2 students had highest Compassionate Care scores. High workload and inappropriate learning environments were the most relevant stressors. Time spent with family, arts, and community service correlated with higher empathy scores, whilst time spent with significant others and individual leisure correlated with lower scores. Thematic analysis revealed that the most common self-reported determinants were exposure to activity (community service) or socialisation, personal and family-related event as well as environment (high work-load). While the empathy construct in multicultural Singapore is congruent with a Western model, important differences remain. A more subtle understanding of the heterogeneity of the medical student experience is important. A greater breadth of determinants of empathy, such as engagement in arts-related activities should be considered.

The Impact of External Factors on the Epigenome: In Utero and over Lifetime

PubMed Central

Toraño, Estela G.; García, María G.; Fernández-Morera, Juan Luis; Niño-García, Pilar; Fernández, Agustín F.

2016-01-01

Epigenetic marks change during fetal development, adult life, and aging. Some changes play an important role in the establishment and regulation of gene programs, but others seem to occur without any apparent physiological role. An important future challenge in the field of epigenetics will be to describe how the environment affects both of these types of epigenetic change and to learn if interaction between them can determine healthy and disease phenotypes during lifetime. Here we discuss how chemical and physical environmental stressors, diet, life habits, and pharmacological treatments can affect the epigenome during lifetime and the possible impact of these epigenetic changes on pathophysiological processes. PMID:27294112

"Conflict management" and "conflict resolution" are not synonymous terms.

PubMed

Robbins, S P

1978-01-01

Robbins sees functional conflict as an absolute necessity within organizations and explicitly encourages it. He explains: "Survival can result only when an organization is able to adapt to constant changes in the environment. Adaption is possible only through change, and change is stimulated by conflict." Robbins cites evidence indicating that conflict can be related to increased productivity and that critical thinking encourages well-developed decisions. He admits, however, that not all conflicts are good for the organization. Their functional or dysfunctional nature is determined by the impact of the conflict on the objectives of the organization. The author identifies several factors underlying the need for conflict stimulation: (1) managers who are surrounded by "yes men"; (2) subordinates who are afraid to admit ignorance or uncertainty; (3) decision-makers' excessive concern about hurting the feelings of others; or (4) an environment where new ideas are slow in coming forth. He suggests techniques for stimulating conflict; manipulating the communication channels (i.e., repression of information); changing the organizational structure (i.e., changes in size or position); and altering personal behavior factors (i.e., role incongruence). Robbins stresses that the actual method to be used in either resolving or stimulating conflict must be appropriate to the situation.

Cell fate determination dynamics in bacteria

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kuchina, Anna; Espinar, Lorena; Cagatay, Tolga; Garcia-Ojalvo, Jordi; Suel, Gurol

2010-03-01

The fitness of an organism depends on many processes that serve the purpose to adapt to changing environment in a robust and coordinated fashion. One example of such process is cellular fate determination. In the presence of a variety of alternative responses each cell adopting a particular fate represents a ``choice'' that must be tightly regulated to ensure the best survival strategy for the population taking into account the broad range of possible environmental challenges. We investigated this problem in the model organism B.Subtilis which under stress conditions differentiates terminally into highly resistant spores or initiates an alternative transient state of competence. The dynamics underlying cell fate choice remains largely unknown. We utilize quantitative fluorescent microscopy to track the activities of genes involved in these responses on a single-cell level. We explored the importance of temporal interactions between competing cell fates by re- engineering the differentiation programs. I will discuss how the precise dynamics of cellular ``decision-making'' governed by the corresponding biological circuits may enable cells to adjust to diverse environments and determine survival.

Length of intact plasma membrane determines the diffusion properties of cellular water.

PubMed

Eida, Sato; Van Cauteren, Marc; Hotokezaka, Yuka; Katayama, Ikuo; Sasaki, Miho; Obara, Makoto; Okuaki, Tomoyuki; Sumi, Misa; Nakamura, Takashi

2016-01-11

Molecular diffusion in a boundary-free medium depends only on the molecular size, the temperature, and medium viscosity. However, the critical determinant of the molecular diffusion property in inhomogeneous biological tissues has not been identified. Here, using an in vitro system and a high-resolution MR imaging technique, we show that the length of the intact plasma membrane is a major determinant of water diffusion in a controlled cellular environment and that the cell perimeter length (CPL) is sufficient to estimate the apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) of water in any cellular environment in our experimental system (ADC = -0.21 × CPL + 1.10). We used this finding to further explain the different diffusion kinetics of cells that are dying via apoptotic or non-apoptotic cell death pathways exhibiting characteristic changes in size, nuclear and cytoplasmic architectures, and membrane integrity. These results suggest that the ADC value can be used as a potential biomarker for cell death.

Length of intact plasma membrane determines the diffusion properties of cellular water

PubMed Central

Eida, Sato; Van Cauteren, Marc; Hotokezaka, Yuka; Katayama, Ikuo; Sasaki, Miho; Obara, Makoto; Okuaki, Tomoyuki; Sumi, Misa; Nakamura, Takashi

2016-01-01

Molecular diffusion in a boundary-free medium depends only on the molecular size, the temperature, and medium viscosity. However, the critical determinant of the molecular diffusion property in inhomogeneous biological tissues has not been identified. Here, using an in vitro system and a high-resolution MR imaging technique, we show that the length of the intact plasma membrane is a major determinant of water diffusion in a controlled cellular environment and that the cell perimeter length (CPL) is sufficient to estimate the apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) of water in any cellular environment in our experimental system (ADC = −0.21 × CPL + 1.10). We used this finding to further explain the different diffusion kinetics of cells that are dying via apoptotic or non-apoptotic cell death pathways exhibiting characteristic changes in size, nuclear and cytoplasmic architectures, and membrane integrity. These results suggest that the ADC value can be used as a potential biomarker for cell death. PMID:26750342

Vibrational stark effects to identify ion pairing and determine reduction potentials in electrolyte-free environments

DOE PAGES

Mani, Tomoyasu; Grills, David C.; Miller, John R.

2015-01-02

A recently-developed instrument for time-resolved infrared detection following pulse radiolysis has been used to measure the ν(C≡N) IR band of the radical anion of a CN-substituted fluorene in tetrahydrofuran. Specific vibrational frequencies can exhibit distinct frequency shifts due to ion-pairing, which can be explained in the framework of the vibrational Stark effect. Measurements of the ratio of free ions and ion-pairs in different electrolyte concentrations allowed us to obtain an association constant and free energy change for ion-pairing. As a result, this new method has the potential to probe the geometry of ion-pairing and allows the reduction potentials of moleculesmore » to be determined in the absence of electrolyte in an environment of low dielectric constant.« less

Vacuum ultraviolet radiation and thermal cycling effects on atomic oxygen protective photovoltaic array blanket materials

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Brady, J.; Banks, B.

1990-01-01

The importance of synergistic environmental exposure is demonstrated through the evaluation of DuPont 93-1 in simulated LEO environment. Changes in optical properties, surface condition, and mass loss data are described. The qualitative results indicate the necessity for exposure of materials to a series of simulated LEO environments in order to properly determine synergistic effects and demonstrate the overall LEO durability of candidate materials. It is shown that synergistic effects may occur with vacuum thermal cycling combined with VUV radiation followed by atomic oxygen exposure. Testing the durability of candidate solar array blanket materials in a test sequence with necessary synergistic effects makes it possible to determine the appropriate material for providing structural support and maintaining the proper operating temperature for solar cells in the SSF Photovaltaic Power System.

Classifying Natural Waters with the Forel-Ule Colour Index System: Results, Applications, Correlations and Crowdsourcing.

PubMed

Garaba, Shungudzemwoyo P; Friedrichs, Anna; Voß, Daniela; Zielinski, Oliver

2015-12-18

Societal awareness of changes in the environment and climate has grown rapidly, and there is a need to engage citizens in gathering relevant scientific information to monitor environmental changes due to recognition that citizens are a potential source of critical information. The apparent colour of natural waters is one aspect of our aquatic environment that is easy to detect and an essential complementary optical water quality indicator. Here we present the results and explore the utility of the Forel-Ule colour index (FUI) scale as a proxy for different properties of natural waters. A FUI scale is used to distinguish the apparent colours of different natural surface water masses. Correlation analysis was completed in an effort to determine the constituents of natural waters related to FUI. Strong correlations with turbidity, Secchi-disk depth, and coloured dissolved organic material suggest the FUI is a good indicator of changes related to other constituents of water. The increase in the number of tools capable of determining the FUI colours, (i) ocean colour remote sensing products; (ii) a handheld scale; and (iii) a mobile device app, make it a versatile relative measure of water quality. It has the potential to provide higher spatial and temporal resolution of data for a modernized classification of optical water quality. This FUI colour system has been favoured by several scientists in the last century because it is affordable and easy to use and provides indicative information about the colour of water and the water constituents producing that colour. It is therefore within the scope of a growing interest in the application and usefulness of basic measurement methodologies with the potential to provide timely benchmark information about the environment to the public, scientists and policymakers.

Classifying Natural Waters with the Forel-Ule Colour Index System: Results, Applications, Correlations and Crowdsourcing

PubMed Central

Garaba, Shungudzemwoyo P.; Friedrichs, Anna; Voß, Daniela; Zielinski, Oliver

2015-01-01

Societal awareness of changes in the environment and climate has grown rapidly, and there is a need to engage citizens in gathering relevant scientific information to monitor environmental changes due to recognition that citizens are a potential source of critical information. The apparent colour of natural waters is one aspect of our aquatic environment that is easy to detect and an essential complementary optical water quality indicator. Here we present the results and explore the utility of the Forel-Ule colour index (FUI) scale as a proxy for different properties of natural waters. A FUI scale is used to distinguish the apparent colours of different natural surface water masses. Correlation analysis was completed in an effort to determine the constituents of natural waters related to FUI. Strong correlations with turbidity, Secchi-disk depth, and coloured dissolved organic material suggest the FUI is a good indicator of changes related to other constituents of water. The increase in the number of tools capable of determining the FUI colours, (i) ocean colour remote sensing products; (ii) a handheld scale; and (iii) a mobile device app, make it a versatile relative measure of water quality. It has the potential to provide higher spatial and temporal resolution of data for a modernized classification of optical water quality. This FUI colour system has been favoured by several scientists in the last century because it is affordable and easy to use and provides indicative information about the colour of water and the water constituents producing that colour. It is therefore within the scope of a growing interest in the application and usefulness of basic measurement methodologies with the potential to provide timely benchmark information about the environment to the public, scientists and policymakers. PMID:26694444

Interprofessional student teams augmenting service provision in residential aged care.

PubMed

Kent, Fiona; Lai, Francis; Beovich, Bronwyn; Dodic, Miodrag

2016-09-01

The aim of this study was to determine the usefulness of student-led interprofessional consultations within residential aged care in augmenting patient care and enhancing student education. Volunteer fourth and final year health-care students conducted interprofessional consultations. In a mixed methods design, residents' health-care changes and perspectives were collected prospectively, and student and educator perceptions were measured by survey and interview. Sixteen aged care residents were consulted by interprofessional teams. Students identified two new health issues and proposed 17 recommendations for referrals and five changes to medication management. At six-weeks follow-up, two recommendations had been acted upon clinically, and two medication changes had been implemented. Reasons for the low uptake of recommendations were determined. Residents, students and educators reported high levels of satisfaction. Residential care facilities offer a useful interprofessional learning environment. Student consultations are positively regarded by patients, students and educators and may augment existing health services. © 2016 AJA Inc.

Multidimensional Adaptation in MAS Organizations.

PubMed

Alberola, Juan M; Julian, Vicente; Garcia-Fornes, Ana

2013-04-01

Organization adaptation requires determining the consequences of applying changes not only in terms of the benefits provided but also measuring the adaptation costs as well as the impact that these changes have on all of the components of the organization. In this paper, we provide an approach for adaptation in multiagent systems based on a multidimensional transition deliberation mechanism (MTDM). This approach considers transitions in multiple dimensions and is aimed at obtaining the adaptation with the highest potential for improvement in utility based on the costs of adaptation. The approach provides an accurate measurement of the impact of the adaptation since it determines the organization that is to be transitioned to as well as the changes required to carry out this transition. We show an example of adaptation in a service provider network environment in order to demonstrate that the measurement of the adaptation consequences taken by the MTDM improves the organization performance more than the other approaches.

Exposure to vancomycin causes a shift in the microbial community structure without affecting nitrate reduction rates in river sediments.

PubMed

Laverman, Anniet M; Cazier, Thibaut; Yan, Chen; Roose-Amsaleg, Céline; Petit, Fabienne; Garnier, Josette; Berthe, Thierry

2015-09-01

Antibiotics and antibiotic resistance genes have shown to be omnipresent in the environment. In this study, we investigated the effect of vancomycin (VA) on denitrifying bacteria in river sediments of a Waste Water Treatment Plant, receiving both domestic and hospital waste. We exposed these sediments continuously in flow-through reactors to different VA concentrations under denitrifying conditions (nitrate addition and anoxia) in order to determine potential nitrate reduction rates and changes in sedimentary microbial community structures. The presence of VA had no effect on sedimentary nitrate reduction rates at environmental concentrations, whereas a change in bacterial (16S rDNA) and denitrifying (nosZ) community structures was observed (determined by polymerase chain reaction-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis). The bacterial and denitrifying community structure within the sediment changed upon VA exposure indicating a selection of a non-susceptible VA population.

Geographical Variations in the Environmental Determinants of Physical Inactivity among U.S. Adults.

PubMed

An, Ruopeng; Li, Xinye; Jiang, Ning

2017-10-31

Physical inactivity is a major modifiable risk factor for morbidity, disability and premature mortality worldwide. This study assessed the geographical variations in the impact of environmental quality on physical inactivity among U.S. adults. Data on county-level prevalence of leisure-time physical inactivity came from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System. County environment was measured by the Environmental Quality Index (EQI), a comprehensive index of environmental conditions that affect human health. The overall EQI consists of five subdomains-air, water, land, social, and built environment. Geographically weighted regressions (GWRs) were performed to estimate and map county-specific impact of overall EQI and its five subdomains on physical inactivity prevalence. The prevalence of leisure-time physical inactivity among U.S. counties was 25% in 2005. On average, one standard deviation decrease in the overall EQI was associated with an increase in county-level prevalence of leisure-time physical inactivity by nearly 1%. However, substantial geographical variations in the estimated environmental determinants of physical inactivity were present. The estimated changes of county-level prevalence of leisure-time physical inactivity resulted from one standard deviation decrease of the overall EQI ranged from an increase of over 3% to a decrease of nearly 2% across U.S. counties. Analogous, the estimated changes of county-level prevalence of leisure-time physical inactivity resulted from one standard deviation decrease of the EQI air, water, land, social, and built environment subdomains ranged from an increase of 2.6%, 1.5%, 2.9%, 3.3%, and 1.7% to a decrease of 2.9%, 1.4%, 2.4%, 2.4%, and 0.8% across U.S. counties, respectively. Given the substantial heterogeneities in the environmental determinants of physical inactivity, locally customized physical activity interventions are warranted to address the most concerning area-specific environmental issue.

Determination of Diffusion Profiles in Altered Wellbore Cement Using X-ray Computed Tomography Methods

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

Mason, Harris E.; Walsh, Stuart D. C.; DuFrane, Wyatt L.

2014-06-17

The development of accurate, predictive models for use in determining wellbore integrity requires detailed information about the chemical and mechanical changes occurring in hardened Portland cements. X-ray computed tomography (XRCT) provides a method that can nondestructively probe these changes in three dimensions. Here, we describe a method for extracting subvoxel mineralogical and chemical information from synchrotron XRCT images by combining advanced image segmentation with geochemical models of cement alteration. The method relies on determining “effective linear activity coefficients” (ELAC) for the white light source to generate calibration curves that relate the image grayscales to material composition. The resulting data setmore » supports the modeling of cement alteration by CO 2-rich brine with discrete increases in calcium concentration at reaction boundaries. The results of these XRCT analyses can be used to further improve coupled geochemical and mechanical models of cement alteration in the wellbore environment.« less

Climate change influences on environment as a determinant of Indigenous health: Relationships to place, sea ice, and health in an Inuit community.

PubMed

Durkalec, Agata; Furgal, Chris; Skinner, Mark W; Sheldon, Tom

2015-07-01

This paper contributes to the literature on Indigenous health, human dimensions of climate change, and place-based dimensions of health by examining the role of environment for Inuit health in the context of a changing climate. We investigated the relationship between one key element of the environment - sea ice - and diverse aspects of health in an Inuit community in northern Canada, drawing on population health and health geography approaches. We used a case study design and participatory and collaborative approach with the community of Nain in northern Labrador, Canada. Focus groups (n = 2), interviews (n = 22), and participant observation were conducted in 2010-11. We found that an appreciation of place was critical for understanding the full range of health influences of sea ice use for Inuit. Negative physical health impacts were reported on less frequently than positive health benefits of sea ice use, which were predominantly related to mental/emotional, spiritual, social, and cultural health. We found that sea ice means freedom for sea ice users, which we suggest influences individual and collective health through relationships between sea ice use, culture, knowledge, and autonomy. While sea ice users reported increases in negative physical health impacts such as injuries and stress related to changing environmental conditions, we suggest that less tangible climate change impacts related to losses of health benefits and disruptions to place meanings and place attachment may be even more significant. Our findings indicate that climate change is resulting in and compounding existing environmental dispossession for Inuit. They also demonstrate the necessity of considering place meanings, culture, and socio-historical context to assess the complexity of climate change impacts on Indigenous environmental health. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The ontogeny of tolerance curves: habitat quality vs. acclimation in a stressful environment.

PubMed

Nougué, Odrade; Svendsen, Nils; Jabbour-Zahab, Roula; Lenormand, Thomas; Chevin, Luis-Miguel

2016-11-01

Stressful environments affect life-history components of fitness through (i) instantaneous detrimental effects, (ii) historical (carry-over) effects and (iii) history-by-environment interactions, including acclimation effects. The relative contributions of these different responses to environmental stress are likely to change along life, but such ontogenic perspective is often overlooked in studies of tolerance curves, precluding a better understanding of the causes of costs of acclimation, and more generally of fitness in temporally fine-grained environments. We performed an experiment in the brine shrimp Artemia to disentangle these different contributions to environmental tolerance, and investigate how they unfold along life. We placed individuals from three clones of A. parthenogenetica over a range of salinities during a week, before transferring them to a (possibly) different salinity for the rest of their lives. We monitored individual survival at repeated intervals throughout life, instead of measuring survival or performance at a given point in time, as commonly done in acclimation experiments. We then designed a modified survival analysis model to estimate phase-specific hazard rates, accounting for the fact that individuals may share the same treatment for only part of their lives. Our approach allowed us to distinguish effects of salinity on (i) instantaneous mortality in each phase (habitat quality effects), (ii) mortality later in life (history effects) and (iii) their interaction. We showed clear effects of early salinity on late survival and interactions between effects of past and current environments on survival. Importantly, analysis of the ontogenetic dynamics of the tolerance curve reveals that acclimation affects different parts of the curve at different ages. Adopting a dynamical view of the ontogeny of tolerance curve should prove useful for understanding niche limits in temporally changing environments, where the full sequence of environments experienced by an individual determines its overall environmental tolerance, and how it changes throughout life. © 2016 The Authors. Journal of Animal Ecology © 2016 British Ecological Society.

Changes in the central nervous system during long-duration space flight: implications for neuro-imaging

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Newberg, A. B.; Alavi, A.

The purpose of this paper is to review the potential functional and morphological effects of long duration space flight on the human central nervous system (CNS) and how current neuroimaging techniques may be utilized to study these effects. It must be determined if there will be any detrimental changes to the CNS from long term exposure to the space environment if human beings are to plan interplanetary missions or establish permanent space habitats. Research to date has focused primarily on the short term changes in the CNS as the result of space flight. The space environment has many factors such as weightlessness, electromagnetic fields, and radiation, that may impact upon the function and structure of the CNS. CNS changes known to occur during and after long term space flight include neurovestibular disturbances, cephalic fluid shifts, alterations in sensory perception, changes in proprioception, psychological disturbances, and cognitive changes. Animal studies have shown altered plasticity of the neural cytoarchitecture, decreased neuronal metabolism in the hypothalamus, and changes in neurotransmitter concentrations. Recent progress in the ability to study brain morphology, cerebral metabolism, and neurochemistry in vivo in the human brain would provide ample opportunity to investigate many of the changes that occur in the CNS as a result of space flight. These methods include positron emission tomography (PET), single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT), and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

On the development of a reactive sensor-based robotic system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hexmoor, Henry H.; Underwood, William E., Jr.

1989-01-01

Flexible robotic systems for space applications need to use local information to guide their action in uncertain environments where the state of the environment and even the goals may change. They have to be tolerant of unexpected events and robust enough to carry their task to completion. Tactical goals should be modified while maintaining strategic goals. Furthermore, reactive robotic systems need to have a broader view of their environments than sensory-based systems. An architecture and a theory of representation extending the basic cycles of action and perception are described. This scheme allows for dynamic description of the environment and determining purposive and timely action. Applications of this scheme for assembly and repair tasks using a Universal Machine Intelligence RTX robot are being explored, but the ideas are extendable to other domains. The nature of reactivity for sensor-based robotic systems and implementation issues encountered in developing a prototype are discussed.

Nutrition environment measures survey-vending: development, dissemination, and reliability.

PubMed

Voss, Carol; Klein, Susan; Glanz, Karen; Clawson, Margaret

2012-07-01

Researchers determined a need to develop an instrument to assess the vending machine environment that was comparably reliable and valid to other Nutrition Environment Measures Survey tools and that would provide consistent and comparable data for businesses, schools, and communities. Tool development, reliability testing, and dissemination of the Nutrition Environment Measures Survey-Vending (NEMS-V) involved a collaboration of students, professionals, and community leaders. Interrater reliability testing showed high levels of agreement among trained raters on the products and evaluations of products. NEMS-V can benefit public health partners implementing policy and environmental change initiatives as a part of their community wellness activities. The vending machine project will support a policy calling for state facilities to provide a minimum of 30% of foods and beverages in vending machines as healthy options, based on NEMS-V criteria, which will be used as a model for other businesses.

Protective environment for hematopoietic cell transplant (HSCT) recipients: The Infectious Diseases Working Party EBMT analysis of global recommendations on health-care facilities.

PubMed

Styczynski, Jan; Tridello, Gloria; Donnelly, J Peter; Iacobelli, Simona; Hoek, Jennifer; Mikulska, Malgorzata; Aljurf, Mahmoud; Gil, Lidia; Cesaro, Simone

2018-03-13

International guidelines on protective environment for HSCT recipients proposed a set of 10 global recommendations in 2009 on protective environment (GRPE) concerning hospital room design and ventilation. The EBMT Infectious Diseases Working Party undertook a survey on the status on protective environment for HSCT recipients with the aim of surveying current practices and their agreement with GRPE recommendations. The questionnaire consisted of 37 questions divided into 5 sections about filtration, air changes, maintenance, and the protective environment in rooms and the surrounding unit. Overall, 177 centres (response rate 33%) from 36 countries responded, indicating that 99.4% of patient rooms were equipped with HEPA filters, but only 48.6% of the centre's staff were aware of, and could confirm, regular replacement of filters based on manufacturers' recommendations. Well-sealed rooms were used in terms of windows (70.6%), ceilings (35%), and plumbing pipes (51.4%). The sensor monitors in the patient room used to determine when the HEPA filters require changing were installed only in 18.1% of centres. Only 1 centre fulfilled all 10 GRPE recommendations, while 62 centres fulfilled the 3 level "A" recommendations. In conclusion, HEPA-filtered rooms are available in almost all centres, while fewer centres fulfilled other requirements. Knowledge on the details and maintenance of protective environments in the HSCT setting was inadequate, reflecting a lack of communication between the health personnel involved, hospital infection control and the hospital maintenance services.

Linking the Gut Microbial Ecosystem with the Environment: Does Gut Health Depend on Where We Live?

PubMed Central

Tasnim, Nishat; Abulizi, Nijiati; Pither, Jason; Hart, Miranda M.; Gibson, Deanna L.

2017-01-01

Global comparisons reveal a decrease in gut microbiota diversity attributed to Western diets, lifestyle practices such as caesarian section, antibiotic use and formula-feeding of infants, and sanitation of the living environment. While gut microbial diversity is decreasing, the prevalence of chronic inflammatory diseases such as inflammatory bowel disease, diabetes, obesity, allergies and asthma is on the rise in Westernized societies. Since the immune system development is influenced by microbial components, early microbial colonization may be a key factor in determining disease susceptibility patterns later in life. Evidence indicates that the gut microbiota is vertically transmitted from the mother and this affects offspring immunity. However, the role of the external environment in gut microbiome and immune development is poorly understood. Studies show that growing up in microbe-rich environments, such as traditional farms, can have protective health effects on children. These health-effects may be ablated due to changes in the human lifestyle, diet, living environment and environmental biodiversity as a result of urbanization. Importantly, if early-life exposure to environmental microbes increases gut microbiota diversity by influencing patterns of gut microbial assembly, then soil biodiversity loss due to land-use changes such as urbanization could be a public health threat. Here, we summarize key questions in environmental health research and discuss some of the challenges that have hindered progress toward a better understanding of the role of the environment on gut microbiome development. PMID:29056933

Biological-Physical Feedbacks Determine Coastal Environmental Response to Climate Change

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moore, L. J.; Duran Vinent, O.; Walters, D.; Fagherazzi, S.; Mariotti, G.; Young, D.; Wolner, C. V.

2012-12-01

As low-lying coastal landforms, transitional between marine and terrestrial realms, barrier islands are especially sensitive to changing environmental conditions. Interactions among biological and physical processes appear to play a critical role in determining how these landscapes will evolve in the future as sea level rises, storm intensity increases and plant species composition changes. Within a new conceptual framework, barrier islands tend to exist in one of two primary states. "Low" islands have little relief above sea level and are dominated by external processes, responding quickly on short time scales to changes in forcing (e.g., storms, sea level rise, etc.), migrating rapidly and generally being low in ecological diversity and productivity. In contrast, "high" islands are less vulnerable to storms, tend to be dominated by internal processes (e.g., sand trapping by vegetation), require long time periods to respond to changes in forcing, migrate slowly (if at all) and host a range of plant species and morphological environments including shrubs, small trees and vegetated secondary and tertiary dunes with intervening swales. The continued existence of barrier island landforms will depend on the degree to which islands can maintain elevation above sea level while also responding to changes in forcing by migrating landward. A long-term morphological-behavior model exploring coupled barrier-marsh evolution and a new ecomorphodynamic model representing the formation/recovery of dunes as a function of storms, shed light on the role of interactions among biological and physical processes on barrier island response to climate change. Results suggest that connections between the marsh and barrier realms, which are mediated by biological processes in the marsh environment, are highly sensitive to factors such as sea level rise rate, antecedent morphology and marsh composition. Results also suggest that feedbacks between sediment transport and vegetation involved in dune building may allow small, gradual changes in storms to cause abrupt, nonlinear transitions from the high to low island state.

Diel Variation in Population Size and Ice Nucleation Activity of Pseudomonas syringae on Snap Bean Leaflets.

PubMed

Hirano, S S; Upper, C D

1989-03-01

The extent to which diel changes in the physical environment affect changes in population size and ice nucleation activity of Pseudomonas syringae on snap bean leaflets was determined under field conditions. To estimate bacterial population size and ice nucleation activity, bean leaflets were harvested at 2-h intervals during each of three 26-h periods. A tube nucleation test was used to assay individual leaflets for ice nuclei. Population sizes of P. syringae were determined by dilution plating of leaflet homogenates. The overall diel changes in P. syringae population sizes differed during each of the 26-h periods. In one 26-h period, there was a continuous increase in the logarithm of P. syringae population size despite intense solar radiation, absence of free moisture on leaf surfaces, and low relative humidity during the day. A mean doubling time of approximately 4.9 h was estimated for the 28-fold increase in P. syringae population size that occurred from 0900 to 0900 h during the 26-h period. However, doubling times of 3.3 and 1.9 h occurred briefly during this period from 1700 to 2300 h and from 0100 to 0700 h, respectively. Thus, growth rates of P. syringae in association with leaves in the field were of the same order of magnitude as optimal rates measured in the laboratory. The frequency with which leaflets bore ice nuclei active at -2.0, -2.2, and -2.5 degrees C varied greatly within each 26-h period. These large diel changes were inversely correlated primarily with the diel changes in air temperature and reflected changes in nucleation frequency rather than changes in population size of P. syringae. Thus, the response of bacterial ice nucleation activity to the physical environment was distinct from the changes in population size of ice nucleation-active P. syringae.

