- Augsburg, Bavaria, Germany
- Exchange Rates, Bitcoin, Economic growth and development, Development Econmomics, Cryptocurrency, Hacking, and 11 moreInternet Security, Fraud Detection And Prevention, Fraud, Network Security, Information Security, Computer Security, Cyber Security, Security, International Security, Non-Traditional Security, and Security Studiesedit
Phenology is an ecologically critical attribute that is commonly coordinated with other plant traits. Phenological shifts may be the result of evolutionary adjustments to persistently new conditions, or they may be transitory, varying... more
Phenology is an ecologically critical attribute that is commonly coordinated with other plant traits. Phenological shifts may be the result of evolutionary adjustments to persistently new conditions, or they may be transitory, varying with annual fluxes in abiotic conditions. In summer-dry, fire-prone Mediterranean-type climates, for example, many plant lineages have historically migrated from forests to more arid shrublands resulting in adaptive trait changes. These shifts in habitat abiotic conditions and biotic interactions influence morphology of flowers and fruits and interact with phenological timing. The Arbutoideae (Ericaceae) is one lineage that illustrates such modifications, with fruit characters evolving among genera from fleshy to dry fruit, thin to stony endocarps, and bird to rodent dispersal, among other changes. We scored herbarium collections and used ancestral trait analyses to determine phenological shifts among the five Arbutoid genera found in semi-arid climate...
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Research Interests: Engineering, Environmental Science, Marine Ecology, Geoinformatics, Life Sciences, and 15 moreEcosystem Modeling, Ecology, Freshwater Ecology, Evolutionary Ecology, Medicine, Multidisciplinary, Biological Sciences, Environmental Sciences, Ecosystems, Evaluating, Global Change Ecology, Ecosystem Functioning, Coastal Ecology, Marsh, and Geologic Sediments
The concept of the ecological community is examined from the perspective of its criteria and domain. The multiple definitions and uses of this concept indicate a variety of scales and approaches. In this paper, a core definition of the... more
The concept of the ecological community is examined from the perspective of its criteria and domain. The multiple definitions and uses of this concept indicate a variety of scales and approaches. In this paper, a core definition of the minimal criteria and domain is proposed. Using those criteria, a model of the ecological community is developed based on a focal individual and its interactions with other individuals. In order to increase the scale of the domain of this approach, additional criteria are required. This model is used to explore characteristics of the minimum domain and larger scales of the community concept. The structure that emerges emphasizes context dependency and the potential for indeterminacy for most types of interactions. A prominent historical argument, the nature of boundaries between communities, has no relevance in this model.
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We used molecular genetic methods to test two hypotheses, (i) that host plant specificity among ectomycorrhizal fungi would be common in a closed-canopy, mixed Pinus contorta-Picea engelmannii forest in Yellowstone National Park and (ii)... more
We used molecular genetic methods to test two hypotheses, (i) that host plant specificity among ectomycorrhizal fungi would be common in a closed-canopy, mixed Pinus contorta-Picea engelmannii forest in Yellowstone National Park and (ii) that specificity would be more common in the early successional tree species, P. contorta , than in the invader, P. engelmannii . We identified 28 ectomycorrhizal fungal species collected from 27 soil cores. The proportion of P. engelmannii to P. contorta ectomycorrhizae was nearly equal (52 and 48%, respectively). Of the 28 fungal species, 18 composed greater than 95% of the fungal community. No species was associated exclusively with P. contorta , but four species, each found in only one core, and one species found in two cores were associated exclusively with P. engelmannii . These fungi composed less than 5% of the total ectomycorrhizae. Thus, neither hypothesis was supported, and hypothesized benefits of ectomycorrhizal specificity to both tree...
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There is growing concern that elite rugby participation may negatively influence brain health, but the underlying mechanisms are unclear. Cortical thickness is a widely applied biomarker of grey matter structure, but there is limited... more
There is growing concern that elite rugby participation may negatively influence brain health, but the underlying mechanisms are unclear. Cortical thickness is a widely applied biomarker of grey matter structure, but there is limited research into how it may be altered in active professional rugby players. Cross-sectional MRI data from 44 active elite rugby players, including 21 assessed within one week of head injury, and 47 healthy controls were analysed. We investigated how active elite rugby participation with and without subacute traumatic brain injury influenced grey matter structure using whole cortex and region of interest cortical thickness analyses. Relationships between cortical thickness and biomarkers of traumatic brain injury, including fractional anisotropy, plasma neurofilament light and glial fibrillary acidic protein, were also examined. In whole cortex analyses, precentral cortical thickness in the right hemisphere was lower in rugby players compared with controls...
