Metamemory training for memory disorders in adults with a closed head injury

The purpose of the present study was to investigate the efficacy of a memory and metamemory training program on memory performance and metamemory judgement accuracy in adults with a closed head injury. A multiple baseline across subjects design was used with six subjects. All subjects were seen at least two years post-injury. Training included general metamemory information about the nature of memory, use of a specific memory strategy to assist verbal recall (to Preview, Question, Read, State and Test- PQRST), specific metamemory information about the strategy, and a self instruction procedure (WTSC- What is the task, Select a strategy to use, Try out strategy, Check to evaluate strategy effectiveness). During the training period all subjects recalled greater than fifty percent of paragraph ideas while using PQRST. Follow-up tests showed that five of the six subjects maintained recall levels but a gradual decrease in slope was observed over eight weeks post-training. Tests of recall, recognition and metamemory judgements on Sentence and Action Tasks were used to evaluate generalisation of training. Two subjects showed improved recall and two subjects showed improved recognition performance. In addition, four subjects demonstrated greater metamemory judgement accuracy about recognition performance following training. Improved performance post-training was also observed for three subjects on the Rivermead Behavioral Memory Test and the Logical Memory subtest of the Wechsler Memory Scale-Revised, greater than that expected for repeated testing. Several factors were identified as having a role in subjects’ ability to benefit from training.

Middle and upper Cambrian strata, depositional environments and tribolite faunas on the Fenghuang-Chenxi area, western Hunan, China

Three new and a single open nomenclature species are described in this thesis which contains the first record of Erixanium from Human. Also included is the first systematic description of the carbonate platform margin slope deposits and paleogeography of the study area and a comprehensive analysis of the tribolite community features and paleoenvironments.

Contribution of fungi to primary biogenic aerosols in the atmosphere: wet and dry discharged spores, carbohydrates, and inorganic ions

Biogenic aerosols play important roles in atmospheric chemistry physics, the biosphere, climate, and public health. Here, we show that fungi which actively discharge their spores with liquids into the air, in particular actively wet spore discharging Ascomycota (AAM) and actively wet spore discharging Basidiomycota (ABM), are a major source of primary biogenic aerosol particles and components. We present the first estimates for the global average emission rates of fungal spores.

Measurement results and budget calculations based on investigations in Amazonia (Balbina, Brazil, July 2001) indicate that the spores of AAM and ABM may account for a large proportion of coarse particulate matter in tropical rainforest regions during the wet season (0.7–2.3 μg m⁻³). For the particle diameter range of 1–10 μm, the estimated proportions are ~25% during day-time, ~45% at night, and ~35% on average. For the sugar alcohol mannitol, the budget calculations indicate that it is suitable for use as a molecular tracer for actively wet discharged basidiospores (ABS). ABM emissions seem to account for most of the atmospheric abundance of mannitol (10–68 ng m⁻³), and can explain the observed diurnal cycle (higher abundance at night). ABM emissions of hexose carbohydrates might also account for a significant proportion of glucose and fructose in air particulate matter (7–49 ng m⁻³), but the literature-derived ratios are not consistent with the observed diurnal cycle (lower abundance at night). AAM emissions appear to account for a large proportion of potassium in air particulate matter over tropical rainforest regions during the wet season (17–43 ng m⁻³), and they can also explain the observed diurnal cycle (higher abundance at night). The results of our investigations and budget calculations for tropical rainforest aerosols are consistent with measurements performed at other locations.

Based on the average abundance of mannitol reported for extratropical continental boundary layer air (~25 ng m⁻³), we have also calculated a value of ~17 Tg yr⁻¹ as a first estimate for the global average emission rate of ABS over land surfaces, which is consistent with the typically observed concentrations of ABS (~10³–10⁴ m⁻³; ~0.1^–1 μg m⁻³). The global average atmospheric abundance and emission rate of total fungal spores, including wet and dry discharged species, are estimated to be higher by a factor of about three, i.e. 1 μg m⁻³ and ~50 Tg yr⁻¹. Comparisons with estimated rates of emission and formation of other major types of organic aerosol (~47 Tg yr⁻¹ of anthropogenic primary organic aerosol; 12–70 Tg yr⁻¹ of secondary organic aerosol) indicate that emissions from fungi should be taken into account as a significant global source of organic aerosol. The effects of fungal spores and related chemical components might be particularly important in tropical regions, where both physicochemical processes in the atmosphere and biological activity at the Earth's surface are particularly intense, and where the abundance of fungal spores and related chemical compounds are typically higher than in extratropical regions.