A Group in Urban: The Social Capital of Ciliwung Depok Community (KCD)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tampi, D. M.; Sumabrata, J.; Zubair, A.; Kinan, N. H.

2018-03-01

Climate change is a phenomenon that not only affects physical aspect of the environment, but also the social aspect. As a consequence, the urban communities are also its group which is highly vulnerable to climate change impact. Depok Ciliwung Community or Komunitas Ciliwung Depok (KCD) is located under Grand Depok City Bridge to keep an environment such as land conversion and garbage. This study aims to determine the social capital of KCD’s group related to the potential of social resilience in Ciliwung riverbank along Depok City. Data were gathered from in-depth interviews, observation, and documentation within 4 months. KCD invited the local people to keep and maintain an environment of Ciliwung riverbank. The result of this study lies on the strengths and weaknesses of KCD’s Group and involvement of human resources, with the support of public and private sectors facilities. Their commitments and actions on behalf of social interests protecting the rights of individuals in society. The conclusions of this research are KCD group have several aspects of social capital that consists of strengths and weaknesses. The presence of social capital and the potential of social resilience helped KCD and the surrounding of Ciliwung riverbank in facing of climate change/threat of natural disruption caused by the humans itself.

Changes in nutritional status among displaced North Korean children living in South Korea.

PubMed

Lee, Soo-Kyung; Nam, So-Young; Hoffman, Daniel

2015-01-01

As many nations experience the nutrition transition, changes in the nutritional status of children moving from food insecure to food affluent societies has become an important, but infrequently studied, public health issue. To determine changes in the nutritional status of North Korean children after relocating to food-affluent South Korea (SK) from food-deficient North Korea (NK) and relationships of current nutritional status with food environment at birth and exposure to food affluent environments. Socioeconomic status, relocation history and anthropometric information were obtained from 70 NK children (6-15 years) living in SK, through questionnaires, interviews and direct measurements. Following the first 2 years in SK, the height and weight of NK children significantly (p = 0.000) improved, yet they were still shorter (p = 0.000) than SK peers, while the prevalence of obesity was similar to those of SK children. The likelihood of remaining stunted was significantly associated with older age and shorter residency in SK (p < 0.05), but there was no significant association with food security situation at birth. Even a short exposure to food affluent environments improved the nutritional status among children, but linear growth deficits are slow to recover as overall nutritional status remains poor compared to peers without exposures to food insecurity.

Microgravity vestibular investigations (10-IML-1)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Reschke, Millard F.

1992-01-01

Our perception of how we are oriented in space is dependent on the interaction of virtually every sensory system. For example, to move about in our environment we integrate inputs in our brain from visual, haptic (kinesthetic, proprioceptive, and cutaneous), auditory systems, and labyrinths. In addition to this multimodal system for orientation, our expectations about the direction and speed of our chosen movement are also important. Changes in our environment and the way we interact with the new stimuli will result in a different interpretation by the nervous system of the incoming sensory information. We will adapt to the change in appropriate ways. Because our orientation system is adaptable and complex, it is often difficult to trace a response or change in behavior to any one source of information in this synergistic orientation system. However, with a carefully designed investigation, it is possible to measure signals at the appropriate level of response (both electrophysiological and perceptual) and determine the effect that stimulus rearrangement has on our sense of orientation. The environment of orbital flight represents the stimulus arrangement that is our immediate concern. The Microgravity Vestibular Investigations (MVI) represent a group of experiments designed to investigate the effects of orbital flight and a return to Earth on our orientation system.

Early multisensory interactions affect the competition among multiple visual objects.

PubMed

Van der Burg, Erik; Talsma, Durk; Olivers, Christian N L; Hickey, Clayton; Theeuwes, Jan

2011-04-01

In dynamic cluttered environments, audition and vision may benefit from each other in determining what deserves further attention and what does not. We investigated the underlying neural mechanisms responsible for attentional guidance by audiovisual stimuli in such an environment. Event-related potentials (ERPs) were measured during visual search through dynamic displays consisting of line elements that randomly changed orientation. Search accuracy improved when a target orientation change was synchronized with an auditory signal as compared to when the auditory signal was absent or synchronized with a distractor orientation change. The ERP data show that behavioral benefits were related to an early multisensory interaction over left parieto-occipital cortex (50-60 ms post-stimulus onset), which was followed by an early positive modulation (80-100 ms) over occipital and temporal areas contralateral to the audiovisual event, an enhanced N2pc (210-250 ms), and a contralateral negative slow wave (CNSW). The early multisensory interaction was correlated with behavioral search benefits, indicating that participants with a strong multisensory interaction benefited the most from the synchronized auditory signal. We suggest that an auditory signal enhances the neural response to a synchronized visual event, which increases the chances of selection in a multiple object environment. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Hypoxia in the changing marine environment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, J.; Cowie, G.; Naqvi, S. W. A.

2013-03-01

The predicted future of the global marine environment, as a combined result of forcing due to climate change (e.g. warming and acidification) and other anthropogenic perturbation (e.g. eutrophication), presents a challenge to the sustainability of ecosystems from tropics to high latitudes. Among the various associated phenomena of ecosystem deterioration, hypoxia can cause serious problems in coastal areas as well as oxygen minimum zones in the open ocean (Diaz and Rosenberg 2008 Science 321 926-9, Stramma et al 2008 Science 320 655-8). The negative impacts of hypoxia include changes in populations of marine organisms, such as large-scale mortality and behavioral responses, as well as variations of species distributions, biodiversity, physiological stress, and other sub-lethal effects (e.g. growth and reproduction). Social and economic activities that are related to services provided by the marine ecosystems, such as tourism and fisheries, can be negatively affected by the aesthetic outcomes as well as perceived or real impacts on seafood quality (STAP 2011 (Washington, DC: Global Environment Facility) p 88). Moreover, low oxygen concentration in marine waters can have considerable feedbacks to other compartments of the Earth system, like the emission of greenhouse gases to the atmosphere, and can affect the global biogeochemical cycles of nutrients and trace elements. It is of critical importance to prediction and adaptation strategies that the key processes of hypoxia in marine environments be precisely determined and understood (cf Zhang et al 2010 Biogeosciences 7 1-24).

An Empirical Model of Titan's Magnetic Environment During the Cassini Era: Evidence for Seasonal Variability

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Simon, S.; Kabanovic, S.; Meeks, Z. C.; Neubauer, F. M.

2017-12-01

Based on the magnetic field data collected during the Cassini era, we construct an empirical model of the ambient magnetospheric field conditions along the orbit of Saturn's largest moon Titan. Observations from Cassini's close Titan flybys as well as 191 non-targeted crossings of Titan's orbit are taken into account. For each of these events we apply the classification technique of Simon et al. (2010) to categorize the ambient magnetospheric field as current sheet, lobe-like, magnetosheath, or an admixture of these regimes. Independent of Saturnian season, Titan's magnetic environment around noon local time is dominated by the perturbed fields of Saturn's broad magnetodisk current sheet. Only observations from the nightside magnetosphere reveal a slow, but steady change of the background field from southern lobe-type to northern lobe-type on a time scale of several years. This behavior is consistent with a continuous change in the curvature of the bowl-shaped magnetodisk current sheet over the course of the Saturnian year. We determine the occurrence rate of each magnetic environment category along Titan's orbit as a function of Saturnian season and local time.

Effects of watershed history on dissolved organic matter characteristics in headwater streams

Treesearch

Youhei Yamashita; Brian D. Kloeppel; Jennifer Knoepp; Gregory L. Zausen; Rudolf Jaffe'

2011-01-01

Dissolved organic matter (DOM) is recognized as a major component in the global carbon cycle and is an important driver in aquatic ecosystem function. Climate, land use, and forest cover changes all impact stream DOM and alter biogeochemical cycles in terrestrial environments. We determined the temporal variation in DOM quantity and quality in headwater streams at a...

Corporate Score: Marrying Two Expert Tools Will Help You Sustain Your Corporate Library

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Matarazzo, James M.; Pearlstein, Toby

2007-01-01

Corporate librarians hold the key to determining new ways to work within their environments. They must drive the process to change the view of the company library as a liability--as overhead, as a cost center, as part of the problem--to the library as a solution center, a necessary investment. For the sixth consecutive year, corporate libraries…

Societal Factors Affecting Communication and Cooperation Between Industry and Accounting Education at Castleton State College.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

O'Neil, Bryan L.

The purpose of the practicum was to determine the societal factors existing in the accounting industry and accounting education, with the aim of integrating the changing regulations and environment of the industry into the classroom at Castleton State College (Vermont). A group of certified public accountants were surveyed by Likert scale to learn…

Hydrologic effects from urbanization of forested watersheds in the northeast

Treesearch

Howard W. Lull; William E. Sopper; William E. Sopper

1969-01-01

Urbanization, particularly in the crowded Northeast, has created a new environment. Asphalt and concrete have replaced hundreds of square miles of soil, buildings have replaced trees on much of the land, and sewers have replaced streambeds in many areas. As a result, the hydrology of this land is changing rapidly. To determine the effects of this expanding urbanization...

Effect of Blended Learning Environment on Transfer of Learning: An Experimental Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Demirer, V.; Sahin, I.

2013-01-01

The main purpose of the study is to investigate the effect of the blended learning and face-to-face learning on students' academic achievements and transfer of learning. The first aim of the study is to analyse the students' academic achievements to determine the change of theoretical knowledge in terms of the instructional method…

Student Hits in an Internet-Supported Course: How Can Instructors Use Them and What Do They Mean?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Baugher, Dan; Varanelli, Andrew; Weisbord, Ellen

2003-01-01

The world of education is changing as Web-based technology and courseware are increasingly used for delivery of course material. In this environment, instructors may need new measures for determining student involvement, and ultimately student performance. This study examines whether hits to a Web site have any value for predicting student…

Environmental quality

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1975-01-01

The potential use of space systems to help determine the current state of air, water, and land environments was examined; the effects of man's activities on these parameters were also examined. Data are limited to pollutants introduced into the major environmental media, environmental changes manifested by such pollutants, and the effectiveness of abatement and control methods. Data also cover land quality as related to land use and public health.

Long-Term Changes in Beach Fauna at Duck, North Carolina.

DTIC Science & Technology

1982-11-01

content of each sediment sample was determined by the hydrochloric acid (HCl) method (Carver, 1971). III. RESULTS 1. Ocean Beach. a. Physical Environment...2 2 7 2 2 2 5 2 3 2 1 3 2 2 2 Table 11. Water temperatu e ° Celsius) recorded at each site on the sound beach. Seasoln I November 1980 January 1981

The Colonization Dynamics of the Gut Microbiota in Tilapia Larvae

PubMed Central

Giatsis, Christos; Sipkema, Detmer; Smidt, Hauke; Verreth, Johan; Verdegem, Marc

2014-01-01

The gut microbiota of fish larvae evolves fast towards a complex community. Both host and environment affect the development of the gut microbiota; however, the relative importance of both is poorly understood. Determining specific changes in gut microbial populations in response to a change in an environmental factor is very complicated. Interactions between factors are difficult to separate and any response could be masked due to high inter-individual variation even for individuals that share a common environment. In this study we characterized and quantified the spatio-temporal variation in the gut microbiota of tilapia larvae, reared in recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS) or active suspension tanks (AS). Our results showed that variation in gut microbiota between replicate tanks was not significantly higher than within tank variation, suggesting that there is no tank effect on water and gut microbiota. However, when individuals were reared in replicate RAS, gut microbiota differed significantly. The highest variation was observed between individuals reared in different types of system (RAS vs. AS). Our data suggest that under experimental conditions in which the roles of deterministic and stochastic factors have not been precisely determined, compositional replication of the microbial communities of an ecosystem is not predictable. PMID:25072852

Specific binding of antigen-antibody in physiological environments: Measurement, force characteristics and analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gu, Xin; Zhou, Jun; Zhou, Lu; Xie, Shusen; Petti, Lucia; Wang, Shaomin; Wang, Fuyan

2018-05-01

The specific recognition of the antigen by the antibody is the crucial step in immunoassays. Measurement and analysis of the specific recognition, including the ways in which it is influenced by external factors are of paramount significance for the quality of the immunoassays. Using prostate-specific antigen (PSA)/anti-PSA antibody and α-fetoprotein (AFP) /anti-AFP antibody as examples, we have proposed a novel solution for measuring the binding forces between the antigens and their corresponding antibodies in different physiological environments by combining laminar flow control technology and optical tweezers technology. On the basis of the experimental results, the different binding forces of PSA/anti-PSA antibody and AFP/anti-AFP antibody in the same phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) environments are analysed by comparing the affinity constant of the two antibodies and the number of antigenic determinants of the two antigens. In different electrolyte environments, the changes of the binding force of antigens-antibodies are explained by the polyelectrolyte effect and hydrophobic interaction. Furthermore, in different pH environments, the changes of binding forces of antigens-antibodies are attributed to the role of the denaturation of protein. The study aims to recognise the antigen-antibody immune mechanism, thus ensuring further understanding of the biological functions of tumour markers, and it promises to be very useful for the clinical diagnosis of early-stage cancer.

Integrative studies of thermoregulation in ectothermic vertebrates in aquatic habitats. Annual progress report, January 1-December 31, 1983

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

Spotila, J.R.; Standora, E.A.

1983-08-01

Field experiments are underway to determine the behavioral mechanisms by which largemouth bass, Micropterus salmoides, respond to rapid temperature changes in their natural environment. Site specificity of largemouth bass in Pond C has been determined. Laboratory experiments have clarified the relationship between basking behavior and metabolism of the turtle, Pseudemys scripta, and its nutritional state. Theoretical analysis and mathematical modeling continue and have been used to define the role of body size in the thermoregulation of turtles. 40 references, 24 figures.

Evolution of crop production under a pseudo-space environment using model plants, Lotus japonicus

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tomita-Yokotani, Kaori; Motohashi, Kyohei; Omi, Naomi; Sato, Seigo; Aoki, Toshio; Hashimoto, Hirofumi; Yamashita, Masamichi

Habitation in outer space is one of our challenges. We have been studying space agriculture and/or spacecraft agriculture to provide food and oxygen for the habitation area in the space environment. However, careful investigation should be made concerning the results of exotic environmental effects on the endogenous production of biologically active substances in indi-vidual cultivated plants in a space environment. We have already reported that the production of functional substances in cultivated plants as crops are affected by gravity. The amounts of the main physiological substances in these plants grown under terrestrial control were different from that grown in a pseudo-microgravity. These results suggested that the nutrition would be changed in the plants/crops grown in the space environment when human beings eat in space. This estimation required us to investigate each of the useful components produced by each plant grown in the space environment. These estimations involved several study fields, includ-ing nutrition, plant physiology, etc. On the other hand, the analysis of model plant genomes has recently been remarkably advanced. Lotus japonicus, a leguminous plant, is also one of the model plant. The leguminosae is a large family in the plant vegetable kingdom and almost the entire genome sequence of Lotus japonicus has been determined. Nitrogen fixation would be possible even in a space environment. We are trying to determine the best conditions and evolution for crop production using the model plants.

Nutrition ecology: the contribution of vegetarian diets.

PubMed

Leitzmann, Claus

2003-09-01

Nutrition ecology is an interdisciplinary scientific discipline that encompasses the entire nutrition system, with special consideration of the effects of nutrition on health, the environment, society, and the economy. Nutrition ecology involves all components of the food chain, including production, harvesting, preservation, storage, transport, processing, packaging, trade, distribution, preparation, composition, and consumption of food, as well as disposal of waste materials. Nutrition ecology has numerous origins, some of which go back to antiquity. The introduction of industrialized agriculture and mass animal production gave rise to various negative influences on the environment and health. Food quality is determined in part by the quality of the environment. The environment, in turn, is influenced by food consumption habits. Research shows that vegetarian diets are well suited to protect the environment, to reduce pollution, and to minimize global climate changes. To maximize the ecologic and health benefits of vegetarian diets, food should be regionally produced, seasonally consumed, and organically grown. Vegetarian diets built on these conditions are scientifically based, socially acceptable, economically feasible, culturally desired, sufficiently practicable, and quite sustainable.

Environmentally influenced urbanisation: footprints bound for town?

PubMed

Morinière, Lezlie

2012-01-01

Over the past 30 years, urbanisation has been a prominent phenomenon and various drivers have been proposed to explain it. Very few have suggested that the degradation of the rural environment was one of them. This paper explores the human–environment interface by focusing on the portrayal of these concepts within scholarly literature. A systematic literature review was conducted and 147 articles were examined to determine the direction of the link between the environment and human mobility, and if urbanisation was featured. The results demonstrate that equal attention is paid to both directions of the environment–mobility link. Of the articles reviewed, 40 per cent focus on urbanisation, but 93 per cent of those portray urbanisation as a forcing on the environment, rather than an impact of environmental degradation. The lack of support for environmentally influenced urbanisation can be explained by coupled system complexity, disciplinary research and the silence of those most likely to endure environmental change. Understanding these relationships is paramount to the promotion of adaptation without eroding resilience or further degrading environments.

Rank acquisition in rhesus macaque yearlings following permanent maternal separation: The importance of the social and physical environment.

PubMed

Wooddell, Lauren J; Kaburu, Stefano S K; Murphy, Ashley M; Suomi, Stephen J; Dettmer, Amanda M

2017-11-01

Rank acquisition is a developmental milestone for young primates, but the processes by which primate yearlings attain social rank in the absence of the mother remain unclear. We studied 18 maternally reared yearling rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta) that differed in their social and physical rearing environments. We found that early social experience and maternal rank, but not individual traits (weight, sex, age), predicted dominance acquisition in the new peer-only social group. Yearlings also used coalitions to reinforce the hierarchy, and social affiliation (play and grooming) was likely a product, rather than a determinant, of rank acquisition. Following relocation to a familiar environment, significant rank changes occurred indicating that familiarity with a physical environment was salient in rank acquisition. Our results add to the growing body of literature emphasizing the role of the social and physical environment on behavioral development, namely social asymmetries among peers. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

The NASA Astrobiology Roadmap

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Des Marais, David J.; Allamandola, Louis J.; Benner, Steven A.; Boss, Alan P.; Deamer, David; Falkowski, Paul G.; Farmer, Jack D.; Hedges, S. Blair; Jakosky, Bruce M.; Knoll, Andrew H.;

The NASA Astrobiology Roadmap.

PubMed

Des Marais, David J; Allamandola, Louis J; Benner, Steven A; Boss, Alan P; Deamer, David; Falkowski, Paul G; Farmer, Jack D; Hedges, S Blair; Jakosky, Bruce M; Knoll, Andrew H; Liskowsky, David R; Meadows, Victoria S; Meyer, Michael A; Pilcher, Carl B; Nealson, Kenneth H; Spormann, Alfred M; Trent, Jonathan D; Turner, William W; Woolf, Neville J; Yorke, Harold W

2003-01-01

The NASA Astrobiology Roadmap provides guidance for research and technology development across the NASA enterprises that encompass the space, Earth, and biological sciences. The ongoing development of astrobiology roadmaps embodies the contributions of diverse scientists and technologists from government, universities, and private institutions. The Roadmap addresses three basic questions: How does life begin and evolve, does life exist elsewhere in the universe, and what is the future of life on Earth and beyond? Seven Science Goals outline the following key domains of investigation: understanding the nature and distribution of habitable environments in the universe, exploring for habitable environments and life in our own solar system, understanding the emergence of life, determining how early life on Earth interacted and evolved with its changing environment, understanding the evolutionary mechanisms and environmental limits of life, determining the principles that will shape life in the future, and recognizing signatures of life on other worlds and on early Earth. For each of these goals, Science Objectives outline more specific high-priority efforts for the next 3-5 years. These 18 objectives are being integrated with NASA strategic planning.

The NASA Astrobiology Roadmap.

PubMed

Des Marais, David J; Nuth, Joseph A; Allamandola, Louis J; Boss, Alan P; Farmer, Jack D; Hoehler, Tori M; Jakosky, Bruce M; Meadows, Victoria S; Pohorille, Andrew; Runnegar, Bruce; Spormann, Alfred M

2008-08-01

The NASA Astrobiology Roadmap provides guidance for research and technology development across the NASA enterprises that encompass the space, Earth, and biological sciences. The ongoing development of astrobiology roadmaps embodies the contributions of diverse scientists and technologists from government, universities, and private institutions. The Roadmap addresses three basic questions: how does life begin and evolve, does life exist elsewhere in the universe, and what is the future of life on Earth and beyond? Seven Science Goals outline the following key domains of investigation: understanding the nature and distribution of habitable environments in the universe, exploring for habitable environments and life in our own Solar System, understanding the emergence of life, determining how early life on Earth interacted and evolved with its changing environment, understanding the evolutionary mechanisms and environmental limits of life, determining the principles that will shape life in the future, and recognizing signatures of life on other worlds and on early Earth. For each of these goals, Science Objectives outline more specific high priority efforts for the next three to five years. These eighteen objectives are being integrated with NASA strategic planning.

Performance Analysis of TCP Enhancements in Satellite Data Networks

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Broyles, Ren H.

1999-01-01

This research examines two proposed enhancements to the well-known Transport Control Protocol (TCP) in the presence of noisy communication links. The Multiple Pipes protocol is an application-level adaptation of the standard TCP protocol, where several TCP links cooperate to transfer data. The Space Communication Protocol Standard - Transport Protocol (SCPS-TP) modifies TCP to optimize performance in a satellite environment. While SCPS-TP has inherent advantages that allow it to deliver data more rapidly than Multiple Pipes, the protocol, when optimized for operation in a high-error environment, is not compatible with legacy TCP systems, and requires changes to the TCP specification. This investigation determines the level of improvement offered by SCPS-TP's Corruption Mode, which will help determine if migration to the protocol is appropriate in different environments. As the percentage of corrupted packets approaches 5 %, Multiple Pipes can take over five times longer than SCPS-TP to deliver data. At high error rates, SCPS-TP's advantage is primarily caused by Multiple Pipes' use of congestion control algorithms. The lack of congestion control, however, limits the systems in which SCPS-TP can be effectively used.

Model for dolomite formation in northwest Florida

USGS Publications Warehouse

Cooper, C.R.; Tindall, J.A.

1994-01-01

Petrographic methods are used to examine the nature of the Floridan post-Oligocene unconformity and diagenetic responses in the associated carbonate units. The study addresses the depositional environment and the character of sediments associated with the unconformity, types and timing of diagenetic changes, and mode of dolomitization for the Suwannee Limestone dolomites and basal Hawthorn Group dolosilts. The purpose of the study is to determine if the original texture of geologic materials is preserved more frequently in rocks deposited in a supratidal environment in the uppermost Floridan carbonates, to examine possible sources of magnesium for the dolomitization that has occurred in the Floridan aquifer, and to determine the chemical environment of dolomite formation. On the basis of lithology, the tri-county study area can be divided into two regions; one in which the uppermost Floridan carbonate is calcareous or locally silicified, and one in which the aquifer system is capped with dolomite. Lateral interfingering between the two regions is apparent, and it is inferred that the boundary between the limestone and dolomite represents a geochemical boundary between a mixed marine and freshwater environment and a subaerially exposed freshwater environment. Where dolomite has replaced the uppermost Suwannee Limestone, the dolomite is overlain by a thin unit of dolosilt. The predominant source of magnesium for the dolomitization that occurred in the study area is probably seawater. ?? 1994.

The influence of early intervention, informal support and the family environment on trajectories of competence for fathers raising children with developmental disabilities.

PubMed

Crossman, Morgan K; Parish, Susan L; Hauser-Cram, Penny; Garcia, Dolores Acevedo; Warfield, Marji Erickson

2018-05-21

Scant research disentangles the relationship between parenting competence, early intervention (EI) services, the family environment and informal support among fathers of children with developmental disabilities. (1) To determine the trajectory of parental competence for fathers of children with DD from age 3 to age 15. (2) Controlling for child and family characteristics, determine the main effects of the family environment, informal support, and EI services on paternal competence when their child with a developmental disability was age 3. (3) To determine whether there were lasting effects of the family environment, informal support, and the EI service system on differences in paternal competence over time. This study used multilevel modeling to analyze longitudinal data from 93 American fathers from the Early Intervention Collaborative Study. There was no significant change over time in paternal competence after controlling for various covariates. Fathers who initially reported low levels of competence when their child was three reported continuously lower competence over time. Family relationships, positive supports, and perceived helpfulness of home visits were significant predictors of paternal competence at age three. Implications for programs and policy include developing and adopting rigorous ways to measure and carefully monitor service provision, including assessments of paternal competence, family relationships and informal supports at the start of early intervention, and fostering continuous collaborations between providers, researchers and clinicians to address challenges in data collection. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Evaluation of the Growth Environment of a Hydrostatic Force Bioreactor for Preconditioning of Tissue-Engineered Constructs

PubMed Central

Reinwald, Yvonne; Leonard, Katherine H.L.; Henstock, James R.; Whiteley, Jonathan P.; Osborne, James M.; Waters, Sarah L.; Levesque, Philippe

2015-01-01

Bioreactors have been widely acknowledged as valuable tools to provide a growth environment for engineering tissues and to investigate the effect of physical forces on cells and cell-scaffold constructs. However, evaluation of the bioreactor environment during culture is critical to defining outcomes. In this study, the performance of a hydrostatic force bioreactor was examined by experimental measurements of changes in dissolved oxygen (O2), carbon dioxide (CO2), and pH after mechanical stimulation and the determination of physical forces (pressure and stress) in the bioreactor through mathematical modeling and numerical simulation. To determine the effect of hydrostatic pressure on bone formation, chick femur skeletal cell-seeded hydrogels were subjected to cyclic hydrostatic pressure at 0–270 kPa and 1 Hz for 1 h daily (5 days per week) over a period of 14 days. At the start of mechanical stimulation, dissolved O2 and CO2 in the medium increased and the pH of the medium decreased, but remained within human physiological ranges. Changes in physiological parameters (O2, CO2, and pH) were reversible when medium samples were placed in a standard cell culture incubator. In addition, computational modeling showed that the distribution and magnitude of physical forces depends on the shape and position of the cell-hydrogel constructs in the tissue culture format. Finally, hydrostatic pressure was seen to enhance mineralization of chick femur skeletal cell-seeded hydrogels. PMID:24967717

Food-Web Structure in Relation to Environmental Gradients and Predator-Prey Ratios in Tank-Bromeliad Ecosystems

PubMed Central

Dézerald, Olivier; Leroy, Céline; Corbara, Bruno; Carrias, Jean-François; Pélozuelo, Laurent; Dejean, Alain; Céréghino, Régis

2013-01-01

Little is known of how linkage patterns between species change along environmental gradients. The small, spatially discrete food webs inhabiting tank-bromeliads provide an excellent opportunity to analyse patterns of community diversity and food-web topology (connectance, linkage density, nestedness) in relation to key environmental variables (habitat size, detrital resource, incident radiation) and predators:prey ratios. We sampled 365 bromeliads in a wide range of understorey environments in French Guiana and used gut contents of invertebrates to draw the corresponding 365 connectance webs. At the bromeliad scale, habitat size (water volume) determined the number of species that constitute food-web nodes, the proportion of predators, and food-web topology. The number of species as well as the proportion of predators within bromeliads declined from open to forested habitats, where the volume of water collected by bromeliads was generally lower because of rainfall interception by the canopy. A core group of microorganisms and generalist detritivores remained relatively constant across environments. This suggests that (i) a highly-connected core ensures food-web stability and key ecosystem functions across environments, and (ii) larger deviations in food-web structures can be expected following disturbance if detritivores share traits that determine responses to environmental changes. While linkage density and nestedness were lower in bromeliads in the forest than in open areas, experiments are needed to confirm a trend for lower food-web stability in the understorey of primary forests. PMID:23977128

Relation between stability and resilience determines the performance of early warning signals under different environmental drivers.

PubMed

Dai, Lei; Korolev, Kirill S; Gore, Jeff

2015-08-11

Shifting patterns of temporal fluctuations have been found to signal critical transitions in a variety of systems, from ecological communities to human physiology. However, failure of these early warning signals in some systems calls for a better understanding of their limitations. In particular, little is known about the generality of early warning signals in different deteriorating environments. In this study, we characterized how multiple environmental drivers influence the dynamics of laboratory yeast populations, which was previously shown to display alternative stable states [Dai et al., Science, 2012]. We observed that both the coefficient of variation and autocorrelation increased before population collapse in two slowly deteriorating environments, one with a rising death rate and the other one with decreasing nutrient availability. We compared the performance of early warning signals across multiple environments as "indicators for loss of resilience." We find that the varying performance is determined by how a system responds to changes in a specific driver, which can be captured by a relation between stability (recovery rate) and resilience (size of the basin of attraction). Furthermore, we demonstrate that the positive correlation between stability and resilience, as the essential assumption of indicators based on critical slowing down, can break down in this system when multiple environmental drivers are changed simultaneously. Our results suggest that the stability-resilience relation needs to be better understood for the application of early warning signals in different scenarios.