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Oxidative stress is considered one of the early underlying contributors of sepsis-induced myocardial depression. DJ-1, also known as PARK7, has a well-established role as an antioxidant. We have previously shown, in a clinically relevant... more
Oxidative stress is considered one of the early underlying contributors of sepsis-induced myocardial depression. DJ-1, also known as PARK7, has a well-established role as an antioxidant. We have previously shown, in a clinically relevant model of polymicrobial sepsis, DJ-1 deficiency improved survival and bacterial clearance by decreasing ROS production. In the present study, we investigated the role of DJ-1 in sepsis-induced myocardial depression. Here we compared wildtype (WT) with DJ-1 deficient mice at 24 and 48 h after cecal ligation and puncture (CLP). In WT mice, DJ-1 was increased in the myocardium post-CLP. DJ-1 deficient mice, despite enhanced inflammatory and oxidative responses, had an attenuated hypertrophic phenotype, less apoptosis, improved mitochondrial function, and autophagy, that was associated with preservation of myocardial function and improved survival compared to WT mice post-CLP. Collectively, these results identify DJ-1 as a regulator of myocardial functio...
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BackgroundRugby is a collision sport with high rates of head injury. The effect of rugby participation at the elite level on cerebral grey matter structure is unclear.MethodsData from 44 active professional rugby players, including 21... more
BackgroundRugby is a collision sport with high rates of head injury. The effect of rugby participation at the elite level on cerebral grey matter structure is unclear.MethodsData from 44 active professional rugby players, including 21 acquired within one week of mild traumatic brain injury, and 47 healthy controls were analysed. Whole-cortex and region of interest analyses investigating the effects of rugby participation, sub-acute mild traumatic brain injury, and biomarkers of traumatic brain injury (fractional anisotropy, plasma neurofilament light and glial fibrillary acidic protein) on cortical thickness were performed. Plasma neurofilament light and glial fibrillary acidic protein concen- trations were measured using Single molecule array technology.ResultsWhole-cortex analysis revealed evidence of lower right hemisphere precentral cortical thickness in non-injured rugby players compared to controls. In region of interest analyses, there was evidence rugby participation predict...
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AimsThe principal chaparral species in California,Adenostoma fasciculatum, an evergreen, sclerophyllous shrub, is broadly distributed and provides habitat and food resources for a large and diverse animal community. The effects of climate... more
AimsThe principal chaparral species in California,Adenostoma fasciculatum, an evergreen, sclerophyllous shrub, is broadly distributed and provides habitat and food resources for a large and diverse animal community. The effects of climate change, including elevated temperatures, fire frequency and severity, along with increased urban encroachment, have placed pressure on chaparral habitats in California. Our goal is to investigate aspects of reproductive ecology as a measure of the potential resiliency ofA.fasciculatum. We focus on seed rain (all seed falling into the seed traps regardless of origin) and seed banks in the context of plant-animal interactions and regeneration.MethodsStand recovery following disturbance is achieved through both resprouting and germination from established persistent soil seed banks. In this study we focus on seed ecology using a series of experiments to document the length and quantity of seed rain, seed predation, parsing the importance of the commun...
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BackgroundHearing impairment may be a modifiable risk factor for dementia. However, it is unclear how hearing associates with pathologies relevant to dementia in preclinical populations.MethodsData from 368 cognitively healthy individuals... more
BackgroundHearing impairment may be a modifiable risk factor for dementia. However, it is unclear how hearing associates with pathologies relevant to dementia in preclinical populations.MethodsData from 368 cognitively healthy individuals born during 1 week in 1946 (age range 69.2–71.9 years), who underwent structural MRI, 18F-florbetapir positron emission tomography, pure tone audiometry and cognitive testing as part of a neuroscience substudy the MRC National Survey of Health and Development were analysed. The aim of the analysis was to investigate whether pure tone audiometry performance predicted a range of cognitive and imaging outcomes relevant to dementia in older adults.ResultsThere was some evidence that poorer pure tone audiometry performance was associated with lower primary auditory cortex thickness, but no evidence that it predicted in vivo β-amyloid deposition, white matter hyperintensity volume, hippocampal volume or Alzheimer’s disease-pattern cortical thickness. A n...
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We show that a proper selection of annealing conditions is crucial for optimizing the properties of ALD-grown BiFeO3 thin films.
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Research Interests: Geography, Earth Sciences, Wetlands, Ecology, Biological Sciences, and 15 moreEnvironmental Sciences, Wetland, Population Density, Species Diversity, Site Selection, Lessons Learned, Estuary, San Francisco Bay, Salt marsh, Plant species, Plant Community, Southern California, Marsh, Native Species, and Bay
In rat heart, three K+ channel genes that encode inactivating transient outward (ITO)‐like currents are expressed. During development the predominant K+ channel mRNA species switches from Kv1.4 to Kv4.2 and Kv4.3. However, no functional... more
In rat heart, three K+ channel genes that encode inactivating transient outward (ITO)‐like currents are expressed. During development the predominant K+ channel mRNA species switches from Kv1.4 to Kv4.2 and Kv4.3. However, no functional correlate of this isoform switch has been reported. We investigated action potential characteristics and ITO in cultured neonatal rat ventricular myocytes and adult rat hearts. We further examined whether the changes in K+ channel gene expression and the associated electrophysiology that occurs during development could be induced by thyroid hormone. In myocytes isolated from right ventricle of adult rat heart, action potential duration was short and independent of rate of stimulation. The density of ITO was 21.5 ± 1.8 pA pF−1 (n= 21). Recovery from inactivation was best described by a single exponential (τfast= 31.7 ± 2.7 ms, n= 13). The current remaining at the end of a 500 ms pulse (ISUS) was 6.2 ± 0.5 pA pF−1 (n= 19). In contrast to adult cells, a...
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Research Interests: Environmental Science, Climate Change, Medicine, Multidisciplinary, Environmental Sciences, and 15 moreSea level rise, San Francisco, Research article, Sediment, PLoS one, Theoretical Models, Ecosystem, Salt marsh, Conservation of Natural Resources, Marsh, Geologic Sediments, Organic Chemicals, Bay, Geological Processes, and Bays
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Research Interests: Engineering, Materials Science, Optics, Hydrogen, Scanning Electron Microscopy, and 15 moreCrystallization, Nanoparticles, Nanotechnology, Medicine, Metal Nanoparticles, Anisotropy, Physical Vapor Deposition, Chemical Vapor Deposition, Magnesium, Diffusion, CHEMICAL SCIENCES, Electrons, Surface Properties, Gases, and perpendicular
Research Interests: Biology, Ecology, Soil Chemistry, Soil Analysis, Biological Sciences, and 15 morePhosphorus, Environmental Sciences, Field Experiment, Community Structure, Potassium, Wildfire, Species Composition, Species Richness, National Park, Forestry Sciences, Organic Matter, Ectomycorrhiza, Lodgepole Pine, Pinus Contorta, and Abiotic factors
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The culture of tumor cell lines in three-dimensional scaffolds is considered to more closely replicate the in vivo tumor microenvironment than the standard method of two-dimensional cell culture. We hypothesized that our method of... more
The culture of tumor cell lines in three-dimensional scaffolds is considered to more closely replicate the in vivo tumor microenvironment than the standard method of two-dimensional cell culture. We hypothesized that our method of encapsulating and maintaining viable and functional pancreatic islets in agarose–agarose macrobeads (diameter 6–8 mm) might provide a novel method for the culture of tumor cell lines. In this report we describe and characterize tumor colonies that form within macrobeads seeded with mouse renal adenocarcinoma cells. Approximately 1% of seeded tumor cells survive in the macrobead and over several months form discrete elliptical colonies appearing as tumor cell niches with increasing metabolic activity in parallel to colony size. The tumor colonies demonstrate ongoing cell turnover as shown by BrdU incorporation and activated caspase-3 and TUNEL staining. Genes upregulated in the tumor colonies of the macrobead are likely adaptations to this novel environment...
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Objective—To evaluate the effect of a phospholipid emulsion (PLE) on the initial response of horses to administration of endotoxin.Animals—12 healthy adult horses.Procedures—Horses were assigned to 2 treatment groups (6 horses/group). The... more
Objective—To evaluate the effect of a phospholipid emulsion (PLE) on the initial response of horses to administration of endotoxin.Animals—12 healthy adult horses.Procedures—Horses were assigned to 2 treatment groups (6 horses/group). The control group was administered 1 L of saline (0.9% NaCl) solution, and the treated group was administered PLE (200 mg/kg, IV); treatments were administered during a period of 120 minutes. An infusion of endotoxin was initiated in both groups starting 1 hour after initiation of the saline or PLE solutions. Physical examination and hemodynamic variables were recorded, and blood samples were analyzed for concentrations of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, interleukin-6, thromboxane B2 (TxB2), 6 keto-prostaglandin F (PGF)1α, total leukocyte count, and PLE concentrations. An ANOVA was used to detect significant differences.Results—Administration of PLE resulted in significantly lower rectal temperature, heart rate, cardiac output, right atrial pressure, an...