Evaluation of the growth environment of a hydrostatic force bioreactor for preconditioning of tissue-engineered constructs.

PubMed

Reinwald, Yvonne; Leonard, Katherine H L; Henstock, James R; Whiteley, Jonathan P; Osborne, James M; Waters, Sarah L; Levesque, Philippe; El Haj, Alicia J

2015-01-01

Bioreactors have been widely acknowledged as valuable tools to provide a growth environment for engineering tissues and to investigate the effect of physical forces on cells and cell-scaffold constructs. However, evaluation of the bioreactor environment during culture is critical to defining outcomes. In this study, the performance of a hydrostatic force bioreactor was examined by experimental measurements of changes in dissolved oxygen (O2), carbon dioxide (CO2), and pH after mechanical stimulation and the determination of physical forces (pressure and stress) in the bioreactor through mathematical modeling and numerical simulation. To determine the effect of hydrostatic pressure on bone formation, chick femur skeletal cell-seeded hydrogels were subjected to cyclic hydrostatic pressure at 0-270 kPa and 1 Hz for 1 h daily (5 days per week) over a period of 14 days. At the start of mechanical stimulation, dissolved O2 and CO2 in the medium increased and the pH of the medium decreased, but remained within human physiological ranges. Changes in physiological parameters (O2, CO2, and pH) were reversible when medium samples were placed in a standard cell culture incubator. In addition, computational modeling showed that the distribution and magnitude of physical forces depends on the shape and position of the cell-hydrogel constructs in the tissue culture format. Finally, hydrostatic pressure was seen to enhance mineralization of chick femur skeletal cell-seeded hydrogels.

Relation between stability and resilience determines the performance of early warning signals under different environmental drivers

PubMed Central

Dai, Lei; Korolev, Kirill S.; Gore, Jeff

2015-01-01

Shifting patterns of temporal fluctuations have been found to signal critical transitions in a variety of systems, from ecological communities to human physiology. However, failure of these early warning signals in some systems calls for a better understanding of their limitations. In particular, little is known about the generality of early warning signals in different deteriorating environments. In this study, we characterized how multiple environmental drivers influence the dynamics of laboratory yeast populations, which was previously shown to display alternative stable states [Dai et al., Science, 2012]. We observed that both the coefficient of variation and autocorrelation increased before population collapse in two slowly deteriorating environments, one with a rising death rate and the other one with decreasing nutrient availability. We compared the performance of early warning signals across multiple environments as “indicators for loss of resilience.” We find that the varying performance is determined by how a system responds to changes in a specific driver, which can be captured by a relation between stability (recovery rate) and resilience (size of the basin of attraction). Furthermore, we demonstrate that the positive correlation between stability and resilience, as the essential assumption of indicators based on critical slowing down, can break down in this system when multiple environmental drivers are changed simultaneously. Our results suggest that the stability–resilience relation needs to be better understood for the application of early warning signals in different scenarios. PMID:26216946

A validated agent-based model to study the spatial and temporal heterogeneities of malaria incidence in the rainforest environment.

PubMed

Pizzitutti, Francesco; Pan, William; Barbieri, Alisson; Miranda, J Jaime; Feingold, Beth; Guedes, Gilvan R; Alarcon-Valenzuela, Javiera; Mena, Carlos F

2015-12-22

The Amazon environment has been exposed in the last decades to radical changes that have been accompanied by a remarkable rise of both Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium vivax malaria. The malaria transmission process is highly influenced by factors such as spatial and temporal heterogeneities of the environment and individual-based characteristics of mosquitoes and humans populations. All these determinant factors can be simulated effectively trough agent-based models. This paper presents a validated agent-based model of local-scale malaria transmission. The model reproduces the environment of a typical riverine village in the northern Peruvian Amazon, where the malaria transmission is highly seasonal and apparently associated with flooding of large areas caused by the neighbouring river. Agents representing humans, mosquitoes and the two species of Plasmodium (P. falciparum and P. vivax) are simulated in a spatially explicit representation of the environment around the village. The model environment includes: climate, people houses positions and elevation. A representation of changes in the mosquito breeding areas extension caused by the river flooding is also included in the simulation environment. A calibration process was carried out to reproduce the variations of the malaria monthly incidence over a period of 3 years. The calibrated model is also able to reproduce the spatial heterogeneities of local scale malaria transmission. A "what if" eradication strategy scenario is proposed: if the mosquito breeding sites are eliminated through mosquito larva habitat management in a buffer area extended at least 200 m around the village, the malaria transmission is eradicated from the village. The use of agent-based models can reproduce effectively the spatiotemporal variations of the malaria transmission in a low endemicity environment dominated by river floodings like in the Amazon.

Oxytocin receptor gene (OXTR) variant rs1042778 moderates the influence of family environment on changes in perceived social support over time.

PubMed

Dobewall, Henrik; Hakulinen, Christian; Keltikangas-Järvinen, Liisa; Pulkki-Råback, Laura; Seppälä, Ilkka; Lehtimäki, Terho; Raitakari, Olli T; Hintsanen, Mirka

2018-08-01

Lack of social support is an established risk factor across health outcomes, making it important to examine its family environmental and genetic determinants. In a 27-year follow-up of the Young Finns Study (N = 2341), we examined with a latent growth curve model whether genes involved in the oxytocin signaling pathway-namely, oxytocin receptor gene (OXTR) variants rs1042778, rs2254298, and rs53576-moderate the effect of early-life social experiences on perceived social support across the life span. Mothers reported the emotional warmth and acceptance towards their children at baseline when the participants were from 3 to 18 years old (1980). Perceived family support and support from friends and peripheral sources were assessed in five follow-ups 18 years apart (1989-2007). Maternal emotional warmth and acceptance predicted the initial level of perceived social support across subscales, while the rate of change in family support was affected by the family environment only if participants carried the T-allele of OXTR rs1042778. This gene-environment interaction was not found for the rate of change in support from friends and peripheral sources and we also did not find associations between latent growth in perceived social support and OXTR variants rs53576 and rs2254298. Selective attrition in perceived social support, maternal emotional warmth and acceptance, gender, and SES. Family environment was assessed by a non-standardized measure. OXTR rs1042778 polymorphism seems to contribute to changes in perceived family support in that way that some individuals (T-allele carriers) 'recover', to some extent, from the effects of early-life social experiences, whereas others (G/G genotype carriers) do not. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Advanced structural design for precision radial velocity instruments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baldwin, Dan; Szentgyorgyi, Andrew; Barnes, Stuart; Bean, Jacob; Ben-Ami, Sagi; Brennan, Patricia; Budynkiewicz, Jamie; Chun, Moo-Young; Conroy, Charlie; Crane, Jeffrey D.; Epps, Harland; Evans, Ian; Evans, Janet; Foster, Jeff; Frebel, Anna; Gauron, Thomas; Guzman, Dani; Hare, Tyson; Jang, Bi-Ho; Jang, Jeong-Gyun; Jordan, Andres; Kim, Jihun; Kim, Kang-Min; Mendes de Oliveira, Claudia; Lopez-Morales, Mercedes; McCracken, Kenneth; McMuldroch, Stuart; Miller, Joseph; Mueller, Mark; Oh, Jae Sok; Ordway, Mark; Park, Byeong-Gon; Park, Chan; Park, Sung-Joon; Paxson, Charles; Phillips, David; Plummer, David; Podgorski, William; Seifahrt, Andreas; Stark, Daniel; Steiner, Joao; Uomoto, Alan; Walsworth, Ronald; Yu, Young-Sam

2016-07-01

The GMT-Consortium Large Earth Finder (G-CLEF) is an echelle spectrograph with precision radial velocity (PRV) capability that will be a first light instrument for the Giant Magellan Telescope (GMT). G-CLEF has a PRV precision goal of 40 cm/sec (10 cm/s for multiple measurements) to enable detection of Earth-like exoplanets in the habitable zones of sun-like stars1. This precision is a primary driver of G-CLEF's structural design. Extreme stability is necessary to minimize image motions at the CCD detectors. Minute changes in temperature, pressure, and acceleration environments cause structural deformations, inducing image motions which degrade PRV precision. The instrument's structural design will ensure that the PRV goal is achieved under the environments G-CLEF will be subjected to as installed on the GMT azimuth platform, including: Millikelvin (0.001 °K) thermal soaks and gradients 10 millibar changes in ambient pressure Changes in acceleration due to instrument tip/tilt and telescope slewing Carbon fiber/cyanate composite was selected for the optical bench structure in order to meet performance goals. Low coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) and high stiffness-to-weight are key features of the composite optical bench design. Manufacturability and serviceability of the instrument are also drivers of the design. In this paper, we discuss analyses leading to technical choices made to minimize G-CLEF's sensitivity to changing environments. Finite element analysis (FEA) and image motion sensitivity studies were conducted to determine PRV performance under operational environments. We discuss the design of the optical bench structure to optimize stiffness-to-weight and minimize deformations due to inertial and pressure effects. We also discuss quasi-kinematic mounting of optical elements and assemblies, and optimization of these to ensure minimal image motion under thermal, pressure, and inertial loads expected during PRV observations.

How do changes to the built environment influence walking behaviors? a longitudinal study within a university campus in Hong Kong

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background Previous studies testing the association between the built environment and walking behavior have been largely cross-sectional and have yielded mixed results. This study reports on a natural experiment in which changes to the built environment were implemented at a university campus in Hong Kong. Longitudinal data on walking behaviors were collected using surveys, one before and one after changes to the built environment, to test the influence of changes to the built environment on walking behavior. Methods Built environment data are from a university campus in Hong Kong, and include land use, campus bus services, pedestrian network, and population density data collected from campus maps, the university developmental office, and field surveys. Walking behavior data were collected at baseline in March 2012 (n = 198) and after changes to the built environment from the same cohort of subjects in December 2012 (n = 169) using a walking diary. Geographic information systems (GIS) was used to map walking routes and built environment variables, and compare each subject’s walking behaviors and built environment exposure before and after the changes to the built environment. Walking behavior outcomes were changes in: i) walking distance, ii) destination-oriented walking, and iii) walked altitude range. Multivariable linear regression models were used to test for associations between changes to the built environment and changes in walking behaviors. Results Greater pedestrian network connectivity predicted longer walking distances and an increased likelihood of walking as a means of transportation. The increased use of recreational (vs. work) buildings, largely located at mid-range altitudes, as well as increased population density predicted greater walking distances.Having more bus services and a greater population density encouraged people to increase their walked altitude range. Conclusions In this longitudinal study, changes to the built environment were associated with changes in walking behaviors. Use of GIS combined with walking diaries presents a practical method for mapping and measuring changes in the built environment and walking behaviors, respectively. Additional longitudinal studies can help clarify the relationships between the built environment and walking behaviors identified in this natural experiment. PMID:25069949

Short-term degradation of terrestrial DOM in the coastal ocean: Implications for nutrient subsidies and marine microbial community structure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oliver, A. A.; Tank, S. E.; Kellogg, C.

2015-12-01

The export of riverine dissolved organic matter (DOM) to the coastal ocean provides an important link between terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. The coastal temperate rainforests of British Columbia contain extensive freshwater networks that export significant amounts of water and DOM to the ocean, representing significant cross-system hydrologic and biogeochemical linkages. To better understand the importance of these linkages and implications for ecosystem structure and function, we used an experimental approach to investigate the role of microbial and photodegradation transformations of DOM exported from small coastal catchments to the marine environment. At two time periods (August 2014, March 2015), stream water from the outlets of two coastal watersheds was filtered (<0.2 μm), and treated with microbial inoculums from across a salinity gradient (i.e., freshwater, estuarine, and marine). Treatments were incubated in the ocean under light and dark conditions for 8 days. At 0, 3 and 8 days, samples were analyzed for DOC, TDN, DIN, and DON. Changes in DOM composition were determined with optical characterization techniques such as absorbance (SUVA, S, Sr) and fluorescence (EEM). Microbial community response was measured using cell counts and DNA/RNA amplicon sequencing to determine changes in bacterial abundance and community composition. General patterns indicated that microbial communities from the high salinity treatment (i.e. most marine) were the most effective at utilizing freshwater DOM, especially under light conditions. In some treatments, DOM appeared as a potential source of inorganic nitrogen with corresponding shifts in microbial community composition. Incubations using inoculum from low and mid salinity levels demonstrated smaller changes, indicating that DOM exported from these streams may not be extensively utilized until exposed to higher salinity environments further from stream outlets. These results suggest a role for terrestrial sourced-DOM as a subsidy for microbial communities within the near shore marine environment, and emphasize that changes in DOM exports due to land development or climate change may have implications for coastal food web processes and biogeochemical cycling.

Acute effects of visits to urban green environments on cardiovascular physiology in women: A field experiment.

PubMed

Lanki, Timo; Siponen, Taina; Ojala, Ann; Korpela, Kalevi; Pennanen, Arto; Tiittanen, Pekka; Tsunetsugu, Yuko; Kagawa, Takahide; Tyrväinen, Liisa

2017-11-01

Epidemiological studies have reported positive associations between the amount of green space in the living environment and mental and cardiovascular human health. In a search for effect mechanisms, field studies have found short-term visits to green environments to be associated with psychological stress relief. Less evidence is available on the effect of visits on cardiovascular physiology. To evaluate whether visits to urban green environments, in comparison to visits to a built-up environment, lead to beneficial short-term changes in indicators of cardiovascular health. Thirty-six adult female volunteers visited three different types of urban environments: an urban forest, an urban park, and a built-up city centre, in Helsinki, Finland. The visits consisted of 15min of sedentary viewing, and 30min of walking. During the visits, blood pressure and heart rate were measured, and electrocardiogram recorded for the determination of indicators of heart rate variability. In addition, levels of respirable ambient particles and environmental noise were monitored. Visits to the green environments were associated with lower blood pressure (viewing period only), lower heart rate, and higher indices of heart rate variability [standard deviation of normal-to-normal intervals (SDNN), high frequency power] than visits to the city centre. In the green environments, heart rate decreased and SDNN increased during the visit. Associations between environment and indicators of cardiovascular health weakened slightly after inclusion of particulate air pollution and noise in the models. Visits to urban green environments are associated with beneficial short-term changes in cardiovascular risk factors. This can be explained by psychological stress relief with contribution from reduced air pollution and noise exposure during the visits. Future research should evaluate the amount of exposure to green environments needed for longer-term benefits for cardiovascular health. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

In search of rules behind environmental framing; the case of head pitch.

PubMed

Wilson, Gwendoline Ixia; Norman, Brad; Walker, James; Williams, Hannah J; Holton, M D; Clarke, D; Wilson, Rory P

2015-01-01

Whether, and how, animals move requires them to assess their environment to determine the most appropriate action and trajectory, although the precise way the environment is scanned has been little studied. We hypothesized that head attitude, which effectively frames the environment for the eyes, and the way it changes over time, would be modulated by the environment. To test this, we used a head-mounted device (Human-Interfaced Personal Observation platform - HIPOP) on people moving through three different environments; a botanical garden ('green' space), a reef ('blue' space), and a featureless corridor, to examine if head movement in the vertical axis differed between environments. Template matching was used to identify and quantify distinct behaviours. The data on head pitch from all subjects and environments over time showed essentially continuous clear waveforms with varying amplitude and wavelength. There were three stylised behaviours consisting of smooth, regular peaks and troughs in head pitch angle and variable length fixations during which the head pitch remained constant. These three behaviours accounted for ca. 40 % of the total time, with irregular head pitch changes accounting for the rest. There were differences in rates of manifestation of behaviour according to environment as well as environmentally different head pitch values of peaks, troughs and fixations. Finally, although there was considerable variation in head pitch angles, the peak and trough values bounded most of the variation in the fixation pitch values. It is suggested that the constant waveforms in head pitch serve to inform people about their environment, providing a scanning mechanism. Particular emphasis to certain sectors is manifest within the peak and trough limits and these appear modulated by the distribution of the points where fixation, interpreted as being due to objects of interest, occurs. This behaviour explains how animals allocate processing resources to the environment and shows promise for movement studies attempting to elucidate which parts of the environment affect movement trajectories.

The relationship between healthy work environments and retention of nurses in a hospital setting.

PubMed

Ritter, Desiree

2011-01-01

The purpose of the present paper was to determine the effect a healthy work environment has on the retention of nurses in a hospital setting. There is a nursing shortage that has been ongoing and is expected to continue, resulting in challenges for the healthcare system in the United States. The significance of this issue is the impact the nursing shortage will have on healthcare organizations and patients. The present paper included an extensive review of the current literature. The literature reviewed encompassed scholarly peer-reviewed journal articles. This article focused on nurses, work environments and the impact of the work environments on retention. Important issues that emerged from this analysis were the dangers of an unhealthy environment, the impact a healthy work environment has on patient outcomes and retention, the Magnet link to healthy work environments and the manager's role in creating and sustaining a healthy work environment. The literature provided evidence of the link between healthy work environments and the retention of nurses in a hospital setting. The implications for management are to implement changes now to create a healthy work environment that will recruit and retain nurses to secure their position in the future. © 2010 The Author. Journal compilation © 2010 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

The marketing activities of hospitals: environmental, organizational, and managerial influences.

PubMed

Myrtle, R C; Martinez, C F

1991-03-01

This article reports the results of a study designed to examine the relationship of environmental, organizational and structural factors, perceptions of key decision makers about competitive conditions, and changes in operational performance with the level of the marketing activities engaged in by 145 California hospitals. Measures assessing the impact of environmental conditions and the perception of the key decision makers were found to be related to the marketing activities of the organization. However, the relationship between measures which examined the structural and performance impacts on the marketing activities did not demonstrate the same predictive ability. The results suggest that marketing activities were affected by the key decision maker's assessment of the competitive nature of the environment, influence of key stakeholders, and tangible changes in the organization's task environment. Performance and other measures were not found to be as influential in determining these activities.

What utility companies should known about fuel cells

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

Hirschenhofer, J.H.; Weinstein, R.E.

1996-11-01

Fuel cells are warming up. A world that ten years ago was unaware of the concept now can witness approximately 200 fuel cell units operating in 15 countries. An increasing number of utility company planners and decision makers have begun to ask whether fuel cells might fit into their future. While the fuel cell concept is simple, determining which type of fuel cell to consider may prove taxing. The multiplicity of fuel cells and their development programs, coupled with the amount of subject material and claims-versus-reality, may seem complex. Also to be reckoned with is the changing utility environment thatmore » might portend well for distributed generation with technologies such as fuel cells. This paper provides a road map of major fuel cell development in the US. It offers some views about the impact of the changing utility environment on fuel cells.« less

Forecasting wildlife response to rapid warming in the Alaskan Arctic

USGS Publications Warehouse

Van Hemert, Caroline R.; Flint, Paul L.; Udevitz, Mark S.; Koch, Joshua C.; Atwood, Todd C.; Oakley, Karen L.; Pearce, John M.

2015-01-01

Arctic wildlife species face a dynamic and increasingly novel environment because of climate warming and the associated increase in human activity. Both marine and terrestrial environments are undergoing rapid environmental shifts, including loss of sea ice, permafrost degradation, and altered biogeochemical fluxes. Forecasting wildlife responses to climate change can facilitate proactive decisions that balance stewardship with resource development. In this article, we discuss the primary and secondary responses to physical climate-related drivers in the Arctic, associated wildlife responses, and additional sources of complexity in forecasting wildlife population outcomes. Although the effects of warming on wildlife populations are becoming increasingly well documented in the scientific literature, clear mechanistic links are often difficult to establish. An integrated science approach and robust modeling tools are necessary to make predictions and determine resiliency to change. We provide a conceptual framework and introduce examples relevant for developing wildlife forecasts useful to management decisions.

Pulmonary function evaluation during and following Skylab space flights

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sawin, C. F.; Nicogossian, A. E.; Schachter, A. P.; Rummel, J. A.; Michel, E. L.

1974-01-01

Previous experience during the Apollo postflight exercise testing indicated no major changes in pulmonary function. Although pulmonary function has been studied in detail following exposure to hypoxic and hyperoxic environments, few studies have dealt with normoxic environments at reduced total pressure as encountered during the Skylab missions. Forced vital capacity was measured during the preflight and postflight periods of the Skylab 2 mission. Initial in-flight measurements of vital capacity were obtained during the last two weeks of the second manned mission (Skylab 3). Comprehensive pulmonary function screening was accomplished during the Skylab 4 mission. The primary measurements made during Skylab 4 testing included residual volume determination, closing volume, vital capacity, and forced vital capacity and its derivatives. In addition, comprehensive in-flight vital capacity measurements were made during the Skylab 4 mission. Vital capacity was decreased slightly during flight in all Skylab 4 crewmen. No major preflight to postflight changes were observed in the other parameters.

The project scientist's role in scientific spacecraft project management. M.S. Thesis - George Washington Univ.

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Eller, E. L.

1976-01-01

The project scientists is in a position which rates very high in terms of behavioral study recommendations. His influence over objectives is generally considered to be important. He is highly autonomous in a moderately coordinated environment. He has diverse managerial and technical functions and the performance of these functions require him to grow beyond his role as an experimenter. However, the position within the line organization for those interviewed is also very stimulating, rating almost as high by the same criteria. The role of project scientist may not be the dominant means of professional growth for the experienced scientific investigators. The influence which the project scientist exerts on the project and the stimulation of that position for him are determined largely by his position outside the defined project scientist role. The role of the project scientist is changing because the environment of those who become project scientists is changing.

[(Re)configuration of the nursing field in the new state (1937-1945)].

PubMed

Barreira, Ieda de Alencar; Baptista, Suely de Souza

2002-01-01

The subject of this study is the changes the nursing field went through during the period called Novo Estado. Analyze the nursing environment in the Federal Capital during the period mentioned; discuss the effects of the influence of the Catholic Church and nurses of the American government in the Brazilian nursing environment. Documents obtained from the Documentation Center in Anna Nery/UFRJ School of Nursing and from literature on the topic. The interpretation of the findings was based on the Theory of the Social World by Pierre Bourdieu. Results showed deep changes in terms of professional education, labor market and institutionalization of the nursing assistance in a period (after the World War II) in which the Catholic Church and the United States had increased their power and influence. This new context determined the reconfiguration of the identity of Brazilian nurses and of the nursing field.

Spontaneous-curvature theory of clathrin-coated membranes.

PubMed Central

Mashl, R J; Bruinsma, R F

1998-01-01

Clathrin-coated membranes are precursors to coated vesicles in the receptor-mediated endocytic pathway. In this paper we present a physical model for the first steps of the transformation of a clathrin-coated membrane into a coated vesicle. The theory is based on in vitro cytoplasmic acidification experiments of Heuser (J. Cell Biol. 108:401-411) that suggest the transformation proceeds by changes in the chemical environment of the clathrin lattice, wherein the chemical environment determines the amount of intrinsic, or spontaneous, curvature of the network. We show that a necessary step of the transformation, formation of free pentagons in the clathrin network, can proceed via dislocation unbinding, driven by changes in the spontaneous curvature. Dislocation unbinding is shown to favor formation of coated vesicles that are quite small compared to those predicted by the current continuum theories, which do not include the topology of the clathrin lattice. PMID:9635740

Long-term environmental and health implications of morphological change and sediment transport with respect to contaminants

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sneddon, Christopher; Copplestone, David; Tyler, Andrew; Hunter, Peter; Smith, Nick

2014-05-01

The EPSRC-funded Adaptation and Resilience of Coastal Energy Supply (ARCoES) project encompasses four research strands, involving 14 institutions and six PhD studentships. ARCoES aims to determine the threats posed to future energy generation and the distribution network by flooding and erosion, changing patterns of coastal sedimentation, water temperature and the distribution of plants and animals in the coastal zone. Whilst this research has direct benefits for the operation of coastal power stations, ARCoES aims to have a wider stakeholder engagement through assessing how the resilience of coastal communities may be altered by five hundred years of coastal evolution. Coastal evolution will have substantial implications for the energy sector of the North West of England as former waste storage sites are eroded and remobilised within the intertidal environment. The current intertidal environmental stores of radioactivity will also experience reworking as ocean chemistry changes and saltmarsh chronologies are reworked in response to rising sea levels. There is a duel requirement to understand mass sediment movement along the North West coast of England as understanding the sediment transport dynamics is key to modelling long term coastal change and understanding how the environmental store of radioactivity will be reworked. The University of Stirling is researching the long-term environmental and health implications of remobilisation and transport of contaminated sediments around the UK coastline. Using a synergy of hyperspectral and topographic information the mobilisation of sediment bound contaminants within the coastal environment will be investigated. Potential hazards posed by contaminants are determined by a set of environmental impact test criteria which evaluate the bio-accessibility and ionising dose of contaminants. These test criteria will be used to comment on the likely environmental impact of modelled sediment transport and anticipated changes in ocean chemistry.

An ecological and theoretical deconstruction of a school-based obesity prevention program in Mexico.

PubMed

Safdie, Margarita; Cargo, Margaret; Richard, Lucie; Lévesque, Lucie

2014-08-10

Ecological intervention programs are recommended to prevent overweight and obesity in children. The National Institute of Public Health (INSP) in Mexico implemented a successful ecological intervention program to promote healthy lifestyle behaviors in school age children. This study assessed the integration of ecological principles and Social Cognitive Theory (SCT) constructs in this effective school-based obesity prevention program implemented in 15 elementary schools in Mexico City. Two coders applied the Intervention Analysis Procedure (IAP) to "map" the program's integration of ecological principles. A checklist gauged the use of SCT theory in program activities. Thirty-two distinct intervention strategies were implemented in one setting (i.e., school) to engage four different target-groups (students, parents, school representatives, government) across two domains (Nutrition and Physical Activity). Overall, 47.5% of the strategies targeted the school infrastructure and/or personnel; 37.5% of strategies targeted a key political actor, the Public Education Secretariat while fewer strategies targeted parents (12.5%) and children (3%). More strategies were implemented in the Nutrition domain (69%) than Physical Activity (31%). The most frequently used SCT construct within both intervention domains was Reciprocal Determinism (e.g., where changes to the environment influence changes in behavior and these behavioral changes influence further changes to the environment); no significant differences were observed in the use of SCT constructs across domains. Findings provide insight into a promising combination of strategies and theoretical constructs that can be used to implement a school-based obesity prevention program. Strategies emphasized school-level infrastructure/personnel change and strong political engagement and were most commonly underpinned by Reciprocal Determinism for both Nutrition and Physical Activity.

Early establishment response of different Pinus nigra ssp. salzmanii seed sources on contrasting environments: Implications for future reforestation programs and assisted population migration.

PubMed

Taïbi, K; del Campo, A D; Aguado, A; Mulet, J M

2016-04-15

Forest restoration constitutes an important issue within adaptive environmental management for climate change at global scale. However, effective implementation of these programs can only be achieved by revising current seed transfer guidelines, as they lack inherent spatial and temporal dynamics associated with climate change. In this sense, provenance trials may provide key information on the relative performance of different populations and/or genotypes under changing ecological conditions. This study addresses a methodological approach to evaluate early plantation performance and the consequent phenotypic plasticity and the pattern of the adaptation of different seed sources in contrasting environments. To this end, six seed sources of Salzmann pine were tested at three contrasting trial sites testing a hypothetical assisted population migration. Adaptation at each site was assessed through Joint Regression and Additive Main effect and Multiplication Interaction (AMMI) models. Most of the observed variation was attributed to the environment (above 90% for all traits), even so genotype and genotype by environment interaction (GxE) were significant. Seedlings out-planted under better site conditions did not differ in survival but in height growth. However, on sites with higher constraints, survival differed among seed sources and diameter growth was high. The adaptation analyses (AMMI) indicated that the cold-continental seed source 'Soria' performed as a generalist seed source, whereas 'Cordilleras Béticas', the southernmost seed source, was more adapted to harsh environments (frost and drought) in terms of survival. The results supported partially the hypothesis that assisted migration of seed sources makes sense within limited transfer distances, and this was reinforced by the GxE results. The present study could be valuable to address adaptive transfer of seedings in ecological restoration and to determine the suitable seed sources for reforestation programs and assisted population migration under climatic changes. The reported results are based on 3 years' data and need to be considered in this context. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Modeling 15N NMR chemical shift changes in protein backbone with pressure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

La Penna, Giovanni; Mori, Yoshiharu; Kitahara, Ryo; Akasaka, Kazuyuki; Okamoto, Yuko

2016-08-01

Nitrogen chemical shift is a useful parameter for determining the backbone three-dimensional structure of proteins. Empirical models for fast calculation of N chemical shift are improving their reliability, but there are subtle effects that cannot be easily interpreted. Among these, the effects of slight changes in hydrogen bonds, both intramolecular and with water molecules in the solvent, are particularly difficult to predict. On the other hand, these hydrogen bonds are sensitive to changes in protein environment. In this work, the change of N chemical shift with pressure for backbone segments in the protein ubiquitin is correlated with the change in the population of hydrogen bonds involving the backbone amide group. The different extent of interaction of protein backbone with the water molecules in the solvent is put in evidence.

Impacts of Climate Change On The Occurrence of Extreme Events: The Mice Project

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Palutikof, J. P.; Mice Team

It is widely accepted that climate change due to global warming will have substan- tial impacts on the natural environment, and on human activities. Furthermore, it is increasingly recognized that changes in the severity and frequency of extreme events, such as windstorm and flood, are likely to be more important than changes in the average climate. The EU-funded project MICE (Modelling the Impacts of Climate Extremes) commenced in January 2002. It seeks to identify the likely changes in the occurrence of extremes of rainfall, temperature and windstorm due to global warm- ing, using information from climate models as a basis, and to study the impacts of these changes in selected European environments. The objectives are: a) to evaluate, by comparison with gridded and station observations, the ability of climate models to successfully reproduce the occurrence of extremes at the required spatial and temporal scales. b) to analyse model output with respect to future changes in the occurrence of extremes. Statistical analyses will determine changes in (i) the return periods of ex- tremes, (ii) the joint probability of extremes (combinations of damaging events such as windstorm followed by heavy rain), (iii) the sequential behaviour of extremes (whether events are well-separated or clustered) and (iv) the spatial patterns of extreme event occurrence across Europe. The range of uncertainty in model predictions will be ex- plored by analysing changes in model experiments with different spatial resolutions and forcing scenarios. c) to determine the impacts of the predicted changes in extremes occurrence on selected activity sectors: agriculture (Mediterranean drought), commer- cial forestry and natural forest ecosystems (windstorm and flood in northern Europe, fire in the Mediterranean), energy use (temperature extremes), tourism (heat stress and Mediterranean beach holidays, changes in the snow pack and winter sports ) and civil protection/insurance (windstorm and flood). Impacts will be evaluated through a combination of techniques ranging from quantitative analyses through to expert judge- ment. Throughout the project, a continuing dialogue with stakeholders and end-users will be maintained.

Medicalization, markets and consumers.

PubMed

Conrad, Peter; Leiter, Valerie

2004-01-01

This paper examines the impact of changes in the medical marketplace on medicalization in U.S. society. Using four cases (Viagra, Paxil, human growth hormone and in vitro fertilization), we focus on two aspects of the changing medical marketplace: the role of direct-to-consumer advertising of prescription drugs and the emergence of private medical markets. We demonstrate how consumers and pharmaceutical corporations contribute to medicalization, with physicians, insurance coverage, and changes in regulatory practices playing facilitating roles. In some cases, insurers attempt to counteract medicalization by restricting access. We distinguish mediated and private medical markets, each characterized by differing relationships with corporations, insurers, consumers, and physicians. In the changing medical environment, with medical markets as intervening factors, corporations and insurers are becoming more significant determinants in the medicalization process.

Rewriting Modulo SMT

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rocha, Camilo; Meseguer, Jose; Munoz, Cesar A.

2013-01-01

Combining symbolic techniques such as: (i) SMT solving, (ii) rewriting modulo theories, and (iii) model checking can enable the analysis of infinite-state systems outside the scope of each such technique. This paper proposes rewriting modulo SMT as a new technique combining the powers of (i)-(iii) and ideally suited to model and analyze infinite-state open systems; that is, systems that interact with a non-deterministic environment. Such systems exhibit both internal non-determinism due to the system, and external non-determinism due to the environment. They are not amenable to finite-state model checking analysis because they typically are infinite-state. By being reducible to standard rewriting using reflective techniques, rewriting modulo SMT can both naturally model and analyze open systems without requiring any changes to rewriting-based reachability analysis techniques for closed systems. This is illustrated by the analysis of a real-time system beyond the scope of timed automata methods.

The effects of RF plasma ashing on zinc orthotitanate/potassium silicate thermal control coatings

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dever, Joyce A.; Bruckner, Eric J.

1992-01-01

Samples of YB-71, a white thermal control coating composed of zinc orthotitanate pigment in a potassium silicate binder, were exposed in air plasma and in oxygen plasma to determine optical property and surface chemistry changes. Results show that YB-71 undergoes a significant reflectance decrease upon exposure to the simulated LEO atomic oxygen environment provided by an air plasma asher. YB-71 samples exposed to the same effective fluence in oxygen plasma, or in a UV screening Faraday cage in air or oxygen, do not undergo as severe reflectance decreases as the samples exposed in the air plasma asher environment. The UV and VUV radiation present in the plasma ashers affects the YB-71 degradation. It is noted that, when using plasma ashers to determine LEO degradation, it is necessary to take into account the sensitivity of the material to the synergistic effects of atomic oxygen and accelerated UV radiation.

Hydrological impact of high-density small dams in a humid catchment, Southeast China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lu, W.; Lei, H.; Yang, D.

2017-12-01

The Jiulong River basin is a humid catchment with a drainage area of 14,741 km2; however, it has over 1000 hydropower stations within it. Such catchment with high-density small dams is scarce in China. Yet few is known about the impact of high-density small dams on streamflow changes. To what extent the large number of dams alters the hydrologic patterns is a fundamental scientific issue for water resources management, flood control, and aquatic ecological environment protection. Firstly, trend and change point analyses are applied to determine the characteristics of inter-annual streamflow. Based on the detected change point, the study period is divided into two study periods, the ``natural'' and ``disturbed'' periods. Then, a geomorphology-based hydrological model (GBHM) and the fixing-changing method are adopted to evaluate the relative contributions of climate variations and damming to the changes in streamflow at each temporal scale (i.e., from daily, monthly to annual). Based on the simulated natural streamflow, the impact of dam construction on hydrologic alteration and aquatic ecological environment will be evaluated. The hydrologic signatures that will be investigated include flood peak, seasonality of streamflow, and the inter-annual variability of streamflow. In particular, the impacts of damming on aquatic ecological environment will be investigated using eco-flow metrics and indicators of hydrologic alteration (IHA) which contains 33 individual streamflow statistics that are closely related to aquatic ecosystem. The results of this study expect to provide a reference for reservoir operation considering both ecological and economic benefits of such operations in the catchment with high-density dams.

Long-term N and P additions alter the scaling of plant nitrogen to phosphorus in a Tibetan alpine meadow.

PubMed

Zhang, Juanjuan; Yan, Xuebin; Su, Fanglong; Li, Zhen; Wang, Ying; Wei, Yanan; Ji, Yangguang; Yang, Yi; Zhou, Xianhui; Guo, Hui; Hu, Shuijin

2018-06-01

Nitrogen and phosphorus are two important nutrient elements for plants. The current paradigm suggests that the scaling of plant tissue N to P is conserved across environments and plant taxa because these two elements are coupled and coordinately change with each other following a constant allometric trajectory. However, this assumption has not been vigorously examined, particularly in changing N and P environments. We propose that changes in relative availability of N and P in soil alter the N to P relationship in plants. Taking advantage of a 4-yr N and P addition experiment in a Tibetan alpine meadow, we examined changes in plant N and P concentrations of 14 common species. Our results showed that while the scaling of N to P under N additions was similar to the previously reported pattern with a uniform 2/3 slope of the regression between log N and log P, it was significantly different under P additions with a smaller slope. Also, graminoids had different responses from forbs. These results indicate that the relative availability of soil N and P is an important determinant regulating the N and P concentrations in plants. These findings suggest that alterations in the N to P relationships may not only alter plant photosynthate allocation to vegetative or reproductive organs, but also regulate the metabolic and growth rate of plant and promote shifts in plant community composition in a changing nutrient loading environment. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Effect of TV food advertising restriction on food environment for children in South Korea.

PubMed

Lee, Youngmi; Yoon, Jihyun; Chung, Sang-Jin; Lee, Soo-Kyung; Kim, Hyogyoo; Kim, Soyoung

2017-02-01

This study attempted to determine the effects of restrictions on television (TV) food advertising on children's food environments in South Korea. It examined changes that occurred in the marketing mix of food companies following enactment of those restrictions. An on-line survey was conducted with marketers or R&D managers of 108 food companies. A questionnaire was used to inquire about changes that occurred in Product, Place, Price and Promotion as a result of the restrictions placed on TV food advertising. Analysis was performed on the data collected from the responding 63 food companies (58.3%). The results of their answers showed that among the four marketing mix components the restrictions exerted relatively stronger effects on Product. Effects were stronger on companies that produced foods within the product categories of Energy-Dense and Nutrient-Poor foods (EDNP companies) in comparison with companies that did not (non-EDNP companies). The restrictions exerted positive effects on EDNP companies with respect to compliance with labeling requirements and reinforcement of nutritional contents examination, as well as changes to products such as reducing unhealthy ingredients and fortifying nutrients. Overall, the results revealed the possibility that restrictions on TV food advertising could improve children's food environments by encouraging EDNP companies to make favorable product changes. On the one hand, the results also found that some food companies attempted to bypass the regulations by changing marketing channels from TV to others and by reducing product serving sizes. Thus, future measures should be implemented to prevent food companies from bypassing regulations and to control children's exposure to marketing channels other than TV.

Thermal acclimation and thyroxine treatment modify the electric organ discharge frequency in an electric fish, Apteronotus leptorhynchus.

PubMed

Dunlap, K D; Ragazzi, M A

2015-11-01

In ectotherms, the rate of many neural processes is determined externally, by the influence of the thermal environment on body temperature, and internally, by hormones secreted from the thyroid gland. Through thermal acclimation, animals can buffer the influence of the thermal environment by adjusting their physiology to stabilize certain processes in the face of environmental temperature change. The electric organ discharge (EOD) used by weak electric fish for electrocommunication and electrolocation is highly temperature sensitive. In some temperate species that naturally experience large seasonal fluctuations in environmental temperature, the thermal sensitivity (Q10) of the EOD shifts after long-term temperature change. We examined thermal acclimation of EOD frequency in a tropical electric fish, Apteronotus leptorhynchus that naturally experiences much less temperature change. We transferred fish between thermal environments (25.3 and 27.8 °C) and measured EOD frequency and its thermal sensitivity (Q10) over 11 d. After 6d, fish exhibited thermal acclimation to both warming and cooling, adjusting the thermal dependence of EOD frequency to partially compensate for the small change (2.5 °C) in water temperature. In addition, we evaluated the thyroid influence on EOD frequency by treating fish with thyroxine or the anti-thyroid compound propylthiouricil (PTU) to stimulate or inhibit thyroid activity, respectively. Thyroxine treatment significantly increased EOD frequency, but PTU had no effect. Neither thyroxine nor PTU treatment influenced the thermal sensitivity (Q10) of EOD frequency during acute temperature change. Thus, the EOD of Apteronotus shows significant thermal acclimation and responds to elevated thyroxine. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Sensitivity of Polygonum aviculare Seeds to Light as Affected by Soil Moisture Conditions

PubMed Central

Batlla, Diego; Nicoletta, Marcelo; Benech-Arnold, Roberto

2007-01-01

Background and Aims It has been hypothesized that soil moisture conditions could affect the dormancy status of buried weed seeds, and, consequently, their sensitivity to light stimuli. In this study, an investigation is made of the effect of different soil moisture conditions during cold-induced dormancy loss on changes in the sensitivity of Polygonum aviculare seeds to light. Methods Seeds buried in pots were stored under different constant and fluctuating soil moisture environments at dormancy-releasing temperatures. Seeds were exhumed at regular intervals during storage and were exposed to different light treatments. Changes in the germination response of seeds to light treatments during storage under the different moisture environments were compared in order to determine the effect of soil moisture on the sensitivity to light of P. aviculare seeds. Key Results Seed acquisition of low-fluence responses during dormancy release was not affected by either soil moisture fluctuations or different constant soil moisture contents. On the contrary, different soil moisture environments affected seed acquisition of very low fluence responses and the capacity of seeds to germinate in the dark. Conclusions The results indicate that under field conditions, the sensitivity to light of buried weed seeds could be affected by the soil moisture environment experienced during the dormancy release season, and this could affect their emergence pattern. PMID:17430979

Depositional evolution of the Lower Khuzestan plain (SW Iran) since the end of the Late Pleistocene

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bogemans, Frieda; Janssens, Rindert; Baeteman, Cecile

2017-09-01

A detailed sedimentological investigation of sixty-six cores supported by radiocarbon age determination enabled the reconstruction of the depositional environmental evolution since the end of the Late Pleistocene in the Iranian part of the Mesopotamian plain. Both fluvial and estuarine environments have been identified on the basis of the sediment characteristics and their between-core stratigraphic correlations. At the end of the Late Pleistocene the fluvial behaviour allowed only the deposition of sand. Prior to 12400-12040 yr cal BP the palaeohydraulics changed by which heterolithic fluvial facies were deposited. Shortly after 12400 - 12040 yr cal BP an erosional phase caused the incision of depressions most probably because of a climate change to further arid conditions. In the early Holocene, mud-dominated river systems filled the depressions; a situation that lasted at least until 7900 - 7700 yr cal BP. After this period tides invaded via the active channels in the downstream part of the area, which turned into an estuarine environment for a period of about 2000-2500 years. Tidal influence diminished and stopped around 5000 yr cal BP because of progradation. Fluvial processes dominated again the sedimentary environment in the study area, except at the southern margin of it where tides controlled, although very locally, the environment.

The changing microbial landscape of Western society: Diet, dwellings and discordance.

PubMed

Broussard, Josiane L; Devkota, Suzanne

2016-09-01

The last 50-100 years has been marked by a sharp rise in so-called "Western-diseases" in those countries that have experienced major industrial advances and shifts towards urbanized living. These diseases include obesity, type 2 diabetes, inflammatory bowel diseases, and food allergies in which chronic dysregulation of metabolic and/or immune processes appear to be involved, and are likely a byproduct of new environmental influences on our ancient genome. What we now appreciate is that this genome consists of both human and co-evolved microbial genes of the trillions of microbes residing in our body. Together, host-microbe interactions may be determined by the changing diets and behaviors of the Western lifestyle, influencing the etiopathogenesis of "new-age" diseases. This review takes an anthropological approach to the potential interplay of the host and its gut microbiome in the post-industrialization rise in chronic inflammatory and metabolic diseases. The discussion highlights both the changes in diet and the physical environment that have co-occurred with these diseases and the latest evidence demonstrating the role of host-microbe interactions in understanding biological responses to the changing environment. Technological advances that have led to changes in agriculture and engineering have altered our eating and living behaviors in ways never before possible in human history. These changes also have altered the bacterial communities within the human body in ways that are seemingly linked with the rise of many intestinal and systemic metabolic and inflammatory diseases. Insights into the mechanisms of this reciprocal exchange between the environment and the human gut microbiome may offer potential to attenuate the chronic health conditions that derail quality of life. This article is part of a special issue on microbiota.

Birth-order differences can drive natural selection on aging.

PubMed

Gillespie, Duncan O S; Trotter, Meredith V; Krishna-Kumar, Siddharth; Tuljapurkar, Shripad D

2014-03-01

Senescence-the deterioration of survival and reproductive capacity with increasing age-is generally held to be an evolutionary consequence of the declining strength of natural selection with increasing age. The diversity in rates of aging observed in nature suggests that the rate at which age-specific selection weakens is determined by species-specific ecological factors. We propose that, in iteroparous species, relationships between parental age, offspring birth order, and environment may affect selection on senescence. Later-born siblings have, on average, older parents than do first borns. Offspring born to older parents may experience different environments in terms of family support or inherited resources, factors often mediated by competition from siblings. Thus, age-specific selection on parents may change if the environment produces birth-order related gradients in reproductive success. We use an age-and-stage structured population model to investigate the impact of sibling environmental inequality on the expected evolution of senescence. We show that accelerated senescence evolves when later-born siblings are likely to experience an environment detrimental to lifetime reproduction. In general, sibling inequality is likely to be of particular importance for the evolution of senescence in species such as humans, where family interactions and resource inheritance have important roles in determining lifetime reproduction. © 2013 The Author(s). Evolution © 2013 The Society for the Study of Evolution.

Enriched Open Field Facilitates Exercise and Social Interaction in 2 Strains of Guinea Pigs (Cavia porcellus)

PubMed Central

Brewer, Jacob S; Bellinger, Seanceray A; Joshi, Prianca; Kleven, Gale A

2014-01-01

Current housing guidelines for laboratory rodents include recommendations for enrichment. Working with guinea pigs, we have developed an open-field enrichment paradigm that provides several aspects of this species’ natural environment. These naturalistic aspects include access to increased space for exploration, access to western timothy (Phleum pratense L.) hay, and grouping as a herd to facilitate social interaction. To determine the immediate effect on behavior from access to the enriched environment, female guinea pigs from 2 strains, IAF Hairless and NIH Hartley, were observed in both standard home cages and an open-field enriched environment. Subjects were housed with cagemates in pairs for the home-cage observation and were grouped as a herd when in the open-field arena. Behaviors were videorecorded for 1 h and then scored. Salivary cortisol levels were measured both prior to and immediately after behavioral observations. Analyses revealed higher levels of activity and social interaction in the open-field arena compared with the home cage, with no significant change in salivary cortisol levels. These results suggest that exposure to the open-field environment provide increased opportunities for exercise and social enrichment. Although additional studies are needed to determine long-term effects on experimental outcomes, the open-field configuration holds promise as a laboratory enrichment paradigm for guinea pigs. PMID:25199089

Enriched open field facilitates exercise and social interaction in 2 strains of guinea pigs (Cavia porcellus).

PubMed

Brewer, Jacob S; Bellinger, Seanceray A; Joshi, Prianca; Kleven, Gale A

2014-07-01

Current housing guidelines for laboratory rodents include recommendations for enrichment. Working with guinea pigs, we have developed an open-field enrichment paradigm that provides several aspects of this species' natural environment. These naturalistic aspects include access to increased space for exploration, access to western timothy (Phleum pratense L.) hay, and grouping as a herd to facilitate social interaction. To determine the immediate effect on behavior from access to the enriched environment, female guinea pigs from 2 strains, IAF Hairless and NIH Hartley, were observed in both standard home cages and an open-field enriched environment. Subjects were housed with cagemates in pairs for the home-cage observation and were grouped as a herd when in the open-field arena. Behaviors were videorecorded for 1 h and then scored. Salivary cortisol levels were measured both prior to and immediately after behavioral observations. Analyses revealed higher levels of activity and social interaction in the open-field arena compared with the home cage, with no significant change in salivary cortisol levels. These results suggest that exposure to the open-field environment provide increased opportunities for exercise and social enrichment. Although additional studies are needed to determine long-term effects on experimental outcomes, the open-field configuration holds promise as a laboratory enrichment paradigm for guinea pigs.

Spectral Sensitivity Change May Precede Habitat Shift in the Developing Retina of the Atlantic Tarpon (Megalops atlanticus).

PubMed

Schweikert, Lorian E; Grace, Michael S

Fish that undergo ontogenetic migrations between habitats often encounter new light environments that require changes in the spectral sensitivity of the retina. For many fish, sensitivity of the retina changes to match the environmental spectrum, but the timing of retinal change relative to habitat shift remains unknown. Does retinal change in fish precede habitat shift, or is it a response to encountered changes in environmental light? Spectral sensitivity changes were examined over the development of the Atlantic tarpon (Megalops atlanticus) retina relative to ontogenetic shifts in habitat light. Opsin gene isoform expression and inferred chromophore use of visual pigments were examined over the course of M. atlanticus development. Spectral sensitivity of the retina was then determined by electroretinography and compared to the spectroradiometric measurements of habitat light encountered by M. atlanticus from juveniles to adults. These data, along with previously known microspectrophotometric measurements of sensitivity in M. atlanticus, indicate retinal spectral sensitivity that matches the dominant wavelengths of environmental light for juvenile and adult fish. For the intervening subadult stage, however, spectral sensitivity does not match the dominant wavelength of light it occupies but better matches the dominant wavelengths of light in the habitat of its forthcoming migration. These results first indicate that the relationship between environmental light spectrum and spectral sensitivity of the retina changes during M. atlanticus development and then suggest that such changes may be programmed to support visual anticipation of new photic environments.

Learning control of inverted pendulum system by neural network driven fuzzy reasoning: The learning function of NN-driven fuzzy reasoning under changes of reasoning environment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hayashi, Isao; Nomura, Hiroyoshi; Wakami, Noboru

1991-01-01

Whereas conventional fuzzy reasonings are associated with tuning problems, which are lack of membership functions and inference rule designs, a neural network driven fuzzy reasoning (NDF) capable of determining membership functions by neural network is formulated. In the antecedent parts of the neural network driven fuzzy reasoning, the optimum membership function is determined by a neural network, while in the consequent parts, an amount of control for each rule is determined by other plural neural networks. By introducing an algorithm of neural network driven fuzzy reasoning, inference rules for making a pendulum stand up from its lowest suspended point are determined for verifying the usefulness of the algorithm.

Weight Stigma Reduction and Genetic Determinism

PubMed Central

Hilbert, Anja

2016-01-01

One major approach to weight stigma reduction consists of decreasing beliefs about the personal controllability of—and responsibility for—obesity by educating about its biogenetic causes. Evidence on the efficacy of this approach is mixed, and it remains unclear whether this would create a deterministic view, potentially leading to detrimental side-effects. Two independent studies from Germany using randomized designs with delayed-intervention control groups served to (1) develop and pilot a brief, interactive stigma reduction intervention to educate N = 128 university students on gene × environment interactions in the etiology of obesity; and to (2) evaluate this intervention in the general population (N = 128) and determine mechanisms of change. The results showed (1) decreased weight stigma and controllability beliefs two weeks post-intervention in a student sample; and (2) decreased internal attributions and increased genetic attributions, knowledge, and deterministic beliefs four weeks post-intervention in a population sample. Lower weight stigma was longitudinally predicted by a decrease in controllability beliefs and an increase in the belief in genetic determinism, especially in women. The results underline the usefulness of a brief, interactive intervention promoting an interactionist view of obesity to reduce weight stigma, at least in the short term, lending support to the mechanisms of change derived from attribution theory. The increase in genetic determinism that occurred despite the intervention’s gene × environment focus had no detrimental side-effect on weight stigma, but instead contributed to its reduction. Further research is warranted on the effects of how biogenetic causal information influences weight management behavior of individuals with obesity. PMID:27631384

Weight Stigma Reduction and Genetic Determinism.

PubMed

Hilbert, Anja

2016-01-01

One major approach to weight stigma reduction consists of decreasing beliefs about the personal controllability of-and responsibility for-obesity by educating about its biogenetic causes. Evidence on the efficacy of this approach is mixed, and it remains unclear whether this would create a deterministic view, potentially leading to detrimental side-effects. Two independent studies from Germany using randomized designs with delayed-intervention control groups served to (1) develop and pilot a brief, interactive stigma reduction intervention to educate N = 128 university students on gene × environment interactions in the etiology of obesity; and to (2) evaluate this intervention in the general population (N = 128) and determine mechanisms of change. The results showed (1) decreased weight stigma and controllability beliefs two weeks post-intervention in a student sample; and (2) decreased internal attributions and increased genetic attributions, knowledge, and deterministic beliefs four weeks post-intervention in a population sample. Lower weight stigma was longitudinally predicted by a decrease in controllability beliefs and an increase in the belief in genetic determinism, especially in women. The results underline the usefulness of a brief, interactive intervention promoting an interactionist view of obesity to reduce weight stigma, at least in the short term, lending support to the mechanisms of change derived from attribution theory. The increase in genetic determinism that occurred despite the intervention's gene × environment focus had no detrimental side-effect on weight stigma, but instead contributed to its reduction. Further research is warranted on the effects of how biogenetic causal information influences weight management behavior of individuals with obesity.

Mitigation/adaptation and health: health policymaking in the global response to climate change and implications for other upstream determinants.

PubMed

Wiley, Lindsay F

2010-01-01

The time is ripe for innovation in global health governance if we are to achieve global health and development objectives in the face of formidable challenges. Integration of global health concerns into the law and governance of other, related disciplines should be given high priority. This article explores opportunities for health policymaking in the global response to climate change. Climate change and environmental degradation will affect weather disasters, food and water security, infectious disease patterns, and air pollution. Although scientific research has pointed to the interdependence of the global environment and human health, policymakers have been slow to integrate their approaches to environmental and health concerns. A robust response to climate change will require improved integration on two fronts: health concerns must be given higher priority in the response to climate change and threats associated with climate change and environmental degradation must be more adequately addressed by global health law and governance. The mitigation/adaptation response paradigm developing within and beyond the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change provides a useful framework for thinking about global health law and governance with respect to climate change, environmental degradation, and possibly other upstream determinants of health as well. © 2010 American Society of Law, Medicine & Ethics, Inc.

Culture, Urbanism and Changing Human Biology.

PubMed

Schell, L M

2014-04-03

Anthropologists have long known that human activity driven by culture changes the environment. This is apparent in the archaeological record and through the study of the modern environment. Perhaps the largest change since the paleolithic era is the organization of human populations in cities. New environments can reshape human biology through evolution as shown by the evolution of the hominid lineage. Evolution is not the only process capable of reshaping our biology. Some changes in our human biology are adaptive and evolutionary while others are pathological. What changes in human biology may be wrought by the modern urban environment? One significant new change in the environment is the introduction of pollutants largely through urbanization. Pollutants can affect human biology in myriad ways. Evidence shows that human growth, reproduction, and cognitive functioning can be altered by some pollutants, and altered in different ways depending on the pollutant. Thus, pollutants have significance for human biologists and anthropologists generally. Further, they illustrate the bio-cultural interaction characterizing human change. Humans adapt by changing the environment, a cultural process, and then change biologically to adjust to that new environment. This ongoing, interactive process is a fundamental characteristic of human change over the millennia.

Culture, Urbanism and Changing Human Biology

PubMed Central

Schell, L.M.

2014-01-01

Anthropologists have long known that human activity driven by culture changes the environment. This is apparent in the archaeological record and through the study of the modern environment. Perhaps the largest change since the paleolithic era is the organization of human populations in cities. New environments can reshape human biology through evolution as shown by the evolution of the hominid lineage. Evolution is not the only process capable of reshaping our biology. Some changes in our human biology are adaptive and evolutionary while others are pathological. What changes in human biology may be wrought by the modern urban environment? One significant new change in the environment is the introduction of pollutants largely through urbanization. Pollutants can affect human biology in myriad ways. Evidence shows that human growth, reproduction, and cognitive functioning can be altered by some pollutants, and altered in different ways depending on the pollutant. Thus, pollutants have significance for human biologists and anthropologists generally. Further, they illustrate the bio-cultural interaction characterizing human change. Humans adapt by changing the environment, a cultural process, and then change biologically to adjust to that new environment. This ongoing, interactive process is a fundamental characteristic of human change over the millennia. PMID:25598655

Consumer response to health and environmental sustainability information regarding seafood consumption.

PubMed

Jacobs, Silke; Sioen, Isabelle; Marques, António; Verbeke, Wim

2018-02-01

Seafood consumption has an impact on both consumers' health and on the marine environment, making the integration of health and sustainability aspects in information and recommendation messages for consumers highly topical. This study presents the results of a consumer study in terms of the impact of exposure to a message about health and sustainability aspects of seafood on 986 participants from Belgium and Portugal. Possible drivers for behavioural change regarding seafood consumption frequency and sustainable seafood buying frequency are studied following exposure to the message. Initial behaviour emerges as the most important factor triggering a change in the intention to consume seafood twice per week and a change in the intention to buy sustainable seafood. A higher health benefit perception resulted in an increased intention to consume seafood twice per week. Attitude towards the message and the option to optimise consumers' choice of seafood species favouring sustainability were significant determinants of change in the intention to buy sustainable seafood. Different stakeholders may take the results of this communication strategy into account and, consequently, contribute to a seafood supply and related communication that supports public health and the marine environment. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Ocular Blood Flow Measured Noninvasively in Zero Gravity

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ansari, Rafat R.; Manuel, Francis K.; Geiser, Martial; Moret, Fabrice; Messer, Russell K.; King, James F.; Suh, Kwang I.

2003-01-01

In spaceflight or a reduced-gravity environment, bodily fluids shift to the upper extremities of the body. The pressure inside the eye, or intraocular pressure, changes significantly. A significant number of astronauts report changes in visual acuity during orbital flight. To date this remains of unknown etiology. Could choroidal engorgement be the primary mechanism and a change in the curvature or shape of the cornea or lens be the secondary mechanism for this change in visual acuity? Perfused blood flow in the dense meshwork of capillaries of the choroidal tissue (see the preceding illustration) provides necessary nutrients to the outer layers of the retina (photoreceptors) to keep it healthy and maintain good vision. Unlike the vascular system, the choroid has no baroreceptors to autoregulate fluid shifts, so it can remain engorged, pushing the macula forward and causing a hyperopic (farsighted) shift of the eye. Experiments by researchers at the NASA Glenn Research Center could help answer this question and facilitate planning for long-duration missions. We are investigating the effects of zero gravity on the choroidal blood flow of volunteer subjects. This pilot project plans to determine if choroidal blood flow is autoregulated in a reduced-gravity environment.