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Riparian areas along the upper Thompson River have been affected by historic clearing for hay meadows, grazing, and timber harvesting. Historic photographs show that much of the floodplain once supported native riparian shrubs. Currently,... more
Riparian areas along the upper Thompson River have been affected by historic clearing for hay meadows, grazing, and timber harvesting. Historic photographs show that much of the floodplain once supported native riparian shrubs. Currently, the floodplain is dominated by Phalaris arundinacea (reed canarygrass). This conversion has resulted in loss of woody cover, reduced shade, few sources of large wood, and extremely low plant species diversity on the floodplain. During September 2003, Plum Creek Timber Company, working with staff currently at Geum Environmental Consulting, Inc., implemented a riparian restoration project to improve summertime stream temperatures, restore instream habitat, and improve migratory habitat and the quality of connectivity among local populations of bull and cutthroat trout. The project had three major elements: 1) Control competition from exotic reed canarygrass through site preparation, installation of weed barriers (including continuous sheets of linerboard), and application of mulch; 2) Planting of native willow, dogwood, and other shrubs in 1-gallon containers at an 8 foot spacing; and 3) Planting native conifers on adjacent terraces and floodplain areas. Monitoring results from the first growing season show high survival among planted shrubs and effective suppression of reed canarygrass. Unique methods and tools were used during the project to cover 2 acres of floodplain with mulching materials
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The material culture and mission of the Late Roman Army on the southeastern imperial frontier. GWYN DAVIES and JODI MAGNESS, with contributions by N. T. Elkins, R. Halbmeier, J. Ramsay, A. Ratzlaff, C. Swan, W. Cockle, Z. Plese, D. Hood and E. Boaretto, THE 2003-2007 EXCAVATIONS IN THE LATE ROMAN...more
The site of Yotvata lies on the W (Israeli) side of the Wadi Araba (Hebrew: Arava), which extends c.165 km from the Dead Sea to the Red Sea (Gulf of Aqaba). Varied evidence suggests that this valley, despite a hyper-arid climate and some... more
The site of Yotvata lies on the W (Israeli) side of the Wadi Araba (Hebrew: Arava), which extends c.165 km from the Dead Sea to the Red Sea (Gulf of Aqaba). Varied evidence suggests that this valley, despite a hyper-arid climate and some topographic obstacles (e.g., sand dune fields), has long been a major route for travel between the Red Sea and Palestine/Jordan. The Araba was also one of the most important sources of copper in classical antiquity. Largely neglected by archaeologists in the region, the valley has recently been the focus of several important excavations and surface surveys on both sides of the frontier. The plethora of new evidence, much available heretofore only as preliminary reports, offers scholars the chance to view the entire region through a diachronic perspective starting in late prehistoric times, with the classical millennium (Hellenistic through Byzantine) now particularly well attested throughout the valley. I will try to treat this important new volume in this broader context.
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... in a marketing decision-making framework, the marketing re-searcher often conducts a positioning study which involves an anal-ysis of ... charges on checking accounts and (G) low interest on loans, in conjunction with the high... more
... in a marketing decision-making framework, the marketing re-searcher often conducts a positioning study which involves an anal-ysis of ... charges on checking accounts and (G) low interest on loans, in conjunction with the high positive centroid score for credit unions indicate ...
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While many scholars note the presence and influence of Jesus’s teaching in James, this study seeks to focus on whether there are any recurrent words or phrases that may introduce, indicate, or ‘demark’ the presence of Jesus’s teaching... more
While many scholars note the presence and influence of Jesus’s teaching in James, this study seeks to focus on whether there are any recurrent words or phrases that may introduce, indicate, or ‘demark’ the presence of Jesus’s teaching within James. This study analyses the presence of the words ‘hear’ and ‘listen’, ἀδελφός language, and the phrases ἄγε νῦν and ἀδελφοί μου ἀγαπητοί and their potential connection with Jesus’s teaching found within the epistle of James. As a result, this study notes the correlation between the use of these phrases and the subsequent presence of Jesus’s teaching, which suggests the potential for these phrases to ‘demark’ or introduce the presence of the words of Jesus in James’s epistle. Consequently, this study suggests that these key words and phrases function in the introduction to Jesus’s teaching within James, highlighting the upcoming presence of a Jesus saying to the audience.
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This article examines how phylloxera, an aphid from the United States that destroyed most of France’s wine crop in the second half of the nineteenth century, is linked to the current trend of “natural wine” in France. I tell the story of... more
This article examines how phylloxera, an aphid from the United States that destroyed most of France’s wine crop in the second half of the nineteenth century, is linked to the current trend of “natural wine” in France. I tell the story of how the aphid’s attack on wine was construed as a veritable attack on Frenchness itself, and how the French recourse to Louis Pasteur and nineteenth-century scientific authorities in an attempt to counter the aphid altered the general viticultural landscape, the way that wine was perceived, and even how it tastes today. The account concludes with my personal experience as a natural wine importer in the early 2000s, detailing an unorthodox Air France flight to the United States. Along the way, I explain how the natural wine movement constitutes a second reaction to the French reaction to phylloxera, how the movement fights market forces and consumerism, and, ultimately, how the movement is meaningful in a way that goes beyond wine itself.