[Technology is changing: is the continuing professional development also changing?].

PubMed

De Fiore, Luca

2012-01-01

This paper considers the impact of the new information environment on the scientific communication. Reading behavior changes: today, we browse, scan, watch, receive an impression of something. The new reading habits are not simply determined by the new tools; they are rather influenced by the need to produce and share data and information, using personalized and mobile devices. Also the content formats change: researchers, clinicians, and nurses produce texts, figures, tables, photos, videos, tweets, blog posts and they share them to readers that have to collect, appraise, recombine and - most importantly - contextualize the information. This "continuous partial production" is consistent with a "continuous partial utilization" of data; this is a risk, but it is also an opportunity. On the one side, we risk a self-referential, individualized learning process; on the other side, we can enjoy the extraordinary chance to build a "shared learning environment", able to give a comprehensive solution to the challenges experienced by the health systems. Medical journals survive as valuable media to organize data and information; the new social web tools should support the traditional publishing patterns, to enhance the sharing of information, to help the appraisal of data, and to move forward new communities of learners.

Changes in hypothalamic staining for c-Fos following 2G exposure in rats

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fuller, C. A.; Murakami, D. M.; Hoban-Higgins, T. M.; Tang, I. H.

1994-01-01

The static gravitational field of the earth has been an important selective pressure that has shaped the evolution of biological organisms. This is illustrated by the evolution of tetrapods from a water environment where gravitational force was partially negated to a terrestrial environment where gravity is of greater consequence. Terrestrial invasion resulted in a series of new structural, physiological, and behavioral features. Therefore, it is not surprising that alterations in the gravitational field can cause widespread effects in many physiological systems and behaviors. Our previous studies have demonstrated that both exposure to hyperdynamic fields and the microgravity condition of space flight have significant effects on body temperature, heartrate, activity, feeding, drinking, and circadian rhythms. However, it has not been determined whether these physiological adaptations are associated with changes in neural activity within the hypothalamic nuclei that regulate these functions. This study examined the changes in body temperature, activity, body weight and food and water intake in rats caused by exposure to a hyperdynamic field. In addition, the immediate early gene activation marker, c-Fos, was used to examine potential protein synthesis changes in the hypothalamic nuclei that regulate these functions.

Determinants of social capital indicators at the neighborhood level: a longitudinal analysis of loss of off-sale alcohol outlets and voting.

PubMed

Scribner, Richard; Theall, Katherine P; Ghosh-Dastidar, Bonnie; Mason, Karen; Cohen, Deborah; Simonsen, Neal

2007-11-01

Neighborhoods represent a unique level of analysis where social and material determinants of social capital may be lodged. The 1992 civil unrest in Los Angeles following the Rodney King verdict provided an opportunity to determine if a change in the material environment (i.e., the loss of off-sale alcohol outlets) resulted in a subsequent change in a potential indicator of social capital-civic engagement-as measured by voting rates. Longitudinal analyses of voting rates between 1990 and 1996 for the 480 census tracts affected by the civil unrest were conducted. Tracts that lost and did not lose off-sale alcohol outlets were compared using piecewise hierarchical models that accounted for both time-varying and census-tract-level confounders, as well as for spatial autocorrelation. In the post-unrest period, the increase in voting was significantly greater in tracts where there was a loss of alcohol outlets (beta = 0.393, p < .05). Findings remained after taking into account time-varying effects of the changes in ethnicity, gender, and age; and baseline effects of voting, potential for social organization, outlet density, and deprivation. The loss of alcohol outlets was associated with an average 3.0% increase in voting rate in the postunrest period, translating into an average increase of 50-212 voters per tract, depending on the size of the tract. Loss of off-sale alcohol outlets in the 1992 civil unrest was associated with increased voting at the census tract level. Findings support the concept that loss of alcohol outlets in the neighborhood environment may contribute to the development of social capital, possibly through social network expansion.

On Land Ice Mass Change in Southernmost South America, Antarctic Peninsula and Coastal Antarctica consistent with GRACE, GPS and Reconstructed Ice History for Past 1000 years.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ivins, Erik; Wiese, David; Watkins, Michael; Yuan, Dah-Ning; Landerer, Felix; Simms, Alex; Boening, Carmen

2014-05-01

The improved spatial coverage provided by high-quality Global Positioning System observing systems on exposed bedrock has allowed these space geodetic experiments to play an increasingly important role in constraining both glacial isostatic adjustment (GIA) processes and viscoelastic responses to present-day glacial mass changes (PGMC). Improved constraints on models of ice mass change in the Southern Hemisphere at present-day, during the Little Ice Age, and during the Late Holocene are invaluable for reconciling climate and sea-level variability on a global scale during the present solar radiation forcing and Milankovic orbital configuration. Studies by Jacobs et al. (1992), Whitehouse et al. (2012), King et al. (2012), Boening et al (2012), and others, support the contention that GRACE observations of both GIA and PGMC in the Southern Hemisphere are dominated by the geography and climate of coastal environments. This makes the proper masking of those environments for GRACE-determinations of secular mass balance especially sensitive, and downscaling, rescaling, and use of correlation mascon methods a non-trivial part of the analysis. Here we employ two analysis methods to determine the mass balances of the Antarctic Peninsula and Patagonia and incorporate GPS observations of ongoing uplift for GIA correction into both. Using data that roughly span 2002-2013, we determine -25 ± 5 Gt/yr for the uncorrected Antarctic Peninsula (AP) and -12 Gt/yr for southern Patagonia and the Cordillera Darwin (PCD). With corrections for GIA these are increased to -34 ± 8 Gt/yr for AP and -22 ± 6 Gt/yr for PCD.

The impact of the Iowa Children's Water Festival on the children's attitudes and behaviors toward the environment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Sang-Min

The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of the Iowa Children's Water Festival on selected Iowa fifth graders' attitudes toward the environment. The researcher evaluated fifth graders' attitudinal/behavioral changes toward the environment before and after their participation in the 2003 Iowa Children's Water Festival. Of the total number of 38 schools participating in the ICWF, 12 schools (participants n = 274) that completed both the pre/posttest Children's Attitudes Toward the Environment Scale (CATES) were assigned to the experimental group. Three of 12 schools (participants n = 42) that did not participate in the ICWF and returned the pretest CATES were assigned to the control group. Participants (n = 274) were compared to non-participants (n = 42) to determine whether there were substantial differences in the general attitudes toward the environment based on several factors (e.g., pre/posttest, gender, locale, and school type). A one-page survey instrument (CATES) was administered two times (pre/posttest) in a three week period for both groups. Descriptive, inferential statistics were used to investigate whether children who participated in the ICWF improved their attitudes toward the environment compared to children who did not participate in the educational event. An analysis of covariance was employed to test the hypothesis. ANCOVA (regression fashion) indicated that there was no difference in posttest CATES scores between those children who attended the ICWF compared to those who did not attend. To explore the long-term impacts of the participants' attitudinal/behavioral changes, a qualitative follow-up interview was conducted six months after the children's attendance at the 2003 ICWF. Six students from a central, rural elementary school that completed both the pre/posttest CATES were interviewed employing open-ended interview questions. The results suggested that not only are such factors as knowledge gain and behavioral changes critical in the continuum of behavioral change, but factors like family involvement, teacher's enthusiasm and role-modeling, student's internal locus of control on environmental issues, and a curriculum that is hands-on are also essential for reaching the ultimate goals of forming environmentally responsible behaviors in younger children.

Sneak Analysis Application Guidelines

DTIC Science & Technology

1982-06-01

Hardware Program Change Cost Trend, Airborne Environment ....... ....................... 111 3-11 Relative Software Program Change Costs...113 3-50 Derived Software Program Change Cost by Phase,* Airborne Environment ..... ............... 114 3-51 Derived Software Program Change...Cost by Phase, Ground/Water Environment ... ............. .... 114 3-52 Total Software Program Change Costs ................ 115 3-53 Sneak Analysis

Facilitating the Transition from Bright to Dim Environments

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-03-04

For the parametric data, a multivariate ANOVA was used in determining the systematic presence of any statistically significant performance differences...performed. All significance levels were p < 0.05, and statistical analyses were performed with the Statistical Package for Social Sciences ( SPSS ...1950. Age changes in rate and level of visual dark adaptation. Journal of Applied Physiology, 2, 407–411. Field, A. 2009. Discovering statistics

How States Can Promote Local Innovation, Options, and Problem-Solving in Public Education. Linking State and Local School Improvement

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Posamentier, Jordan; Lake, Robin; Hill, Paul

2017-01-01

State policy plays a critical role in determining whether and how well local education improvement strategies can be implemented. As states rework their education policies under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), state and local leaders need a way to assess their current policy environment and identify the changes needed to encourage local…

Relationship of Non-Structural Forms of Social Interaction with Problems of Social and Psychological Adaptation of Students Prone to Chemical Addictions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gilemkhanova, Elvira N.

2016-01-01

The changes in contemporary social and cultural environment determine the necessity to increase the efficiency of adaptive mechanisms, especially for those categories of people who are subject to social risks. One of those categories is students prone to chemical addictions. To study the relationship of forms of social interaction with problems of…

Methods of Psychological and Pedagogical Accompaniment of First-Year Students in Process of Adapting to Learning at University

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Maralova, Tatyana P.; Filipenkova, Olesya G.; Galitskikh, Elena O.; Shulga, Tatiana I.; Sidyacheva, Natalya V.; Ovsyanik, Olga A.

2016-01-01

The relevance of the study is conditioned by the complexity of students' adaptation to learning at University due to the change of social environment, an alarming feelings about the precise self-determination, lack of knowledge in opportunities for self-expression in art, science, sport and public life. The purpose of the paper is to identify…

An Analysis of Women's Roles under the Impact of New Technology in the Home and Office.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bruce, Margaret; Kirkup, Gill

Focusing on the ideology of the sexual division of labor with emphasis on women's roles and their work, this paper argues that social ideology dominates both the domestic and the office environment, and is perhaps the most powerful force determining the rate and direction of technological change. The argument set forth is illustrated by two case…

Intelligence Preparation for Operational Resilience (IPOR)

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-12-01

unlimited distribution except as restricted below. Internal use:* Permission to reproduce this material and to prepare derivative works from this...material for internal use is granted, provided the copyright and “No Warranty” statements are included with all reproductions and de- rivative works...legal coun- sel regarding the latest state of jurisprudence . 2.1.3 Determine the Technological Environment Changes in the technical landscape can also

Violence Prevention in Georgia's Rural Public School Systems: A Comparison of Perceptions of School Superintendents 1995-2005

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ballard, Chet; Brady, Lauren

2007-01-01

School superintendents in 60 public school systems in Georgia were surveyed to describe strategies being pursued to prevent school violence and promote a safe learning environment. Results from the present study were compared with results from a survey of superintendents conducted by one of the authors in 1995 to determine the extent of change in…

Porter's generic strategies, discontinuous environments, and performance: a longitudinal study of changing strategies in the hospital industry.

PubMed

Lamont, B T; Marlin, D; Hoffman, J J

1993-12-01

Changes in generic strategies in response to discontinuous environments have been relatively ignored in the management literature. This study reports an examination of the relationships between Porter's (1980) generic strategies, discontinuous environments, and performance. Archival data for 1984 and 1988 were collected for 172 acute care hospitals in Florida in order to test these relationships. To examine fully the performance impact of changes in strategy in a discontinuous environment, a longitudinal research design that identified a firm's strategy at two points in time, 1984 and 1988, was used. Results indicate that firms with a proper strategy environment fit performed the highest, firms that did not change their strategy had no change in performance, and firms that changed their strategy toward a proper strategy environment showed an increase in performance. Findings support the notion that hospitals with appropriate strategy-environment combinations will exhibit higher performance.

Critical aggregates concentration of fatty esters present in biodiesel determined by turbidity and fluorescence.

PubMed

Froehner, Sandro; Sánez, Juan; Dombroski, Luiz Fernando; Gracioto, Maria Paula

2017-09-01

Biodiesel for combustible engine is available as mixture of fossil diesel and fatty esters obtained by transesterification of vegetable oils. The use of biodiesel reduces the amount of SO x , mainly. However, it was already observed that biodiesel has a different behavior in environment in cases of accidental spill and groundwater contamination. It was noticed that the biodegradation of hydrocarbons (cyclic and aliphatic) in the presence of biodiesel are speeded, although the mechanism is still unclear. Considering the chemical structure of fatty esters, it was investigated the formation of aggregates in water solution by fatty esters present in commercial biodiesel. In Brazil, biodiesel is composed by 95% of fossil diesel and 5% of fatty esters mixture. In this work, fatty esters were treated as neutral surfactant, i.e., it was treated as a molecule with polar and non-polar part. Turbidity and fluorescence were used to determine the critical aggregates concentration (CAC). Water solutions containing fatty esters were examined exploiting changes in turbidity and fluorescence intensity of pyrene. Abrupt changes were attributed to aggregates formation, following the same behavior of traditional amphiphilic compounds. It was determined the CAC for ethyl palmitate, ethyl stearate, ethyl oleate, and ethyl linoleate. The values of CAC for fatty esters varied from 1.91 to 4.27 μmol/L, while CAC for the mixture of esters (biodiesel) was 2.01 for methyl esters and 1.19 for ethyl esters, both prepared using soybean oil. The aggregates formation was also determined by fluorescence measurements considering the changes in intensity of peaks I and III of pyrene. Pyrene senses the changes in environment polarity. The values found of CAC by fluorescence for individual ethyl esters varied from 1.85 to 3.21 μmol/L, while mixtures of ethyl esters was 2.23 and 2.07 μmol/L for mixture of methyl esters. The results clearly showed that fatty esters form aggregates and might be responsible for speed degradation of compounds by accommodation of them in inner part of aggregates.

Changes of the soil environment affected by fly ash dumping site of the electric power plant

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Weber, Jerzy; Gwizdz, Marta; Jamroz, Elzbieta; Debicka, Magdalena; Kocowicz, Andrzej

2014-05-01

In this study the effect of fly ash dumping site of the electric power plant on the surrounding soil environment was investigated. The fly ash dumping site collect wastes form brown coal combustion of Belchatow electric power station, central Poland. The dumping site is surrounding by forest, where pine trees overgrow Podzols derived from loose quartz sands. The soil profiles under study were located at a distance of 50, 100, 400 and 500 m from the dumping site, while control profiles were located 8 km away from the landfill. In all horizons of soil profiles the mpain hysico-chemical and chemical properties were determined. The humic substances were extracted from ectohumus horizons by Shnitzer's method, purified using XAD resin and freeze-dried. The fulvic acids were passed through a cation exchange column and freeze-dried. Optical density, elemental composition and atomic ratios were determined in the humic and fulvic acids. Organic carbon by KMnO4 oxidation was also determined in the organic soil horizons. The fly ash from the landfill characterized by high salinity and strong alkaline reaction (pH=10), which contributed significantly to the changes of the pH values in soils horizons. The alkalization of soils adjacent to the landfill was found, which manifested in increasing of pH values in the upper soil horizons. The impact of the landfill was also noted in the changes of the soil morphology of Podzols analysed. As a result of the alkalization, Bhs horizons have been converted into a Bs horizons. Leaching of low molecular humus fraction - typical for podzolization - has been minimized as a result of pH changes caused by the impact of the landfill, and originally occurring humic substances in the Bhs horizon (present in the control profiles) have been probably transported out of the soil profile and then into the groundwater.

AEDT: A new concept for ecological dynamics in the ever-changing world.

PubMed

Chesson, Peter

2017-05-01

The important concept of equilibrium has always been controversial in ecology, but a new, more general concept, an asymptotic environmentally determined trajectory (AEDT), overcomes many concerns with equilibrium by realistically incorporating long-term climate change while retaining much of the predictive power of a stable equilibrium. A population or ecological community is predicted to approach its AEDT, which is a function of time reflecting environmental history and biology. The AEDT invokes familiar questions and predictions but in a more realistic context in which consideration of past environments and a future changing profoundly due to human influence becomes possible. Strong applications are also predicted in population genetics, evolution, earth sciences, and economics.

Reflux and Voice Disorders: Have We Established Causality?

PubMed Central

Schneider, G. Todd; Vaezi, Michael F.; Francis, David O.

2017-01-01

A trend of attributing abnormal voice changes to reflux has gained momentum among medical professionals over the last few decades. Evidence supporting the connection between reflux and voice and the use of anti-reflux medication in patients with dysphonia is conflicting and deserves careful examination. In the current health care environment, it is important that medical decisions be based on science rather than anecdote and practice patterns. The goal of this review is to investigate the evidence linking reflux and voice changes. Specifically, this association will be examined in the context of the Bradford-Hill criteria to determine what evidence exists for a causal relationship between this exposure (reflux) and outcome (voice change). PMID:28163985

Boundaries steer the contraction of active gels

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schuppler, Matthias; Keber, Felix C.; Kröger, Martin; Bausch, Andreas R.

2016-10-01

Cells set up contractile actin arrays to drive various shape changes and to exert forces to their environment. To understand their assembly process, we present here a reconstituted contractile system, comprising F-actin and myosin II filaments, where we can control the local activation of myosin by light. By stimulating different symmetries, we show that the force balancing at the boundaries determine the shape changes as well as the dynamics of the global contraction. Spatially anisotropic attachment of initially isotropic networks leads to a self-organization of highly aligned contractile fibres, being reminiscent of the order formation in muscles or stress fibres. The observed shape changes and dynamics are fully recovered by a minimal physical model.

Impacts of climate change on indirect human exposure to pathogens and chemicals from agriculture.

PubMed

Boxall, Alistair B A; Hardy, Anthony; Beulke, Sabine; Boucard, Tatiana; Burgin, Laura; Falloon, Peter D; Haygarth, Philip M; Hutchinson, Thomas; Kovats, R Sari; Leonardi, Giovanni; Levy, Leonard S; Nichols, Gordon; Parsons, Simon A; Potts, Laura; Stone, David; Topp, Edward; Turley, David B; Walsh, Kerry; Wellington, Elizabeth M H; Williams, Richard J

2009-04-01

Climate change is likely to affect the nature of pathogens and chemicals in the environment and their fate and transport. Future risks of pathogens and chemicals could therefore be very different from those of today. In this review, we assess the implications of climate change for changes in human exposures to pathogens and chemicals in agricultural systems in the United Kingdom and discuss the subsequent effects on health impacts. In this review, we used expert input and considered literature on climate change; health effects resulting from exposure to pathogens and chemicals arising from agriculture; inputs of chemicals and pathogens to agricultural systems; and human exposure pathways for pathogens and chemicals in agricultural systems. We established the current evidence base for health effects of chemicals and pathogens in the agricultural environment; determined the potential implications of climate change on chemical and pathogen inputs in agricultural systems; and explored the effects of climate change on environmental transport and fate of different contaminant types. We combined these data to assess the implications of climate change in terms of indirect human exposure to pathogens and chemicals in agricultural systems. We then developed recommendations on future research and policy changes to manage any adverse increases in risks. Overall, climate change is likely to increase human exposures to agricultural contaminants. The magnitude of the increases will be highly dependent on the contaminant type. Risks from many pathogens and particulate and particle-associated contaminants could increase significantly. These increases in exposure can, however, be managed for the most part through targeted research and policy changes.

Evolution of phenotypic plasticity and environmental tolerance of a labile quantitative character in a fluctuating environment.

PubMed

Lande, R

2014-05-01

Quantitative genetic models of evolution of phenotypic plasticity are used to derive environmental tolerance curves for a population in a changing environment, providing a theoretical foundation for integrating physiological and community ecology with evolutionary genetics of plasticity and norms of reaction. Plasticity is modelled for a labile quantitative character undergoing continuous reversible development and selection in a fluctuating environment. If there is no cost of plasticity, a labile character evolves expected plasticity equalling the slope of the optimal phenotype as a function of the environment. This contrasts with previous theory for plasticity influenced by the environment at a critical stage of early development determining a constant adult phenotype on which selection acts, for which the expected plasticity is reduced by the environmental predictability over the discrete time lag between development and selection. With a cost of plasticity in a labile character, the expected plasticity depends on the cost and on the environmental variance and predictability averaged over the continuous developmental time lag. Environmental tolerance curves derived from this model confirm traditional assumptions in physiological ecology and provide new insights. Tolerance curve width increases with larger environmental variance, but can only evolve within a limited range. The strength of the trade-off between tolerance curve height and width depends on the cost of plasticity. Asymmetric tolerance curves caused by male sterility at high temperature are illustrated. A simple condition is given for a large transient increase in plasticity and tolerance curve width following a sudden change in average environment. © 2014 The Author. Journal of Evolutionary Biology © 2014 European Society For Evolutionary Biology.

Local health department leadership strategies for healthy built environments.

PubMed

Kuiper, Heather; Jackson, Richard J; Barna, Stefi; Satariano, William A

2012-01-01

The built environment is an important but less-recognized health determinant, and local health departments need expanded guidance to address it. In such situations, leadership is particularly relevant. To assess whether and how local public and environmental health leaders increase their departments' health-promoting impact on built environment design, and what pitfalls they should avoid. Mixed-methods employing cross-sectional surveys and a comparative case study. Local public and environmental health departments. PARTICIPANTS SURVEY: A total of 159 (89%) health officers, health directors, and environmental health directors from all 62 local jurisdictions in California. Case-Study: Three departments, 12 cases, 36 health and land-use professionals, and 30 key informants. The study measured the influence of leadership practices on health departments' built environment-related collaborations, land use activities, policy developments, and contributions to physical changes. Quantitative multivariate linear and logistic regression were used. Case-study content analysis and pattern-matching, which related strong and weak leadership practices to outcomes, were also employed. Departments having highly innovative leaders with positive attitudes had greater odds of achieving physical changes to the built environment (OR: 4.5, 3.4, respectively). Leadership that most prepared their departments for built environment work (by updating staffing, structure, and strategy) tripled interagency and cross-sector collaboration (OR: 3.4). Leadership of successful departments consistently (1) established and managed a healthy built environment vision, (2) cultivated innovation, (3) supported, empowered and protected staff, (4) directly engaged in land use and transportation processes, (5) established direct contacts with directors in other departments, and (6) leveraged their professional reputation. Inconsistency in these practices was twice as common among failure as success cases (80%, 43%). Local health leadership underlies public and environmental health departments' community design efforts and should receive technical support and targeted resources to do so effectively.

Quantum robots and environments

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

Benioff, P.

1998-08-01

Quantum robots and their interactions with environments of quantum systems are described, and their study justified. A quantum robot is a mobile quantum system that includes an on-board quantum computer and needed ancillary systems. Quantum robots carry out tasks whose goals include specified changes in the state of the environment, or carrying out measurements on the environment. Each task is a sequence of alternating computation and action phases. Computation phase activites include determination of the action to be carried out in the next phase, and recording of information on neighborhood environmental system states. Action phase activities include motion of themore » quantum robot and changes in the neighborhood environment system states. Models of quantum robots and their interactions with environments are described using discrete space and time. A unitary step operator T that gives the single time step dynamics is associated with each task. T=T{sub a}+T{sub c} is a sum of action phase and computation phase step operators. Conditions that T{sub a} and T{sub c} should satisfy are given along with a description of the evolution as a sum over paths of completed phase input and output states. A simple example of a task{emdash}carrying out a measurement on a very simple environment{emdash}is analyzed in detail. A decision tree for the task is presented and discussed in terms of the sums over phase paths. It is seen that no definite times or durations are associated with the phase steps in the tree, and that the tree describes the successive phase steps in each path in the sum over phase paths. {copyright} {ital 1998} {ital The American Physical Society}« less

Sex Reversal in Reptiles: Reproductive Oddity or Powerful Driver of Evolutionary Change?

PubMed

Holleley, Clare E; Sarre, Stephen D; O'Meally, Denis; Georges, Arthur

2016-01-01

Is sex a product of genes, the environment, or both? In this review, we describe the diversity of sex-determining mechanisms in reptiles, with a focus on systems that display gene-environment interactions. We summarise the field and laboratory-based evidence for the occurrence of environmental sex reversal in reptiles and ask whether this is a widespread evolutionary mechanism affecting the evolution of sex chromosomes and speciation in vertebrates. Sex determination systems exist across a continuum of genetic and environmental influences, blurring the lines between what was once considered a strict dichotomy between genetic sex determination and temperature-dependent sex determination. Across this spectrum, we identify the potential for sex reversal in species with clearly differentiated heteromorphic sex chromosomes (Pogona vitticeps, Bassiana duperreyi, Eremias multiocellata, Gekko japonicus), weakly differentiated homomorphic sex chromosomes (Niveoscincus ocellatus), and species with only a weak heritable predisposition for sex (Emys orbicularis, Trachemys scripta). We argue that sex reversal is widespread in reptiles (Testudines, Lacertidae, Agamidae, Scincidae, Gekkonidae) and has the potential to have an impact on individual fitness, resulting in reproductively, morphologically, and behaviourally unique phenotypes. Sex reversal is likely to be a powerful evolutionary force responsible for generating and maintaining lability and diversity in reptile sex-determining modes. © 2016 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Risk of Cardiac Rhythm Problems During Spaceflight

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lee, Stuart M. C.; Stenger, Michael B.; Laurie, Steven S.; Macias, Brandon R.

2017-01-01

NASA has concerns regarding the incidence and clinical significance of cardiac arrhythmias that could occur during long-term exposure to the spaceflight environment, such as on the International Space Station (ISS) or during a prolonged (e.g., up to 3 years) sojourn to Mars or on the Moon. There have been some anecdotal reports and a few documented cases of cardiac arrhythmias in space, including one documented episode of non-sustained ventricular tachycardia. The potential catastrophic nature of a sudden cardiac death in the remote space environment has led to concerns from the early days of the space program that spaceflight might be arrhythmogenic. Indeed, there are known and well-defined changes in the cardiovascular system with spaceflight: a) plasma volume is reduced, b) left ventricular mass is decreased, and c) the autonomic nervous system adapts to the weightless environment. Combined, these physiologic adaptations suggest that changes in cardiac structure and neuro-humoral environment during spaceflight could alter electrical conduction, although the evidence supporting this contention consists mostly of minor changes in QT interval (the time between the start of the Q wave and the end of the T wave on an electrocardiogram tracing) in a small number of astronauts after long-duration spaceflight. Concurrent with efforts by NASA Medical Operations to refine and improve screening techniques relevant to arrhythmias and cardiovascular disease, as NASA enters the era of exploration-class missions it will be critical to determine with the highest degree of certainty whether spaceflight by itself alters cardiac structure and function sufficiently to increase the risk of arrhythmias.

Exercise load index and changes in body weight during long-duration confinement in an isolated environment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kraft, Norbert O.; Lyons, Terence J.; Binder, Heidi; Inoue, Natsuhiko; Ohshima, Hiroshi; Sekiguchi, Chiharu

2003-01-01

PURPOSE: The objectives of this project were to investigate exercise load and body weight related to long-duration confinement in a closed environment simulating ISS flight conditions, and to evaluate subjects' motivation to continue the experiment and their adaptation to isolation. METHODS: Four Russian male subjects participated in a 240-d experiment (Group I), and four subjects (three male subjects and one female subject) from Austria, Canada, Japan, and Russia participated in a 110-d experiment (Group II). Exercise load was estimated during confinement using a modified Rating of Perceived Exertion scale. Free reports were used to determine subjects' motivation. Body weight was measured before, during, and after confinement. RESULTS: Group I achieved their lowest exercise loads during their first month of isolation; problems with adaptation to the isolation environment were also reported during this first month. Group II exercise load was significantly lower in the second month due to crewmember problems; loss of motivation could be noted from their free reports. The subject with the lowest exercise load retired from the isolation experiment earlier than scheduled. Exercise load was not correlated with prior exercise habits. Significant differences in body weight was observed between group I and II and between Russian and non-Russian subjects. One subject in Group I experienced a significant increase in his body weight. CONCLUSION: Exercise load may be a good indicator for adaptation problems and motivation changes in closed environments. Immobility, lack of space, and smoking cessation in general did not induce significant body weight changes.

Gas exchange and the coagulation system of the blood during the effect on the body of high concentrations of oxygen and carbon dioxide

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Palosh, L.; Agadzhanyan, N. A.; Davydov, G. A.; Rybakov, B. K.; Sergiyenko, A. S.

1974-01-01

Maximum permissible concentrations of oxygen and carbon dioxide in a controlled atmosphere were determined by evaluating their effects on human gas exchange, blood coagulation, and tolerances to acute hypoxia, acceleration, and physical loads. It was found that functional disturbances depend on the concentration of respiratory gases and the length of stay in an altered atmosphere. By changing the atmospheric composition and by bringing the gaseous environment into accordance with the work and rest regimen and energy expenditures, the general reactivity of the body changes favorably.

Learning challenges of nursing students in clinical environments: A qualitative study in Iran

PubMed Central

Baraz, Shahram; Memarian, Robabeh; Vanaki, Zohreh

2015-01-01

Background: Clinical learning environment is a complex social entity. This environment is effective on the learning process of nursing students in the clinical area. However, learning in clinical environment has several benefits, but it can be challenging, unpredictable, stressful, and constantly changing. In attention to clinical experiences and factors contributing to the learning of these experiences can waste a great deal of time and energy, impose heavy financial burden on educational systems, cause mental, familial and educational problems for students, and compromise the quality of patient care. Therefore, this study was carried out with the goal of determining the learning challenges of nursing students in clinical environments in Iran. Materials and Methods: In this qualitative study carried out in 2012–2013, 18 undergraduate nursing students were selected by using purposive sampling method from the Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery of Tehran and Shahid Beheshti Universities. Semi-structured interviews were used to collect data. The content analysis method was used to determine relevant themes. Results: Two themes were derived from the data analysis, which represented the students’ clinical learning challenges. These two themes included insufficient qualification of nursing instructors and unsupportive learning environment. Conclusions: Identification of the students’ clinical learning challenges and actions to remove or modify them will create more learning opportunities for the students, improve the achievement of educational goals, provide training to nursing students with the needed competencies to meet the complex demands of caring and for application of theories in practice, and improve the quality of healthcare services. PMID:26430679

How Habitat Change and Rainfall Affect Dung Beetle Diversity in Caatinga, a Brazilian Semi-Arid Ecosystem

PubMed Central

Liberal, Carolina Nunes; de Farias, Ângela Maria Isidro; Meiado, Marcos Vinicius; Filgueiras, Bruno K. C.; Iannuzzi, Luciana

2011-01-01

The aim of the present study was to evaluate how dung beetle communities respond to both environment and rainfall in the Caatinga, a semi-arid ecosystem in northeastern Brazil. The communities were sampled monthly from May 2006 to April 2007 using pitfall traps baited with human feces in two environments denominated “land use area” and “undisturbed area.” Abundance and species richness were compared between the two environments and two seasons (dry and wet season) using a generalized linear model with a Poisson error distribution. Diversity was compared between the two environments (land use area and undisturbed area) and seasons (dry and wet) using the Two-Way ANOVA test. Non-metric multidimensional scaling was performed on the resemblance matrix of Bray-Curtis distances (with 1000 random restarts) to determine whether disturbance affected the abundance and species composition of the dung beetle communities. Spearman's correlation coefficient was used to determine whether rainfall was correlated with abundance and species richness. A total of 1097 specimens belonging to 13 species were collected. The most abundant and frequent species was Dichotomius geminatus Arrow (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae). The environment exerted an influence over abundance. Abundance and diversity were affected by season, with an increase in abundance at the beginning of the wet season. The correlation coefficient values were high and significant for abundance and species richness, which were both correlated to rainfall. In conclusion, the restriction of species to some environments demonstrates the need to preserve these areas in order to avoid possible local extinction. Therefore, in extremely seasonable environments, such as the Caatinga, seasonal variation strongly affects dung beetle communities. PMID:22224924

How habitat change and rainfall affect dung beetle diversity in Caatinga, a Brazilian semi-arid ecosystem.

PubMed

Liberal, Carolina Nunes; de Farias, Ângela Maria Isidro; Meiado, Marcos Vinicius; Filgueiras, Bruno K C; Iannuzzi, Luciana

2011-01-01

The aim of the present study was to evaluate how dung beetle communities respond to both environment and rainfall in the Caatinga, a semi-arid ecosystem in northeastern Brazil. The communities were sampled monthly from May 2006 to April 2007 using pitfall traps baited with human feces in two environments denominated "land use area" and "undisturbed area." Abundance and species richness were compared between the two environments and two seasons (dry and wet season) using a generalized linear model with a Poisson error distribution. Diversity was compared between the two environments (land use area and undisturbed area) and seasons (dry and wet) using the Two-Way ANOVA test. Non-metric multidimensional scaling was performed on the resemblance matrix of Bray-Curtis distances (with 1000 random restarts) to determine whether disturbance affected the abundance and species composition of the dung beetle communities. Spearman's correlation coefficient was used to determine whether rainfall was correlated with abundance and species richness. A total of 1097 specimens belonging to 13 species were collected. The most abundant and frequent species was Dichotomius geminatus Arrow (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae). The environment exerted an influence over abundance. Abundance and diversity were affected by season, with an increase in abundance at the beginning of the wet season. The correlation coefficient values were high and significant for abundance and species richness, which were both correlated to rainfall. In conclusion, the restriction of species to some environments demonstrates the need to preserve these areas in order to avoid possible local extinction. Therefore, in extremely seasonable environments, such as the Caatinga, seasonal variation strongly affects dung beetle communities.

Water temperature, not fish morph, determines parasite infections of sympatric Icelandic threespine sticklebacks (Gasterosteus aculeatus).

PubMed

Karvonen, Anssi; Kristjánsson, Bjarni K; Skúlason, Skúli; Lanki, Maiju; Rellstab, Christian; Jokela, Jukka

2013-06-01

Parasite communities of fishes are known to respond directly to the abiotic environment of the host, for example, to water quality and water temperature. Biotic factors are also important as they affect the exposure profile through heterogeneities in parasite distribution in the environment. Parasites in a particular environment may pose a strong selection on fish. For example, ecological differences in selection by parasites have been hypothesized to facilitate evolutionary differentiation of freshwater fish morphs specializing on different food types. However, as parasites may also respond directly to abiotic environment the parasite risk does not depend only on biotic features of the host environment. It is possible that different morphs experience specific selection gradients by parasites but it is not clear how consistent the selection is when abiotic factors change. We examined parasite pressure in sympatric morphs of threespine stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus) across a temperature gradient in two large Icelandic lakes, Myvatn and Thingvallavatn. Habitat-specific temperature gradients in these lakes are opposite. Myvatn lava rock morph lives in a warm environment, while the mud morph lives in the cold. In Thingvallavatn, the lava rock morph lives in a cold environment and the mud morph in a warm habitat. We found more parasites in fish living in higher temperature in both lakes, independent of the fish morph, and this pattern was similar for the two dominating parasite taxa, trematodes and cestodes. However, at the same time, we also found higher parasite abundance in a third morph living in deep cold-water habitat in Thingvallavatn compared to the cold-water lava morph, indicating strong effect of habitat-specific biotic factors. Our results suggest complex interactions between water temperature and biotic factors in determining the parasite community structure, a pattern that may have implications for differentiation of stickleback morphs.

Metastable coexistence of multiple genotypes in a constant environment with a single resource through fixed settings of a multiplication-survival trade-off.

PubMed

Maharjan, Ram; Ferenci, Thomas

2016-04-01

The biological complexity of trade-offs has been a major obstacle in understanding bacterial diversity and coexistence. Here we reduce the biological complexity by using isogenic Escherichia coli strains differing only in a multiplication-survival trade-off regulated by RpoS. The contribution of trade-off characteristics to fitness in different environments was determined. We then designed an environment with intermediate-stress levels that elicits an equivalent fitness. We found metastable coexistence of three strains in steady-state chemostats until mutations changed the relative fitness of competing strains. Our results help explain the rich intra- and inter-species diversity of bacteria through alternative settings of relatively few trade-offs. Copyright © 2015 Institut Pasteur. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

FBI fingerprint identification automation study: AIDS 3 evaluation report. Volume 6: Environmental analysis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mulhall, B. D. L.

1980-01-01

The results of the analysis of the external environment of the FBI Fingerprint Identification Division are presented. Possible trends in the future environment of the Division that may have an effect on the work load were projected to determine if future work load will lie within the capability range of the proposed new system, AIDS 3. Two working models of the environment were developed, the internal and external model, and from these scenarios the projection of possible future work load volume and mixture was developed. Possible drivers of work load change were identified and assessed for upper and lower bounds of effects. Data used for the study were derived from historical information, analysis of the current situation and from interviews with various agencies who are users of or stakeholders in the present system.

Epigenetics of Ancient DNA.

PubMed

Zhenilo, S V; Sokolov, A S; Prokhortchouk, E B

2016-01-01

Initially, the study of DNA isolated from ancient specimens had been based on the analysis of the primary nucleotide sequence. This approach has allowed researchers to study the evolutionary changes that occur in different populations and determine the influence of the environment on genetic selection. However, the improvement of methodological approaches to genome-wide analysis has opened up new possibilities in the search for the epigenetic mechanisms involved in the regulation of gene expression. It was discovered recently that the methylation status of the regulatory elements of the HOXD cluster and MEIS 1 gene changed during human evolution. Epigenetic changes in these genes played a key role in the evolution of the limbs of modern humans. Recent works have demonstrated that it is possible to determine the transcriptional activity of genes in ancient DNA samples by combining information on DNA methylation and the DNAaseI hypersensitive sequences located at the transcription start sites of genes. In the nearest future, if a preserved fossils brain is found, it will be possible to identify the evolutionary changes in the higher nervous system associated with epigenetic differences.

Using Formative Research to Design a Behavior Change Strategy to Increase the Use of Improved Cookstoves in Peri-Urban Kampala, Uganda

PubMed Central

Martin, Stephanie L.; Arney, Jennifer K.; Mueller, Lisa M.; Kumakech, Edward; Walugembe, Fiona; Mugisha, Emmanuel

2013-01-01

Household air pollution from cooking with biomass fuels negatively impacts maternal and child health and the environment, and contributes to the global burden of disease. In Uganda, nearly 20,000 young children die of household air pollution-related pneumonia every year. Qualitative research was used to identify behavioral determinants related to the acquisition and use of improved cookstoves in peri-urban Uganda. Results were used to design a behavior change strategy for the introduction of a locally-fabricated top-lit updraft gasifier (TLUD) stove in Wakiso district. A theoretical framework—opportunity, ability, and motivation—was used to guide the research and behavior change strategy development. Participants consistently cited financial considerations as the most influential factor related to improved cookstove acquisition and use. In contrast, participants did not prioritize the potential health benefits of improved cookstoves. The theoretical framework, research methodology, and behavior change strategy design process can be useful for program planners and researchers interested in identifying behavioral determinants and designing and evaluating improved cookstove interventions. PMID:24336020

The changing distribution and determinants of obesity in the neighborhoods of New York City, 2003-2007.

PubMed

Black, Jennifer L; Macinko, James

2010-04-01

Obesity (body mass index >or=30 kg/m(2)) is a growing urban health concern, but few studies have examined whether, how, or why obesity prevalence has changed over time within cities. This study characterized the individual- and neighborhood-level determinants and distribution of obesity in New York City from 2003 to 2007. Individual-level data from the Community Health Survey (n = 48,506 adults, 34 neighborhoods) were combined with neighborhood measures. Multilevel regression assessed changes in obesity over time and associations with neighborhood-level income and food and physical activity amenities, controlling for age, racial/ethnic identity, education, employment, US nativity, and marital status, stratified by gender. Obesity rates increased by 1.6% (P < 0.05) each year, but changes over time differed significantly between neighborhoods and by gender. Obesity prevalence increased for women, even after controlling for individual- and neighborhood-level factors (prevalence ratio = 1.021, P < 0.05), whereas no significant changes were reported for men. Neighborhood factors including increased area income (prevalence ratio = 0.932) and availability of local food and fitness amenities (prevalence ratio = 0.889) were significantly associated with reduced obesity (P < 0.001). Findings suggest that policies to reduce obesity in urban environments must be informed by up-to-date surveillance data and may require a variety of initiatives that respond to both individual and contextual determinants of obesity.

Perceptions of the food shopping environment are associated with greater consumption of fruits and vegetables.

PubMed

Blitstein, Jonathan L; Snider, Jeremy; Evans, W Douglas

2012-06-01

The present study examined whether characteristics such as quality, selection and convenience are associated with dietary intake of fruits and vegetables independent of perceived costs in an inner-city, low-income population. Secondary analysis of baseline data from a social marketing intervention designed to change household dietary practices among parents of 3- to 7-year-old children. A community sample drawn from six low-income, primarily minority neighbourhoods in Chicago, IL, USA. From the parent study, 526 respondents completed the baseline survey and were eligible for inclusion. Of this number, 495 provided complete data on sociodemographic characteristics, fruit and vegetable consumption, perceptions of the shopping environment, perceived costs of fruits and vegetables, and food shopping habits. Logistic regression analysis showed that more positive perceptions of the food shopping environment were associated with greater consumption of fruits and vegetables. There was an increase of approximately twofold in the likelihood of consuming three or more fruits and vegetables daily per level of satisfaction ascribed to the shopping environment. This association was independent of perceived cost, store type and sociodemographic characteristics. Our data show that among a generally minority and low-income population, quality, selection and convenience are important determinants of fruit and vegetable consumption. Nutrition promotion campaigns that aim to alter the built environment by increasing access to fruits and vegetables should recognize that simply increasing availability may not yield beneficial change when characteristics of the shopping context are ignored.

Risk attitudes in a changing environment: An evolutionary model of the fourfold pattern of risk preferences.

PubMed

Mallpress, Dave E W; Fawcett, Tim W; Houston, Alasdair I; McNamara, John M

2015-04-01

A striking feature of human decision making is the fourfold pattern of risk attitudes, involving risk-averse behavior in situations of unlikely losses and likely gains, but risk-seeking behavior in response to likely losses and unlikely gains. Current theories to explain this pattern assume particular psychological processes to reproduce empirical observations, but do not address whether it is adaptive for the decision maker to respond to risk in this way. Here, drawing on insights from behavioral ecology, we build an evolutionary model of risk-sensitive behavior, to investigate whether particular types of environmental conditions could favor a fourfold pattern of risk attitudes. We consider an individual foraging in a changing environment, where energy is needed to prevent starvation and build up reserves for reproduction. The outcome, in terms of reproductive value (a rigorous measure of evolutionary success), of a one-off choice between a risky and a safe gain, or between a risky and a safe loss, determines the risk-sensitive behavior we should expect to see in this environment. Our results show that the fourfold pattern of risk attitudes may be adaptive in an environment in which conditions vary stochastically but are autocorrelated in time. In such an environment the current options provide information about the likely environmental conditions in the future, which affect the optimal pattern of risk sensitivity. Our model predicts that risk preferences should be both path dependent and affected by the decision maker's current state. (c) 2015 APA, all rights reserved).

Computerized in vitro test for chemical toxicity based on tetrahymena swimming patterns

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Noever, David A.; Matsos, Helen C.; Cronise, Raymond J.; Looger, Loren L.; Relwani, Rachna A.; Johnson, Jacqueline U.

1994-01-01

An apparatus and method for rapidly determining chemical toxicity was evaluated. The toxicity monitor includes an automated scoring of how motile biological cells (Tetrahymena pyriformis) slow down or otherwise change their swimming patterns in a hostile chemical environment. The device, called the Motility Assay Apparatus (MAA) is tested for 30 second determination of chemical toxicity in 20 aqueous samples containing trace organics and salts. With equal or better detection limits, results compare favorably to in vivo animal tests of eye irritancy, in addition to agreeing for all chemicals with previous manual evaluations of single cell motility.

Computerized In Vitro Test for Chemical Toxicity Based on Tetrahymena Swimming Patterns

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Noever, David A.; Matsos, Helen C.; Cronise, Raymond J.; Looger, Loren L.; Relwani, Rachna A.; Johnson, Jacqueline U.

1994-01-01

An apparatus and a method for rapidly determining chemical toxicity have been evaluated as an alternative to the rabbit eye initancy test (Draize). The toxicity monitor includes an automated scoring of how motile biological cells (Tetrahymena pyriformis) slow down or otherwise change their swimming patterns in a hostile chemical environment. The method, called the motility assay (MA), is tested for 30 s to determine the chemical toxicity in 20 aqueous samples containing trace organics and salts. With equal or better detection limits, results compare favorably to in vivo animal tests of eye irritancy.

Biorhythms and space experiments with nonhuman primates

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Winget, C. M.

1977-01-01

Man's response to exposure to spaceflight and weightlessness is expressed in physiological adjustments which involve his health and ability to function. The amplitude and periodicity of fluctuations in biological processes affect various functions and responses to provocative stimuli. Primates and other species are subjected to tests to determine the consequences of an altered biorhythm on work and performance, emotional stability, biomedical evaluation in space, the ability to cope with the unexpected, and susceptibility to infection, toxicity, radiation, drugs, and stress. Factors in the environment or operational setup which can change the physiological baseline must be determined and controlled.

Method for Assessment of Changes in the Width of Cracks in Cement Composites with Use of Computer Image Processing and Analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tomczak, Kamil; Jakubowski, Jacek; Fiołek, Przemysław

2017-06-01

Crack width measurement is an important element of research on the progress of self-healing cement composites. Due to the nature of this research, the method of measuring the width of cracks and their changes over time must meet specific requirements. The article presents a novel method of measuring crack width based on images from a scanner with an optical resolution of 6400 dpi, subject to initial image processing in the ImageJ development environment and further processing and analysis of results. After registering a series of images of the cracks at different times using SIFT conversion (Scale-Invariant Feature Transform), a dense network of line segments is created in all images, intersecting the cracks perpendicular to the local axes. Along these line segments, brightness profiles are extracted, which are the basis for determination of crack width. The distribution and rotation of the line of intersection in a regular layout, automation of transformations, management of images and profiles of brightness, and data analysis to determine the width of cracks and their changes over time are made automatically by own code in the ImageJ and VBA environment. The article describes the method, tests on its properties, sources of measurement uncertainty. It also presents an example of application of the method in research on autogenous self-healing of concrete, specifically the ability to reduce a sample crack width and its full closure within 28 days of the self-healing process.

Ecological niche models reveal the importance of climate variability for the biogeography of protosteloid amoebae

PubMed Central

Aguilar, María; Lado, Carlos

2012-01-01

Habitat availability and environmental preferences of species are among the most important factors in determining the success of dispersal processes and therefore in shaping the distribution of protists. We explored the differences in fundamental niches and potential distributions of an ecological guild of slime moulds—protosteloid amoebae—in the Iberian Peninsula. A large set of samples collected in a north-east to south-west transect of approximately 1000 km along the peninsula was used to test the hypothesis that, together with the existence of suitable microhabitats, climate conditions may determine the probability of survival of species. Although protosteloid amoebae share similar morphologies and life history strategies, canonical correspondence analyses showed that they have varied ecological optima, and that climate conditions have an important effect in niche differentiation. Maxent environmental niche models provided consistent predictions of the probability of presence of the species based on climate data, and they were used to generate maps of potential distribution in an ‘everything is everywhere' scenario. The most important climatic factors were, in both analyses, variables that measure changes in conditions throughout the year, confirming that the alternation of fruiting bodies, cysts and amoeboid stages in the life cycles of protosteloid amoebae constitutes an advantage for surviving in a changing environment. Microhabitat affinity seems to be influenced by climatic conditions, which suggests that the micro-environment may vary at a local scale and change together with the external climate at a larger scale. PMID:22402402

Ecological niche models reveal the importance of climate variability for the biogeography of protosteloid amoebae.

PubMed

Aguilar, María; Lado, Carlos

2012-08-01

Habitat availability and environmental preferences of species are among the most important factors in determining the success of dispersal processes and therefore in shaping the distribution of protists. We explored the differences in fundamental niches and potential distributions of an ecological guild of slime moulds-protosteloid amoebae-in the Iberian Peninsula. A large set of samples collected in a north-east to south-west transect of approximately 1000 km along the peninsula was used to test the hypothesis that, together with the existence of suitable microhabitats, climate conditions may determine the probability of survival of species. Although protosteloid amoebae share similar morphologies and life history strategies, canonical correspondence analyses showed that they have varied ecological optima, and that climate conditions have an important effect in niche differentiation. Maxent environmental niche models provided consistent predictions of the probability of presence of the species based on climate data, and they were used to generate maps of potential distribution in an 'everything is everywhere' scenario. The most important climatic factors were, in both analyses, variables that measure changes in conditions throughout the year, confirming that the alternation of fruiting bodies, cysts and amoeboid stages in the life cycles of protosteloid amoebae constitutes an advantage for surviving in a changing environment. Microhabitat affinity seems to be influenced by climatic conditions, which suggests that the micro-environment may vary at a local scale and change together with the external climate at a larger scale.

Isotope labeling to determine the dynamics of metabolic response in CHO cell perfusion bioreactors using MALDI-TOF-MS.

PubMed

Karst, Daniel J; Steinhoff, Robert F; Kopp, Marie R G; Soos, Miroslav; Zenobi, Renato; Morbidelli, Massimo

2017-11-01

The steady-state operation of Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells in perfusion bioreactors requires the equilibration of reactor dynamics and cell metabolism. Accordingly, in this work we investigate the transient cellular response to changes in its environment and their interactions with the bioreactor hydrodynamics. This is done in a benchtop perfusion bioreactor using MALDI-TOF MS through isotope labeling of complex intracellular nucleotides (ATP, UTP) and nucleotide sugars (UDP-Hex, UDP-HexNAc). By switching to a 13 C 6 glucose containing feed media during constant operation at 20 × 10 6 cells and a perfusion rate of 1 reactor volume per day, isotopic steady state was studied. A step change to the 13 C 6 glucose medium in spin tubes allowed the determination of characteristic times for the intracellular turnover of unlabeled metabolites pools, τST (≤0.56 days), which were confirmed in the bioreactor. On the other hand, it is shown that the reactor residence time τR (1 day) and characteristic time for glucose uptake τGlc (0.33 days), representative of the bioreactor dynamics, delayed the consumption of 13 C 6 glucose in the bioreactor and thus the intracellular 13 C enrichment. The proposed experimental approach allowed the decoupling of bioreactor hydrodynamics and intrinsic dynamics of cell metabolism in response to a change in the cell culture environment. © 2017 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Biotechnol. Prog., 33:1630-1639, 2017. © 2017 American Institute of Chemical Engineers.

Modeling {sup 15}N NMR chemical shift changes in protein backbone with pressure

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

La Penna, Giovanni, E-mail: glapenna@iccom.cnr.it; Mori, Yoshiharu, E-mail: ymori@ims.ac.jp; Kitahara, Ryo, E-mail: ryo@ph.ritsumei.ac.jp

2016-08-28

Nitrogen chemical shift is a useful parameter for determining the backbone three-dimensional structure of proteins. Empirical models for fast calculation of N chemical shift are improving their reliability, but there are subtle effects that cannot be easily interpreted. Among these, the effects of slight changes in hydrogen bonds, both intramolecular and with water molecules in the solvent, are particularly difficult to predict. On the other hand, these hydrogen bonds are sensitive to changes in protein environment. In this work, the change of N chemical shift with pressure for backbone segments in the protein ubiquitin is correlated with the change inmore » the population of hydrogen bonds involving the backbone amide group. The different extent of interaction of protein backbone with the water molecules in the solvent is put in evidence.« less

Observations on personnel dosimetry for radiotherapy personnel operating high-energy LINACs.

PubMed

Glasgow, G P; Eichling, J; Yoder, R C

1986-06-01

A series of measurements were conducted to determine the cause of a sudden increase in personnel radiation exposures. One objective of the measurements was to determine if the increases were related to changing from film dosimeters exchanged monthly to TLD-100 dosimeters exchanged quarterly. While small increases were observed in the dose equivalents of most employees, the dose equivalents of personnel operating medical electron linear accelerators with energies greater than 20 MV doubled coincidentally with the change in the personnel dosimeter program. The measurements indicated a small thermal neutron radiation component around the accelerators operated by these personnel. This component caused the doses measured with the TLD-100 dosimeters to be overstated. Therefore, the increase in these personnel dose equivalents was not due to changes in work habits or radiation environments. Either film or TLD-700 dosimeters would be suitable for personnel monitoring around high-energy linear accelerators. The final choice would depend on economics and personal preference.

Parental thermal environment alters offspring sex ratio and fitness in an oviparous lizard.

PubMed

Schwanz, Lisa E

2016-08-01

The environment experienced by parents can impact the phenotype of their offspring (parental effects), a critical component of organismal ecology and evolution in variable or changing environments. Although temperature is a central feature of the environment for ectotherms, its role in parental effects has been little explored until recently. Here, parental basking opportunity was manipulated in an oviparous lizard with temperature-dependent sex determination, the jacky dragon (Amphibolurus muricatus). Eggs were incubated at a temperature that typically produces a 50:50 sex ratio, and hatchlings were reared in a standard thermal environment. Offspring of parents in short bask conditions appeared to have better fitness outcomes in captive conditions than those of parents in long bask conditions - they had greater growth and survival as a function of their mass. In addition, the sex of offspring (male or female) depended on the interaction between parental treatment and egg mass, and treatment impacted whether sons or daughters grew larger in their first season. The interactive effects of treatment on offspring sex and growth are consistent with adaptive explanations for the existence of temperature-dependent sex determination in this species. Moreover, the greater performance recorded in short bask offspring may represent an anticipatory parental effect to aid offspring in predicted conditions of restricted thermal opportunity. Together, these responses constitute a crucial component of the population response to spatial or temporal variation in temperature. © 2016. Published by The Company of Biologists Ltd.

Effects of calcium in ash on the corrosion performance of Ni-based alloys in simulated oxy-fuel environment

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

Zeng, Z.; Natesan, K.; Cai, Z.

Increasing the efficiency of coal power plants requires raising the operating temperature above 650°C. However, coal ash can severely attack alloy materials at high temperature. For example, the corrosion rates of commercial Fe- and Ni-based alloys are generally greater than 2 mm/year at 750°C in the gas environment of oxy-fuel combustion. Thus, a critical study is needed to determine the effect of the constituents in the ash on corrosion and find an approach to reduce the corrosion rates in an ash-laden environment at high temperature. The role of CaO in the ash (typical of U.S. Western coal ash) has beenmore » investigated in laboratory exposure environments with various structural alloys. Detailed results are presented on weight change, scale thickness, internal penetration, microstructural characteristics of corrosion products, and the cracking of scales for the alloys after exposure at 750°C. The thermal stability of K3Al(SO4)3 under the environment of oxy-fuel combustion was determined by thermogravimetric analysis and differential thermal analysis. The reaction of this low melting temperature salt with the CaO-containing ash is discussed. In addition, we performed synchrotron nanobeam X-ray analysis to study the phase and chemical composition of the oxide layers on the alloy surface. Results from these studies are used to address the role of CaO in ash in the long-term corrosion performance of alloys.« less

Sexually antagonistic genetic variance for fitness in an ancestral and a novel environment.

PubMed

Delcourt, Matthieu; Blows, Mark W; Rundle, Howard D

2009-06-07

The intersex genetic correlation for fitness , a standardized measure of the degree to which male and female fitness covary genetically, has consequences for important evolutionary processes, but few estimates are available and none have explored how it changes with environment. Using a half-sibling breeding design, we estimated the genetic (co)variance matrix (G) for male and female fitness, and the resulting , in Drosophila serrata. Our estimates were performed in two environments: the laboratory yeast food to which the population was well adapted and a novel corn food. The major axis of genetic variation for fitness in the two environments, accounting for 51.3 per cent of the total genetic variation, was significant and revealed a strong signal of sexual antagonism, loading negatively in both environments on males but positively on females. Consequently, estimates of were negative in both environments (-0.34 and -0.73, respectively), indicating that the majority of genetic variance segregating in this population has contrasting effects on male and female fitness. The possible strengthening of the negative in this novel environment may be a consequence of no history of selection for amelioration of sexual conflict. Additional studies from a diverse range of novel environments will be needed to determine the generality of this finding.

The nurse work environment, job satisfaction and turnover rates in rural and urban nursing units.

PubMed

Baernholdt, Marianne; Mark, Barbara A

2009-12-01

The aim of the present study was to determine whether there are differences in hospital characteristics, nursing unit characteristics, the nurse work environment, job satisfaction and turnover rates in rural and urban nursing units. Research in urban hospitals has found an association between the nurse work environment and job satisfaction and turnover rates, but this association has not been examined in rural hospitals. Rural and urban nursing units were compared in a national random sample of 97 United States hospitals (194 nursing units) with between 99 and 450 beds. Significant differences were found between hospital and nursing unit characteristics and the nurse work environment in rural and urban nursing units. Both nursing unit characteristics and the work environment were found to have a significant influence on nurse job satisfaction and turnover rates. Job satisfaction and turnover rates in rural and urban nursing units are associated with both nursing unit characteristics and the work environment. Both rural and urban hospitals can improve nurse job satisfaction and turnover rates by changing unit characteristics, such as creating better support services and a work environment that supports autonomous nursing practice. Rural hospitals can also improve the work environment by providing nurses with more educational opportunities.

Porter's generic strategies, discontinuous environments, and performance: a longitudinal study of changing strategies in the hospital industry.

PubMed Central

Lamont, B T; Marlin, D; Hoffman, J J

1993-01-01

OBJECTIVE. Changes in generic strategies in response to discontinuous environments have been relatively ignored in the management literature. This study reports an examination of the relationships between Porter's (1980) generic strategies, discontinuous environments, and performance. DATA SOURCES. Archival data for 1984 and 1988 were collected for 172 acute care hospitals in Florida in order to test these relationships. STUDY DESIGN. To examine fully the performance impact of changes in strategy in a discontinuous environment, a longitudinal research design that identified a firm's strategy at two points in time, 1984 and 1988, was used. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS. Results indicate that firms with a proper strategy environment fit performed the highest, firms that did not change their strategy had no change in performance, and firms that changed their strategy toward a proper strategy environment showed an increase in performance. CONCLUSION. Findings support the notion that hospitals with appropriate strategy-environment combinations will exhibit higher performance. PMID:8270424

Nutrition in space - Evidence from the U.S. and the U.S.S.R

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lane, Helen W.

1992-01-01

Space flight exposes humans to a hostile, stressful environment as well as to the weightlessness associated with microgravity. The stresses of space travel affect nutritional balance, as evidenced by interrelated changes in body composition, energy utilization, and endocrine function. The limited data gathered thus far suggest that space flight incurs acute decreases in fluid mass and chronic, ongoing changes in muscle and bone mass. Concurrent with these changes is an increase in energy used per unit body mass. Other preliminary data suggest that bed rest and space flight may incur increased sensitivity to insulin. Further research is needed to determine the human energy and protein requirements for space, as well as a means of quantifying changes in body composition during extended-duration space flight.

The evolutionary time machine: forecasting how populations can adapt to changing environments using dormant propagules

PubMed Central

Orsini, Luisa; Schwenk, Klaus; De Meester, Luc; Colbourne, John K.; Pfrender, Michael E.; Weider, Lawrence J.

2013-01-01

Evolutionary changes are determined by a complex assortment of ecological, demographic and adaptive histories. Predicting how evolution will shape the genetic structures of populations coping with current (and future) environmental challenges has principally relied on investigations through space, in lieu of time, because long-term phenotypic and molecular data are scarce. Yet, dormant propagules in sediments, soils and permafrost are convenient natural archives of population-histories from which to trace adaptive trajectories along extended time periods. DNA sequence data obtained from these natural archives, combined with pioneering methods for analyzing both ecological and population genomic time-series data, are likely to provide predictive models to forecast evolutionary responses of natural populations to environmental changes resulting from natural and anthropogenic stressors, including climate change. PMID:23395434

Apparatus and methods for determining at least one characteristic of a proximate environment

DOEpatents

Novascone, Stephen R.; West, Phillip B.; Anderson, Michael J.

2008-04-15

Methods and an apparatus for determining at least one characteristic of an environment are disclosed. A vibrational energy may be imparted into an environment and a magnitude of damping of the vibrational energy may be measured and at least one characteristic of the environment may be determined. Particularly, a vibratory source may be operated and coupled to an environment. At least one characteristic of the environment may be determined based on a shift in at least one steady-state frequency of oscillation of the vibratory source. An apparatus may include at least one vibratory source and a structure for positioning the at least one vibratory source proximate to an environment. Further, the apparatus may include an analysis device for determining at least one characteristic of the environment based at least partially upon shift in a steady-state oscillation frequency of the vibratory source for the given impetus.

Testing high brightness LEDs relative to application environment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Singer, Jeffrey; Mangum, Scott; Lundberg, John

2006-08-01

Application of light emitting diodes is expanding as the luminous output and efficiencies of these devices improve. At the same time, the number of LED package types is increasing, making it challenging to determine the appropriate device for use in lighting product designs. A range of factors should be considered when selecting a LED for an application including color coordinates, luminous efficacy, cost, lumen maintenance, application life, packaging and manufacturability. Additional complexities can be introduced as LED packages become obsolete and replacement parts must be selected. The replacement LED characteristics must be understood and assessed against the parameters of the original device, in order to determine if the change will be relatively simple or will force other end-product changes. While some characteristics are readily measured and compared, other factors, such as lumen maintenance, are difficult to verify. This paper will discuss the characteristics of a LED that should be considered during the design process as well as methods to validate these characteristics, particularly those which are not typically on data sheets or, are critical to the design and warrant additional validation. Particular attention will be given to LED lumen maintenance. While published manufacturer data typically provides temperature versus performance curves, the data may not be useful depending upon the application's operating environment. Models must be created to estimate the LED's junction temperature and degradation curve at the applied temperature in order to develop a more precise life estimate. This paper presents one approach to a LED device life and performance study designed with application environments in mind.

Physiological mechanisms underlying animal social behaviour.

PubMed

Seebacher, Frank; Krause, Jens

2017-08-19

Many species of animal live in groups, and the group represents the organizational level within which ecological and evolutionary processes occur. Understanding these processes, therefore, relies on knowledge of the mechanisms that permit or constrain group formation. We suggest that physiological capacities and differences in physiology between individuals modify fission-fusion dynamics. Differences between individuals in locomotor capacity and metabolism may lead to fission of groups and sorting of individuals into groups with similar physiological phenotypes. Environmental impacts such as hypoxia can influence maximum group sizes and structure in fish schools by altering access to oxygenated water. The nutritional environment determines group cohesion, and the increase in information collected by the group means that individuals should rely more on social information and form more cohesive groups in uncertain environments. Changing environmental contexts require rapid responses by individuals to maintain group coordination, which are mediated by neuroendocrine signalling systems such as nonapeptides and steroid hormones. Brain processing capacity may constrain social complexity by limiting information processing. Failure to evaluate socially relevant information correctly limits social interactions, which is seen, for example, in autism. Hence, functioning of a group relies to a large extent on the perception and appropriate processing of signals from conspecifics. Many if not all physiological systems are mechanistically linked, and therefore have synergistic effects on social behaviour. A challenge for the future lies in understanding these interactive effects, which will improve understanding of group dynamics, particularly in changing environments.This article is part of the themed issue 'Physiological determinants of social behaviour in animals'. © 2017 The Author(s).

Physiological mechanisms underlying animal social behaviour

PubMed Central

2017-01-01

Many species of animal live in groups, and the group represents the organizational level within which ecological and evolutionary processes occur. Understanding these processes, therefore, relies on knowledge of the mechanisms that permit or constrain group formation. We suggest that physiological capacities and differences in physiology between individuals modify fission–fusion dynamics. Differences between individuals in locomotor capacity and metabolism may lead to fission of groups and sorting of individuals into groups with similar physiological phenotypes. Environmental impacts such as hypoxia can influence maximum group sizes and structure in fish schools by altering access to oxygenated water. The nutritional environment determines group cohesion, and the increase in information collected by the group means that individuals should rely more on social information and form more cohesive groups in uncertain environments. Changing environmental contexts require rapid responses by individuals to maintain group coordination, which are mediated by neuroendocrine signalling systems such as nonapeptides and steroid hormones. Brain processing capacity may constrain social complexity by limiting information processing. Failure to evaluate socially relevant information correctly limits social interactions, which is seen, for example, in autism. Hence, functioning of a group relies to a large extent on the perception and appropriate processing of signals from conspecifics. Many if not all physiological systems are mechanistically linked, and therefore have synergistic effects on social behaviour. A challenge for the future lies in understanding these interactive effects, which will improve understanding of group dynamics, particularly in changing environments. This article is part of the themed issue ‘Physiological determinants of social behaviour in animals’. PMID:28673909

Uranium Biomineralization By Natural Microbial Phosphatase Activities in the Subsurface

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

Taillefert, Martial

This project investigated the geochemical and microbial processes associated with the biomineralization of radionuclides in subsurface soils. During this study, it was determined that microbial communities from the Oak Ridge Field Research subsurface are able to express phosphatase activities that hydrolyze exogenous organophosphate compounds and result in the non-reductive bioimmobilization of U(VI) phosphate minerals in both aerobic and anaerobic conditions. The changes of the microbial community structure associated with the biomineralization of U(VI) was determined to identify the main organisms involved in the biomineralization process, and the complete genome of two isolates was sequenced. In addition, it was determined thatmore » both phytate, the main source of natural organophosphate compounds in natural environments, and polyphosphate accumulated in cells could also be hydrolyzed by native microbial population to liberate enough orthophosphate and precipitate uranium phosphate minerals. Finally, the minerals produced during this process are stable in low pH conditions or environments where the production of dissolved inorganic carbon is moderate. These findings suggest that the biomineralization of U(VI) phosphate minerals is an attractive bioremediation strategy to uranium bioreduction in low pH uranium-contaminated environments. These efforts support the goals of the SBR long-term performance measure by providing key information on "biological processes influencing the form and mobility of DOE contaminants in the subsurface".« less

The genetics of human longevity: an intricacy of genes, environment, culture and microbiome.

PubMed

Dato, Serena; Rose, Giuseppina; Crocco, Paolina; Monti, Daniela; Garagnani, Paolo; Franceschi, Claudio; Passarino, Giuseppe

2017-07-01

Approximately one-quarter of the variation in lifespan in developed countries can be attributed to genetic factors. However, even large population based studies investigating genetic influence on human lifespan have been disappointing, identifying only a few genes accounting for genetic susceptibility to longevity. Some environmental and lifestyle determinants associated with longevity have been identified, which interplay with genetic factors in an intricate way. The study of gene-environment and gene-gene interactions can significantly improve our chance to disentangle this complex scenario. In this review, we first describe the most recent approaches for genetic studies of longevity, from those enriched with health parameters and frailty measures to pathway-based and SNP-SNP interaction analyses. Then, we go deeper into the concept of "environmental influences" in human aging and longevity, focusing on the contribution of life style changes, social and cultural influences, as important determinants of survival differences among individuals in a population. Finally, we discuss the contribution of the microbiome in human longevity, as an example of complex interaction between organism and environment. In conclusion, evidences collected from the latest studies on human longevity provide a support for the collection of life-long genetic and environmental/lifestyle variables with beneficial or detrimental effects on health, to improve our understanding of the determinants of human lifespan. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Transforming the Twenty-First-Century Campus to Enhance the Net-Generation Student Learning Experience: Using Evidence-Based Design to Determine What Works and Why in Virtual/Physical Teaching Spaces

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fisher, Kenn; Newton, Clare

2014-01-01

The twenty-first century has seen the rapid emergence of wireless broadband and mobile communications devices which are inexorably changing the way people communicate, collaborate, create and transfer knowledge. Yet many higher education campus learning environments were designed and built in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries prior to…

Changes in and the Relationship between Language Learning Motivation and Self-Concept in 11-14 Year-Old Students in Hungary: A Longitudinal Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Péter-Szarka, Szilvia

2012-01-01

Motivation to learn foreign languages is a significant determinant of successful language acquisition. The subject has been widely researched in the past, and since the early 1990s a great deal of empirical research related to the classroom environment has been proposed to expand theory into everyday classroom practice. I present an empirical,…

Lunar paleointensities via the IRMs normalization method and the early magnetic history of the moon. [saturation remanence

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cisowski, S. M.; Fuller, M.

1986-01-01

A method for determining a planetary body's magnetic field environment over time is proposed. This relative paleointensity method is based on the normalization of natural remanence to saturation remanence magnetization as measured after each sample is exposed to a strong magnetic field. It is shown that this method is well suited to delineating order-of-magnitude changes in magnetizing fields.

Illustrative Projections of World Populations to the 21st Century. Current Population Reports, Special Studies Series P-23, No. 79.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Moore, Maurice J., Ed.; O'Connell, Martin, Ed.

The document presents high, medium, and low projections of the world's population for the year 2000. The objective of the study is to determine demands on natural resources and the environment which will be brought about by changes in the world's population. The document is presented in three major sections. Section I provides an overview of the…

A Model for Determining Optimal Governance Structure in DoD Acquisition Projects in a Performance-Based Environment

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-03-09

task stability, technology application certainty, risk, and transaction-specific investments impact the selection of the optimal mode of governance...technology application certainty, risk, and transaction-specific investments impact the selection of the optimal mode of governance. Our model views...U.S. Defense Industry. The 1990s were a perfect storm of technological change, consolidation , budget downturns, environmental uncertainty, and the

Radioisotope Concentration in Lake Sediments of Maracaibo, Venezuela

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

Salas, A. Rangel; Viloria, T.; Sajo-Bohus, L.

2007-10-26

Maracaibo Lake is one of the most important water basing and oil producing regions in Venezuela. Changes in the local environment have been monitored for chemical pollution in the past. For this study we selected a set of sediment samples collected in the shore and analyzed for its radioisotope content. Results show the gamma emitting isotopes distribution. Isotopes concentrations have been determined within the natural K, Th and U families.

Psychological Adaptation to Extreme Environments: Effects of Team Composition on Individual Adaptation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wood, J.; Hysong, S. J.; Lugg, D. J.; Harm, D. L.

1999-01-01

This study is part of an ongoing program of research examining the psychological effects of isolation and confinement on individual adaptation, productivity and group relations in Antarctic winter personnel. This environment is used as an analogue for long-duration space mission scenarios, such as a space station sojourn, or a mission to Mars. Earlier results from this and other environments have demonstrated that: (1) most changes in psychological well-being are event-related and of relatively short duration; and (2) the greatest problem facing most individuals is interpersonal conflict. Content analysis of responses to open-ended questions has identified the numerous enjoyable aspects of Antarctic living, and confirmed that many of the problems reported were interpersonal in nature, and that problems varied significantly by station. Current work is exploring the effects of team assignment on the self-reported psychological changes and self-evaluations of members of isolated teams. This work includes identifying the dimensions by which subjects determine how well they are functioning. These dimensions (e.g., work, social life, internal emotional state) appear to play an important role in how subjects evaluate many aspects of life in isolation.

Experimental evolution of protein–protein interaction networks

PubMed Central

Kaçar, Betül; Gaucher, Eric A.

2013-01-01

The modern synthesis of evolutionary theory and genetics has enabled us to discover underlying molecular mechanisms of organismal evolution. We know that in order to maximize an organism's fitness in a particular environment, individual interactions among components of protein and nucleic acid networks need to be optimized by natural selection, or sometimes through random processes, as the organism responds to changes and/or challenges in the environment. Despite the significant role of molecular networks in determining an organism's adaptation to its environment, we still do not know how such inter- and intra-molecular interactions within networks change over time and contribute to an organism's evolvability while maintaining overall network functions. One way to address this challenge is to identify connections between molecular networks and their host organisms, to manipulate these connections, and then attempt to understand how such perturbations influence molecular dynamics of the network and thus influence evolutionary paths and organismal fitness. In the present review, we discuss how integrating evolutionary history with experimental systems that combine tools drawn from molecular evolution, synthetic biology and biochemistry allow us to identify the underlying mechanisms of organismal evolution, particularly from the perspective of protein interaction networks. PMID:23849056

Dynamic control of a moving platform using the CAREN system to optimize walking in virtual reality environments.

PubMed

Makssoud, Hassan El; Richards, Carol L; Comeau, François

2009-01-01

Virtual reality (VR) technology offers the opportunity to expose patients to complex physical environments without physical danger and thus provides a wide range of opportunities for locomotor training or the study of human postural and walking behavior. A VR-based locomotor training system has been developed for gait rehabilitation post-stroke. A clinical study has shown that persons after stroke are able to adapt and benefit from this novel system wherein they walk into virtual environments (VEs) on a self-paced treadmill mounted on a platform with 6 degrees of freedom. This platform is programmed to mimic changes in the terrain encountered in the VEs. While engaging in these VEs, excessive trunk movements and speed alterations have been observed, especially during the pitch perturbations accompanying uphill or downhill terrain changes. An in-depth study of the subject's behavior in relation to the platform movements revealed that the platform rotational axes need to be modified, as previously shown by Barton et al, and in addition did not consider the subject's position on the treadmill. The aim of this study was to determine an optimal solution to simulate walking in real life when engaging in VEs.

Effects of the low Earth orbit space environment on the surface chemistry of Kapton polyimide film: An XPS study

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lee, Myung; Rooney, William; Whiteside, James

1992-01-01

Kapton H (DuPont Trademark) polyimide specimens exposed to the low earth (LEO) space environment suffered significant weathering with surface erosions of approximately 8.0 microns. Despite these effects, no significant changes in bulk chemistry were observed. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) was used to determine local changes induced from approximately 25 percent in 1980 vintage ground control specimens to nearly 53 percent in space exposed specimens. The greatest increase was observed for the divalent oxygen moieties, although a slight increase in carbonyl oxygen was also measured. Furthermore, the chemical shifts of all XPS peaks of space-exposed Kapton are shifted to higher energy. This is consistent with a higher oxidation state of the space exposed surface. Finally, space exposed specimens had distinct silicon peaks (2p 100 eV and 2s 149 eV) in their XPS spectra in agreement with widespread reports of silicon contamination throughout the LDEF satellite. These results are discussed in terms of surface reactivity of the polyimide exposed to the LEO environment and the chemical nature of contaminants deposited on flight surfaces due to satellite outgassing.

Natural selection on thermal preference, critical thermal maxima and locomotor performance.

PubMed

Gilbert, Anthony L; Miles, Donald B

2017-08-16

Climate change is resulting in a radical transformation of the thermal quality of habitats across the globe. Whereas species have altered their distributions to cope with changing environments, the evidence for adaptation in response to rising temperatures is limited. However, to determine the potential of adaptation in response to thermal variation, we need estimates of the magnitude and direction of natural selection on traits that are assumed to increase persistence in warmer environments. Most inferences regarding physiological adaptation are based on interspecific analyses, and those of selection on thermal traits are scarce. Here, we estimate natural selection on major thermal traits used to assess the vulnerability of ectothermic organisms to altered thermal niches. We detected significant directional selection favouring lizards with higher thermal preferences and faster sprint performance at their optimal temperature. Our analyses also revealed correlational selection between thermal preference and critical thermal maxima, where individuals that preferred warmer body temperatures with cooler critical thermal maxima were favoured by selection. Recent published estimates of heritability for thermal traits suggest that, in concert with the strong selective pressures we demonstrate here, evolutionary adaptation may promote long-term persistence of ectotherms in altered thermal environments. © 2017 The Author(s).

[Measurement model of carbon emission from forest fire: a review].

PubMed

Hu, Hai-Qing; Wei, Shu-Jing; Jin, Sen; Sun, Long

2012-05-01

Forest fire is the main disturbance factor for forest ecosystem, and an important pathway of the decrease of vegetation- and soil carbon storage. Large amount of carbonaceous gases in forest fire can release into atmosphere, giving remarkable impacts on the atmospheric carbon balance and global climate change. To scientifically and effectively measure the carbonaceous gases emission from forest fire is of importance in understanding the significance of forest fire in the carbon balance and climate change. This paper reviewed the research progress in the measurement model of carbon emission from forest fire, which covered three critical issues, i. e., measurement methods of forest fire-induced total carbon emission and carbonaceous gases emission, affecting factors and measurement parameters of measurement model, and cause analysis of the uncertainty in the measurement of the carbon emissions. Three path selections to improve the quantitative measurement of the carbon emissions were proposed, i. e., using high resolution remote sensing data and improving algorithm and estimation accuracy of burned area in combining with effective fuel measurement model to improve the accuracy of the estimated fuel load, using high resolution remote sensing images combined with indoor controlled environment experiments, field measurements, and field ground surveys to determine the combustion efficiency, and combining indoor controlled environment experiments with field air sampling to determine the emission factors and emission ratio.

Population density, distance to public transportation, and health of women in low-income neighborhoods.

PubMed

DeGuzman, Pamela B; Merwin, Elizabeth I; Bourguignon, Cheryl

2013-01-01

The purpose of this research was to determine the impact of two neighborhood walkability (the extent to which the built environment is pedestrian friendly) metrics on health outcomes of women living in low-income urban neighborhoods, both before and after accounting for individual and neighborhood factors. A cross-sectional, retrospective design was used. The sample of 1800 low-income women was drawn from Welfare, Children and Families: A Three-City Study (a study of low-income women from three U.S. cities). Using multilevel modeling and geographic information systems, the study sought to determine the effect of distance to public transportation and residential density on health status, mental health symptoms, and health-related limitations. No significant relationship was found between the two walkability metrics and health outcomes. Instead, neighborhood problems that affect crime and safety impacted health status and mental health symptoms. As cities make changes to the built environment with the hope of affecting residents' health outcomes, public health nurses need to be aware that changing walkability characteristics in a neighborhood may not affect the health of residents of high crime, low-income neighborhoods. Without first addressing neighborhood crime, efforts to improve walkability in low-income neighborhoods may fail. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Optical Mass Gauging System for Measuring Liquid Levels in a Reduced Gravity Environment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sullenberger, Ryan M.; Munoz, Wesley M.; Lyon, Matt P.; Vogel, Kenny; Yalin, Azer P.; Korman, Valentin; Polzin, Kurt A.

2010-01-01

A compact and rugged fiber-coupled liquid volume sensor designed for flight on a sounding rocket platform is presented. The sensor consists of a Mach-Zehnder interferometer capable of measuring the amount of liquid contained in a tank under any gravitational conditions, including a microgravity environment, by detecting small changes in the index of refraction of the gas contained within a sensing region. By monitoring changes in the interference fringe pattern as the system undergoes a small compression provided by a piston, the ullage volume of a tank can be directly measured allowing for a determination of the liquid volume. To demonstrate the technique, data are acquired using two tanks containing different volumes of liquid, which are representative of the levels of liquid in a tank at different time periods during a mission. The two tanks are independently exposed to the measurement apparatus, allowing for a determination of the liquid level in each. In a controlled, laboratory test of the unit, the system demonstrated a capability of measuring a liquid level in an individual tank of 10.53 mL with a 2% error. The overall random uncertainty for the flight system is higher than that one test, at +/- 1.5 mL.

Essays on economic development, energy demand, and the environment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Medlock, Kenneth Barry, III

2000-10-01

The rapid expansion of industry at the outset of economic development and the subsequent growth of the transportation and residential and commercial sectors dictate both the rate at which energy demand increases and the composition of primary fuel sources used to meet secondary requirements. Each of these factors each has an impact on the pollution problems that nations may face. Growth in consumer wealth, however, appears to eventually lead to a shift in priorities. In particular, the importance of the environment begins to take precedent over the acquisition of goods. Accordingly, cleaner energy alternatives are sought out. The approach taken here is to determine the energy profile of an average nation, and apply those results to a model of economic growth. Dematerialization of production and saturation of consumer bundles results in declining rates of growth of energy demand in broadly defined end-use sectors. The effects of technological change in fossil fuel efficiency, fossil fuel recovery, and 'backstop' energy resources on economic growth and the emissions of carbon dioxide are then analyzed. A central planner is assumed to optimize the consumption of goods and services subject to capital and resource constraints. Slight perturbations in the parameters are used to determine their local elasticities with respect to different endogenous variables, and give an indication of the effects of changes in the various assumptions.

Adapting to a Changing Environment: Modeling the Interaction of Directional Selection and Plasticity.

PubMed

Nunney, Leonard

2016-01-01

Human-induced habitat loss and fragmentation constrains the range of many species, making them unable to respond to climate change by moving. For such species to avoid extinction, they must respond with some combination of phenotypic plasticity and genetic adaptation. Haldane's "cost of natural selection" limits the rate of adaptation, but, although modeling has shown that in very large populations long-term adaptation can be maintained at rates substantially faster than Haldane's suggested limit, maintaining large populations is often an impossibility, so phenotypic plasticity may be crucial in enhancing the long-term survival of small populations. The potential importance of plasticity is in "buying time" for populations subject to directional environmental change: if genotypes can encompass a greater environmental range, then populations can maintain high fitness for a longer period of time. Alternatively, plasticity could be detrimental by lessening the effectiveness of natural selection in promoting genetic adaptation. Here, I modeled a directionally changing environment in which a genotype's adaptive phenotypic plasticity is centered around the environment where its fitness is highest. Plasticity broadens environmental tolerance and, provided it is not too costly, is favored by natural selection. However, a paradoxical result of the individually advantageous spread of plasticity is that, unless the adaptive trait is determined by very few loci, the long-term extinction risk of a population increases. This effect reflects a conflict between the short-term individual benefit of plasticity and a long-term detriment to population persistence, adding to the multiple threats facing small populations under conditions of climate change. © The American Genetic Association. 2015. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

The impact of galactic disc environment on star-forming clouds

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nguyen, Ngan K.; Pettitt, Alex R.; Tasker, Elizabeth J.; Okamoto, Takashi

2018-03-01

We explore the effect of different galactic disc environments on the properties of star-forming clouds through variations in the background potential in a set of isolated galaxy simulations. Rising, falling, and flat rotation curves expected in halo-dominated, disc-dominated, and Milky Way-like galaxies were considered, with and without an additional two-arm spiral potential. The evolution of each disc displayed notable variations that are attributed to different regimes of stability, determined by shear and gravitational collapse. The properties of a typical cloud were largely unaffected by the changes in rotation curve, but the production of small and large cloud associations was strongly dependent on this environment. This suggests that while differing rotation curves can influence where clouds are initially formed, the average bulk properties are effectively independent of the global environment. The addition of a spiral perturbation made the greatest difference to cloud properties, successfully sweeping the gas into larger, seemingly unbound, extended structures and creating large arm-interarm contrasts.

The effects of simulated space environmental parameters on six commercially available composite materials

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Funk, Joan G.; Sykes, George F., Jr.

1989-01-01

The effects of simulated space environmental parameters on microdamage induced by the environment in a series of commercially available graphite-fiber-reinforced composite materials were determined. Composites with both thermoset and thermoplastic resin systems were studied. Low-Earth-Orbit (LEO) exposures were simulated by thermal cycling; geosynchronous-orbit (GEO) exposures were simulated by electron irradiation plus thermal cycling. The thermal cycling temperature range was -250 F to either 200 F or 150 F. The upper limits of the thermal cycles were different to ensure that an individual composite material was not cycled above its glass transition temperature. Material response was characterized through assessment of the induced microcracking and its influence on mechanical property changes at both room temperature and -250 F. Microdamage was induced in both thermoset and thermoplastic advanced composite materials exposed to the simulated LEO environment. However, a 350 F cure single-phase toughened epoxy composite was not damaged during exposure to the LEO environment. The simuated GEO environment produced microdamage in all materials tested.

What is needed to understand feedback mechanisms from agricultural and climate changes that can alter the hydrological system and the transport of sediments and agricultural chemicals?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Coupe, Richard; Payraudeau, Sylvain; Babcsányi, Izabella; Imfeld, Gwenaël

2015-04-01

Modern agriculture activities are constantly changing as producers try to produce a crop, keep their soils fertile, control pests, and prevent contamination of air and water resources. Because most of the world's arable land is already in production we must become more efficient if we are to feed and clothe the world's growing population as well as do this in a sustainable manner; leaving a legacy of fertile soil and clean water resources for our descendants. The objective of this paper is to demonstrate the importance of historical datasets and of developing new strategies to understand the effects of changing agricultural systems on the environment. Scientists who study agriculture and its effects on water must constantly adapt their strategies and evaluate how changing agricultural activities impact the environment. As well as understand from historical datasets on hydrology and agriculture how a changing climate or agricultural activity such as a change in tillage method might impact the processes that determine the movement of agricultural chemicals off of the target site. The 42.7 ha Hohrain (Rouffach, Alsace, France) vineyard experimental catchment offers several examples of how scientists have used historical data from this catchment to understand how the transport of agricultural chemicals may change due to a changing climate as well as how new strategies are developed for understanding the transport of agricultural chemicals. Runoff is a major process of pesticide transport from agricultural land to downstream aquatic ecosystems. The impact of rainfall characteristics on the transport of runoff-related pesticides is crucial to understanding how to prevent or minimize their movement now, but also in understanding how climate change might affect runoff. If we understand how rainfall characteristics affect the transport of pesticides, we can use climate change models to predict how those characteristics might change in the future and be better prepared for those changes. Recent analytical developments in the stable isotope analysis techniques have allowed the use of Cu isotopes as a tool to better understand the fate of copper in the environment. Copper (Cu) has long been used in agriculture mainly as a fungicide authorized in organic farming. Vineyards may become Cu-contaminated because large quantities of Cu are applied yearly (up to 6 kg ha-1 in the European Union) resulting in topsoil Cu concentrations in vineyards of 15 to 3200 mg/kg. Large amounts of Cu are removed from agricultural land by runoff and erosion, and this Cu may eventually contaminate aquatic ecosystems. The stable isotopes of Cu (65Cu/63Cu) are potentially powerful geochemical tracers for transport and transformation processes of anthropogenic Cu. Proof of concept work is underway in the Rouffach catchment to determine if the stable isotopes of Cu can be useful in understanding how changes in hydrology affect the transport of metals.

Thunderstorm-environment interactions determined with three-dimensional trajectories

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wilson, G. S.

1980-01-01

Diagnostically determined three dimensional trajectories were used to reveal some of the scale interaction processes that occur between convective storms and their environment. Data from NASA's fourth Atmospheric Variability Experiment are analyzed. Two intense squall lines and numerous reports of severe weather occurred during the period. Convective storm systems with good temporal and spatial continuity are shown to be related to the development and movement of short wave circulation systems aloft that propagate eastward within a zonal mid tropospheric wind pattern. These short wave systems are found to produce the potential instability and dynamic triggering needed for thunderstorm formation. The environmental flow patterns, relative to convective storm systems, are shown to produce large upward air parcel movements in excess of 50 mb/3h in the immediate vicinity of the storms. The air undergoing strong lifting originates as potentially unstable low level air traveling into the storm environment from southern and southwestern directions. The thermo and hydrodynamical processes that lead to changes in atmospheric structure before, during, and after convective storm formation are described using total time derivatives of pressure or net vertical displacement, potential temperature, and vector wind calculated by following air parcels.

Variability in primary productivity determines metapopulation dynamics

PubMed Central

2016-01-01

Temporal variability in primary productivity can change habitat quality for consumer species by affecting the energy levels available as food resources. However, it remains unclear how habitat-quality fluctuations may determine the dynamics of spatially structured populations, where the effects of habitat size, quality and isolation have been customarily assessed assuming static habitats. We present the first empirical evaluation on the effects of stochastic fluctuations in primary productivity—a major outcome of ecosystem functions—on the metapopulation dynamics of a primary consumer. A unique 13-year dataset from an herbivore rodent was used to test the hypothesis that inter-annual variations in primary productivity determine spatiotemporal habitat occupancy patterns and colonization and extinction processes. Inter-annual variability in productivity and in the growing season phenology significantly influenced habitat colonization patterns and occupancy dynamics. These effects lead to changes in connectivity to other potentially occupied habitat patches, which then feed back into occupancy dynamics. According to the results, the dynamics of primary productivity accounted for more than 50% of the variation in occupancy probability, depending on patch size and landscape configuration. Evidence connecting primary productivity dynamics and spatiotemporal population processes has broad implications for metapopulation persistence in fluctuating and changing environments. PMID:27053739

Variability in primary productivity determines metapopulation dynamics.

PubMed

Fernández, Néstor; Román, Jacinto; Delibes, Miguel

2016-04-13

Temporal variability in primary productivity can change habitat quality for consumer species by affecting the energy levels available as food resources. However, it remains unclear how habitat-quality fluctuations may determine the dynamics of spatially structured populations, where the effects of habitat size, quality and isolation have been customarily assessed assuming static habitats. We present the first empirical evaluation on the effects of stochastic fluctuations in primary productivity--a major outcome of ecosystem functions--on the metapopulation dynamics of a primary consumer. A unique 13-year dataset from an herbivore rodent was used to test the hypothesis that inter-annual variations in primary productivity determine spatiotemporal habitat occupancy patterns and colonization and extinction processes. Inter-annual variability in productivity and in the growing season phenology significantly influenced habitat colonization patterns and occupancy dynamics. These effects lead to changes in connectivity to other potentially occupied habitat patches, which then feed back into occupancy dynamics. According to the results, the dynamics of primary productivity accounted for more than 50% of the variation in occupancy probability, depending on patch size and landscape configuration. Evidence connecting primary productivity dynamics and spatiotemporal population processes has broad implications for metapopulation persistence in fluctuating and changing environments. © 2016 The Authors.

Induced Environment Contamination Monitor (IECM), air sampler - Results from the Space Transport System (STS-2) flight

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Peters, P. N.; Hester, H. B.; Bertsch, W.; Mayfield, H.; Zatko, D.

1983-01-01

An investigation involving sampling the rapidly changing environment of the Shuttle cargo bay is considered. Four time-integrated samples and one rapid acquisition sample were collected to determine the types and quantities of contaminants present during ascent and descent of the Shuttle. The sampling times for the various bottles were controlled by valves operated by the Data Acquisition and Control System (DACS) of the IECM. Many of the observed species were found to be common solvents used in cleaning surfaces. When the actual volume sampled is taken into account, the relative mass of organics sampled during descent is about 20 percent less than during ascent.

Surveillance and Monitoring Program Full-Scale Experiments to Evaluate the Potential for Corrosion in 3013 Containers

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

Narlesky, Joshua Edward; Berg, John M.; Duque, Juan

A set of six long-term, full-scale experiments were initiated to determine the type and extent of corrosion that occurs in 3013 containers packaged with chloride-bearing plutonium oxide materials. The materials were exposed to a high relative humidity environment representative of actual packaging conditions for the materials in storage. The materials were sealed in instrumented, inner 3013 containers with corrosion specimens designed to test the corrosiveness of the environment inside the containers under various conditions. This report focuses on initial loading conditions that are used to establish a baseline to show how the conditions change throughout the storage lifetime of themore » containers.« less

Using scenario analysis to determine managed care strategy.

PubMed

Krentz, S E; Gish, R S

2000-09-01

In today's volatile healthcare environment, traditional planning tools are inadequate to guide financial managers of provider organizations in developing managed care strategies. These tools often disregard the uncertainty surrounding market forces such as employee benefit structure, the future of Medicare managed care, and the impact of consumer behavior. Scenario analysis overcomes this limitation by acknowledging the uncertain healthcare environment and articulating a set of plausible alternative futures, thus supplying financial executives with the perspective to craft strategies that can improve the market position of their organizations. By being alert for trigger points that might signal the rise of a specific scenario, financial managers can increase their preparedness for changes in market forces.

Gene-Diet Interaction and Precision Nutrition in Obesity

PubMed Central

Heianza, Yoriko; Qi, Lu

2017-01-01

The rapid rise of obesity during the past decades has coincided with a profound shift of our living environment, including unhealthy dietary patterns, a sedentary lifestyle, and physical inactivity. Genetic predisposition to obesity may have interacted with such an obesogenic environment in determining the obesity epidemic. Growing studies have found that changes in adiposity and metabolic response to low-calorie weight loss diets might be modified by genetic variants related to obesity, metabolic status and preference to nutrients. This review summarized data from recent studies of gene-diet interactions, and discussed integration of research of metabolomics and gut microbiome, as well as potential application of the findings in precision nutrition. PMID:28387720

Bivalve aquaculture-environment interactions in the context of climate change.

PubMed

Filgueira, Ramón; Guyondet, Thomas; Comeau, Luc A; Tremblay, Réjean

2016-12-01

Coastal embayments are at risk of impacts by climate change drivers such as ocean warming, sea level rise and alteration in precipitation regimes. The response of the ecosystem to these drivers is highly dependent on their magnitude of change, but also on physical characteristics such as bay morphology and river discharge, which play key roles in water residence time and hence estuarine functioning. These considerations are especially relevant for bivalve aquaculture sites, where the cultured biomass can alter ecosystem dynamics. The combination of climate change, physical and aquaculture drivers can result in synergistic/antagonistic and nonlinear processes. A spatially explicit model was constructed to explore effects of the physical environment (bay geomorphic type, freshwater inputs), climate change drivers (sea level, temperature, precipitation) and aquaculture (bivalve species, stock) on ecosystem functioning. A factorial design led to 336 scenarios (48 hydrodynamic × 7 management). Model outcomes suggest that the physical environment controls estuarine functioning given its influence on primary productivity (bottom-up control dominated by riverine nutrients) and horizontal advection with the open ocean (dominated by bay geomorphic type). The intensity of bivalve aquaculture ultimately determines the bivalve-phytoplankton trophic interaction, which can range from a bottom-up control triggered by ammonia excretion to a top-down control via feeding. Results also suggest that temperature is the strongest climate change driver due to its influence on the metabolism of poikilothermic organisms (e.g. zooplankton and bivalves), which ultimately causes a concomitant increase of top-down pressure on phytoplankton. Given the different thermal tolerance of cultured species, temperature is also critical to sort winners from losers, benefiting Crassostrea virginica over Mytilus edulis under the specific conditions tested in this numerical exercise. In general, it is predicted that bays with large rivers and high exchange with the open ocean will be more resilient under climate change when bivalve aquaculture is present. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Urbanization and biological invasion shape animal personalities.

PubMed

Lapiedra, Oriol; Chejanovski, Zachary; Kolbe, Jason J

2017-02-01

Novel selective pressures derived from human activities challenge the persistence of animal populations worldwide. Behavior is expected to be a major factor driving animals' responses to global change because it largely determines how animals interact with the environment. However, the role of individual variation in behavior to facilitate the persistence of animals in changing environments remains poorly understood. Here, we adopted an animal personality approach to investigate whether different behavioral traits allow animals to deal with two major components of global change: urbanization and biological invasions. By studying six populations of Anolis sagrei lizards, we found for the first time that anoles vary consistently in their behavior across different times and contexts. Importantly, these animal personalities were consistent in the wild and in captivity. We investigated whether behavioral traits are pulled in different directions by different components of global change. On the one hand, we found that lizards from urban areas differ from nearby forest lizards in that they were more tolerant of humans, less aggressive, bolder after a simulated predator attack, and they spent more time exploring new environments. Several of these risk-taking behaviors constituted a behavioral syndrome that significantly differed between urban and forest populations. On the other hand, the behavior of urban A. sagrei coexisting with the invasive predatory lizard Leiocephalus carinatus was associated with dramatic changes in their foraging niche. Overall, we provide evidence that differences in animal personalities facilitate the persistence of animals under novel selective regimes by producing adaptive behaviors relevant to their ecology such as predator avoidance. Our results suggest that natural selection can favor certain behaviors over others when animals are confronted with different ecological challenges posed by global change. Therefore, we underscore the need to incorporate behavioral ecology into the study of how animals adaptively respond to human-induced environmental changes. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Phenotypic switching of populations of cells in a stochastic environment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hufton, Peter G.; Lin, Yen Ting; Galla, Tobias

2018-02-01

In biology phenotypic switching is a common bet-hedging strategy in the face of uncertain environmental conditions. Existing mathematical models often focus on periodically changing environments to determine the optimal phenotypic response. We focus on the case in which the environment switches randomly between discrete states. Starting from an individual-based model we derive stochastic differential equations to describe the dynamics, and obtain analytical expressions for the mean instantaneous growth rates based on the theory of piecewise-deterministic Markov processes. We show that optimal phenotypic responses are non-trivial for slow and intermediate environmental processes, and systematically compare the cases of periodic and random environments. The best response to random switching is more likely to be heterogeneity than in the case of deterministic periodic environments, net growth rates tend to be higher under stochastic environmental dynamics. The combined system of environment and population of cells can be interpreted as host-pathogen interaction, in which the host tries to choose environmental switching so as to minimise growth of the pathogen, and in which the pathogen employs a phenotypic switching optimised to increase its growth rate. We discuss the existence of Nash-like mutual best-response scenarios for such host-pathogen games.

Exploratory behavior of a native anuran species with high invasive potential.

PubMed

Miller, Amanda J; Page, Rachel A; Bernal, Ximena E

2018-01-01

Exploratory behavior can be a key component of survival in novel or changing environments, ultimately determining population establishment. While many studies have investigated the behavior of wild animals in response to novel food items or objects, our understanding of how they explore novel environments is limited. Here, we examine how experience affects the foraging behavior of a species with high invasive potential. In particular, we investigate the movement and behavior of cane toads as a function of experience in a novel environment, and how the presence of food modulates exploration. Cane toads, from a population in their native range, were repeatedly tested in a large, naturalistic arena with or without food present. Both groups exhibited significant but different changes in exploratory behavior. While toads in an environment without food reduced exploratory behavior over trials, those with food present increased both food intake per trial and the directness of their paths to food, resulting in fewer approaches to food patches over time. Our results suggest that cane toads learn patch location and provide preliminary evidence suggesting toads use spatial memory, not associative learning, to locate food. In sum, we show that with experience, cane toads alter their behavior to increase foraging efficiency. This study emphasizes the role of learning in foraging in cane toads, a characteristic that may have facilitated their success as invaders.

Atoms in Action: Observing Atomic Motion with Dynamic in situ X-ray Diffraction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cox, Jordan Michael

Metal-organic framework (MOF) materials are rich in both structural diversity and application. These materials are comprised of metal atoms or clusters which are connected in a three-dimensional polymer-like network by bridging organic linker molecules. One of the major attractive features in MOFs is their permanent pore space which can potentially be used to adsorb or exchange foreign molecules from/with the surrounding environment. While MOFs are an active area of scientific interest, MOF materials are still relatively new, only 20 years old. As such, there is still much that needs to be understood about these materials before they can be effectively applied to widespread chemical problems like CO2 sequestration or low-pressure hydrogen fuel storage. One of the most important facets of MOF chemistry to understand in order to rationally design MOF materials with tailor-made properties is the relationship between the structural features in a MOF and the chemical and physical properties of that material. By examining in detail the atomic structure of a MOF with known properties under a variety of conditions, scientists can begin to unravel the guiding principles which govern these relationships. X-ray diffraction remains one of the most effective tools for determining the structure of a crystalline material with atomic resolution, and has been applied to the determination of MOF structures for years. Typically these experiments have been carried out using powder X-ray diffraction, but this technique lacks the high-resolution structural information found in single-crystal methods. Some studies have been reported which use specialized devices, sometimes called Environmental Control Cells, to study single crystalline MOFs under non-ambient chemical conditions in situ . However, these in situ studies are performed under static conditions. Even in cases where the ECC provides continued access to the local chemical environment during diffraction data collections, the environment is left static or data is not collected until after the material has equilibrated to its new environment. First, a unique ECC has been designed and constructed which allows continuous access to the local chemical environment of a single-crystal sample while maintaining ease of use, minimizing size, and which is easily adaptable to a wide variety of gaseous and liquid chemical stimuli. Novel methods have been developed and are herein described for utilizing this ECC and in situ X-ray diffraction methods in a dynamic manner for monitoring the structural responses of single crystals to changes in their local chemical environment. These methods provide the opportunity for the determination of changes in unit cell parameters and even complete crystal structures during adsorption, desorption, and exchange processes in MOF materials. The application of these methods to the determination of the dehydration process of a previously reported cobalt-based MOF have revealed surprising structural and dynamics data. Several new intermediate structures have been determined in this process, including one metastable species and several actively transitioning species during the dehydration process. Applying these methods to the ethanol solvation process in the same material again yielded results which were richer in structural information than the previously reported ex situ structures. A computational study of rotational potential energy surfaces in a family of photochromic MOF linkers revealed the important role rotational stereoisomers can play in maintaining light-activated functionality when these linkers are incorporated into next-generation functional MOF materials. Finally, the application of novel photocrystallography techniques were used in conjunction with spectroscopic methods to determine the nature of the anomalous behavior of a photochromic diarylethene single-crystal.

Fixed and dynamic predictors of treatment process in therapeutic communities for substance abusers in Belgium.

PubMed

Goethals, Ilse; Vanderplasschen, Wouter; Vandevelde, Stijn; Broekaert, Eric

2012-10-11

Research on substance abuse treatment services in general reflects substantial attention to the notion of treatment process. Despite the growing popularity of process studies, only a few researchers have used instruments specifically tailored to measure the therapeutic community (TC) treatment process, and even fewer have investigated client attributes in relation to early TC treatment process experiences. The aim of the current study is to address this gap by exploring clients' early in-treatment experiences and to determine the predictors that are related to the treatment process, using a TC-specific multidimensional instrument. Data was gathered among 157 adults in five TCs in Flanders (Belgium). Descriptive statistics were used to explore clients' early in-treatment experiences and multiple linear regressions were conducted to determine the fixed and dynamic predictors of Community Environment and Personal Development and Change (two indicators of TC treatment process). Clients reveal a more positive first-month response to TC social processes than to personal-development processes that require self-reflection and insight. The variance in clients' ratings of Community Environment was primarily due to dynamic client factors, while the variance in clients' ratings of Personal Development and Change was only related to fixed client factors. Suitability for treatment was the strongest predictor of Community Environment ratings, whereas a judicial referral more strongly predicted Personal Development and Change scores. Special attention should be devoted to suitability for treatment as part of motivational assessment as this seems to be a very strong predictor of how clients react to the initiation stage of TC treatment. To help improve clients' (meta-)cognitive skills needed to achieve insight and self-reflection and perhaps speed up the process of recovery, the authors suggest the introduction of (meta-)cognitive training strategies in the pre-program and/or the induction stage of a TC program.

Translating the use of an enriched environment poststroke from bench to bedside: study design and protocol used to test the feasibility of environmental enrichment on stroke patients in rehabilitation.

PubMed

Janssen, H; Ada, L; Karayanidis, F; Drysdale, K; McElduff, P; Pollack, M; White, J; Nilsson, M; Bernhardt, J; Spratt, N J

2012-08-01

Environmental enrichment, a paradigm investigated extensively in animal models, is an intervention, which by design facilitates motor, sensory, social, and cognitive activity. It has been shown to improve poststroke motor and cognitive function in animal models of stroke. This is the first study to attempt to translate this intervention from the laboratory to the clinical setting. The overall aim of this pilot study is to test the feasibility of using environmental enrichment with stroke patients in a rehabilitation setting. The aim is to enrich the environment of stroke survivors in a rehabilitation ward and measure changes in their activity (physical, cognitive, and social activity). Prospective nonrandomized block design intervention study. In the control phase we will determine the change in activity levels of patients treated in a usual rehabilitation environment over time. In the intervention phase structured observational techniques (behavioural mapping) will be used to quantify the change in activity levels of patients exposed to environmental enrichment. The primary outcome is change in activity level. Additional data collected on entry to and exit from the study will include: cognitive function using a battery of cognitive tests, general function using the Functional Independence Measure, mood using the Patient Health Questionnaire 9 and boredom using the Stroke Rehabilitation Boredom Survey. Quality of life will be assessed using the Assessment of Quality of Life 1 month postdischarge from rehabilitation. Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry# ACTRN12611000629932. © 2012 The Authors. International Journal of Stroke © 2012 World Stroke Organization.

Soil Microbial Responses to Increased Moisture and Organic Resources along a Salinity Gradient in a Polar Desert

PubMed Central

Van Horn, David J.; Okie, Jordan G.; Buelow, Heather N.; Gooseff, Michael N.; Barrett, John E.

2014-01-01

Microbial communities in extreme environments often have low diversity and specialized physiologies suggesting a limited resistance to change. The McMurdo Dry Valleys (MDV) are a microbially dominated, extreme ecosystem currently undergoing climate change-induced disturbances, including the melting of massive buried ice, cutting through of permafrost by streams, and warming events. These processes are increasing moisture across the landscape, altering conditions for soil communities by mobilizing nutrients and salts and stimulating autotrophic carbon inputs to soils. The goal of this study was to determine the effects of resource addition (water/organic matter) on the composition and function of microbial communities in the MDV along a natural salinity gradient representing an additional gradient of stress in an already extreme environment. Soil respiration and the activity of carbon-acquiring extracellular enzymes increased significantly (P < 0.05) with the addition of resources at the low- and moderate-salinity sites but not the high-salinity site. The bacterial community composition was altered, with an increase in Proteobacteria and Firmicutes with water and organic matter additions at the low- and moderate-salinity sites and a near dominance of Firmicutes at the high-salinity site. Principal coordinate analyses of all samples using a phylogenetically informed distance matrix (UniFrac) demonstrated discrete clustering among sites (analysis of similarity [ANOSIM], P < 0.05 and R > 0.40) and among most treatments within sites. The results from this experimental work suggest that microbial communities in this environment will undergo rapid change in response to the altered resources resulting from climate change impacts occurring in this region. PMID:24610850

Elevated temperature is more effective than elevated [CO2 ] in exposing genotypic variation in Telopea speciosissima growth plasticity: implications for woody plant populations under climate change.

PubMed

Huang, Guomin; Rymer, Paul D; Duan, Honglang; Smith, Renee A; Tissue, David T

2015-10-01

Intraspecific variation in phenotypic plasticity is a critical determinant of plant species capacity to cope with climate change. A long-standing hypothesis states that greater levels of environmental variability will select for genotypes with greater phenotypic plasticity. However, few studies have examined how genotypes of woody species originating from contrasting environments respond to multiple climate change factors. Here, we investigated the main and interactive effects of elevated [CO2 ] (CE ) and elevated temperature (TE ) on growth and physiology of Coastal (warmer, less variable temperature environment) and Upland (cooler, more variable temperature environment) genotypes of an Australian woody species Telopea speciosissima. Both genotypes were positively responsive to CE (35% and 29% increase in whole-plant dry mass and leaf area, respectively), but only the Coastal genotype exhibited positive growth responses to TE . We found that the Coastal genotype exhibited greater growth response to TE (47% and 85% increase in whole-plant dry mass and leaf area, respectively) when compared with the Upland genotype (no change in dry mass or leaf area). No intraspecific variation in physiological plasticity was detected under CE or TE , and the interactive effects of CE and TE on intraspecific variation in phenotypic plasticity were also largely absent. Overall, TE was a more effective climate factor than CE in exposing genotypic variation in our woody species. Our results contradict the paradigm that genotypes from more variable climates will exhibit greater phenotypic plasticity in future climate regimes. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Soil microbial responses to increased moisture and organic resources along a salinity gradient in a polar desert.

PubMed

Van Horn, David J; Okie, Jordan G; Buelow, Heather N; Gooseff, Michael N; Barrett, John E; Takacs-Vesbach, Cristina D

2014-05-01

Microbial communities in extreme environments often have low diversity and specialized physiologies suggesting a limited resistance to change. The McMurdo Dry Valleys (MDV) are a microbially dominated, extreme ecosystem currently undergoing climate change-induced disturbances, including the melting of massive buried ice, cutting through of permafrost by streams, and warming events. These processes are increasing moisture across the landscape, altering conditions for soil communities by mobilizing nutrients and salts and stimulating autotrophic carbon inputs to soils. The goal of this study was to determine the effects of resource addition (water/organic matter) on the composition and function of microbial communities in the MDV along a natural salinity gradient representing an additional gradient of stress in an already extreme environment. Soil respiration and the activity of carbon-acquiring extracellular enzymes increased significantly (P < 0.05) with the addition of resources at the low- and moderate-salinity sites but not the high-salinity site. The bacterial community composition was altered, with an increase in Proteobacteria and Firmicutes with water and organic matter additions at the low- and moderate-salinity sites and a near dominance of Firmicutes at the high-salinity site. Principal coordinate analyses of all samples using a phylogenetically informed distance matrix (UniFrac) demonstrated discrete clustering among sites (analysis of similarity [ANOSIM], P < 0.05 and R > 0.40) and among most treatments within sites. The results from this experimental work suggest that microbial communities in this environment will undergo rapid change in response to the altered resources resulting from climate change impacts occurring in this region.

Modelling the sensitivity of river reaches to water abstraction: RAPHSA- a hydroecology tool for environmental managers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Klaar, Megan; Laize, Cedric; Maddock, Ian; Acreman, Mike; Tanner, Kath; Peet, Sarah

2014-05-01

A key challenge for environmental managers is the determination of environmental flows which allow a maximum yield of water resources to be taken from surface and sub-surface sources, whilst ensuring sufficient water remains in the environment to support biota and habitats. It has long been known that sensitivity to changes in water levels resulting from river and groundwater abstractions varies between rivers. Whilst assessment at the catchment scale is ideal for determining broad pressures on water resources and ecosystems, assessment of the sensitivity of reaches to changes in flow has previously been done on a site-by-site basis, often with the application of detailed but time consuming techniques (e.g. PHABSIM). While this is appropriate for a limited number of sites, it is costly in terms of money and time resources and therefore not appropriate for application at a national level required by responsible licensing authorities. To address this need, the Environment Agency (England) is developing an operational tool to predict relationships between physical habitat and flow which may be applied by field staff to rapidly determine the sensitivity of physical habitat to flow alteration for use in water resource management planning. An initial model of river sensitivity to abstraction (defined as the change in physical habitat related to changes in river discharge) was developed using site characteristics and data from 66 individual PHABSIM surveys throughout the UK (Booker & Acreman, 2008). By applying a multivariate multiple linear regression analysis to the data to define habitat availability-flow curves using resource intensity as predictor variables, the model (known as RAPHSA- Rapid Assessment of Physical Habitat Sensitivity to Abstraction) is able to take a risk-based approach to modeled certainty. Site specific information gathered using desk-based, or a variable amount of field work can be used to predict the shape of the habitat- flow curves, with the uncertainty of estimates reducing as more information is collected. Creation of generalized physical habitat- discharge relationships by the model allows environmental managers to select the desired level of confidence in the modeled results, based on environmental risk and the level of resource investment available. Hence, resources can be better directed according to the level of certainty required at each site. This model is intended to provide managers with an alternative to the existing use of either expert opinion or resource intensive site- specific investigations in determining local environmental flows. Here, we outline the potential use of this tool by the Environment Agency in routine operational and investigation- specific scenarios using case studies to illustrate its use.

Model of land cover change prediction in West Java using cellular automata-Markov chain (CA-MC)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Virtriana, Riantini; Sumarto, Irawan; Deliar, Albertus; Pasaribu, Udjianna S.; Taufik, Moh.

2015-04-01

Land is a fundamental factor that closely related to economic growth and supports the needs of human life. Land-use activity is a major issue and challenge for country planners. The cause of change in land use type activity may be due to socio economic development or due to changes in the environment or may be due to both. In an effort to understand the phenomenon of land cover changes, can be approached through land cover change modelling. Based on the facts and data contained, West Java has a high economic activity that will have an impact on land cover change. CA-MC is a model that used to determine the statistical change probabilistic for each of land cover type from land cover data at different time periods. CA-MC is able to provide the output of land cover type that should occurred. Results from a CA-MC modelling in predicting land cover changes showed an accuracy rate of 95.42%.

Improving User Notification on Frequently Changing HPC Environments

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

Fuson, Christopher B; Renaud, William A

2016-01-01

Today s HPC centers user environments can be very complex. Centers often contain multiple large complicated computational systems each with their own user environment. Changes to a system s environment can be very impactful; however, a center s user environment is, in one-way or another, frequently changing. Because of this, it is vital for centers to notify users of change. For users, untracked changes can be costly, resulting in unnecessary debug time as well as wasting valuable compute allocations and research time. Communicating frequent change to diverse user communities is a common and ongoing task for HPC centers. This papermore » will cover the OLCF s current processes and methods used to communicate change to users of the center s large Cray systems and supporting resources. The paper will share lessons learned and goals as well as practices, tools, and methods used to continually improve and reach members of the OLCF user community.« less

Impacts of Climate Change on Indirect Human Exposure to Pathogens and Chemicals from Agriculture

PubMed Central

Boxall, Alistair B.A.; Hardy, Anthony; Beulke, Sabine; Boucard, Tatiana; Burgin, Laura; Falloon, Peter D.; Haygarth, Philip M.; Hutchinson, Thomas; Kovats, R. Sari; Leonardi, Giovanni; Levy, Leonard S.; Nichols, Gordon; Parsons, Simon A.; Potts, Laura; Stone, David; Topp, Edward; Turley, David B.; Walsh, Kerry; Wellington, Elizabeth M.H.; Williams, Richard J.

2009-01-01

Objective Climate change is likely to affect the nature of pathogens and chemicals in the environment and their fate and transport. Future risks of pathogens and chemicals could therefore be very different from those of today. In this review, we assess the implications of climate change for changes in human exposures to pathogens and chemicals in agricultural systems in the United Kingdom and discuss the subsequent effects on health impacts. Data sources In this review, we used expert input and considered literature on climate change; health effects resulting from exposure to pathogens and chemicals arising from agriculture; inputs of chemicals and pathogens to agricultural systems; and human exposure pathways for pathogens and chemicals in agricultural systems. Data synthesis We established the current evidence base for health effects of chemicals and pathogens in the agricultural environment; determined the potential implications of climate change on chemical and pathogen inputs in agricultural systems; and explored the effects of climate change on environmental transport and fate of different contaminant types. We combined these data to assess the implications of climate change in terms of indirect human exposure to pathogens and chemicals in agricultural systems. We then developed recommendations on future research and policy changes to manage any adverse increases in risks. Conclusions Overall, climate change is likely to increase human exposures to agricultural contaminants. The magnitude of the increases will be highly dependent on the contaminant type. Risks from many pathogens and particulate and particle-associated contaminants could increase significantly. These increases in exposure can, however, be managed for the most part through targeted research and policy changes. PMID:19440487