Multivariate modelling of landuse on in-stream salinity over multiple spatial scales

An impediment to sustainable dryland salinity management is the lack of information on contributing factors. GIS and satellite imagery now offer a cost-effective means of generating relevant land and water resource information for integrated regional management of salinity. In this paper the relationships between patterns in land uselcover distribution and base flow salt concentration in streams (indicated by EC) are investigated and modelled. The Glenelg-Hopkins area is a large regional watershed in southwest Victoria, Australia, covering approximately 2.6 million ha. It is currently estimated that 27,400 ha of land is affected by dryland salinity and this is predicted to rapidly increase in the next decade' if current conditions prevail. Salt concentration data from five gauging stations were analysed with multi-temporal land use maps obtained from satellite imagery. Multiple regression analyses demonstrated that the variables Native Vegetation and Dry/and Grain Cropping were the most significant influences on in~stream salinity in the whole catchment (1=88.9%) and 500 m V=88.3%) and 100 m riparian buffers (1=86.9%) during times of base flow. The implications for future land use planning, effectiveness of riparian zones and revegetation programmes is discussed. This work also demonstrates the utility of applying nmltivariate statistical analyses, spatial statistics, and remote sensing with data integrated in a GIS framework for the purpose of predicting and managing the regional salinity threat.

McCoy and Clarke : their dispute over the age of Australia's black coal

From 1847 until his death in 1899, Professor Frederick McCoy, palaeontologist in Melbourne, maintained a war of words in the scientific literature with Rev. William Clarke, geologist in Sydney, concerning the age of Australia’s black coal deposits. McCoy was convinced that the coals were all of Mesozoic age and Clarke, during the period from 1847 to his death in 1878, maintained equally vehemently that they were Palaeozoic. In fact, Clarke was correct in placing the New South Wales coals in the Palaeozoic, and McCoy’s placing of the Victorian coals in the Mesozoic was also correct. The two men were both particularly stubborn and neither would admit that they might have been arguing about coals of differing ages. Both stood unbendingly by their Northern Hemisphere, European backgrounds, and neither would change their views in the face of new evidence from the Colonies.

Distribution of logs in a dry sclerophyll forest, Brisbane Ranges, Victoria

Fallen timber is an important habitat resource for small vertebrate and invertebrate animals in forests. This exploratory study investigated the pattern of distribution of fallen timber (here termed 'logs') in a dry sclerophyll forest in the Brisbane Ranges, Victoria, by sampling transects located in
gully, mid-slope and ridge positions, at each of 10 sites. Gullies supported a significantly higher density and volume of logs than ridges. The lowest abundance of logs was on ridges. The mean volume of logs was 98.6 m3/ha for gullies, 38.5 m3/ha at mid-slope positions and 13.1 m3/ha for ridges. The
volume of logs at transects was significantly positively correlated with the density of larger trees (diameter >40 em). A number of animal species in the Brisbane Ranges potentially use logs as a resource for shelter, foraging or perching, and hence the retention ofwoody debris will aid in habitat
management. The uneven distribution of logs in relation to forest topography and the size strueture of trees suggests that gullies, and forest stands with many large trees, are likely to be important habitats for species that use fallen timber. (The Victorian Naturalist 120 (2), 2003, 55-60)

Quantifying heteroskedasticity using slope of local variances index

In econometrics, heteroskedasticity refers to the case when the variances of the error terms of the data in hand are not equal. Heteroskedastic time series are challenging to different forecasting models. However, all available solutions adopt the strategy of accommodating heteroskedasticity in the time series and consider it as a type of noise. Some statistical tests were developed over the past three decades to determine whether a time series features heteroskedastic behaviour. This paper presents a novel strategy to handle this problem by deriving a quantifying measure for heteroskedasticity. The proposed measure relies on the definition of heteroskedasticity as a time-variant variance in the time series. In this work, heteroskedasticity is measured by calculating local variances using linear filters, estimating variance trends, calculating changes in variance slopes, and finally obtaining the average slope angle. The results confirm that the proposed index complies with the widely popular heteroskedasticity tests.

Mid- to late Holocene landscape change and anthropogenic transformations on Mo‘orea, Society Islands: a multi-proxy approach

Archaeology’s ability to generate long-term datasets of natural and human landscape change positions the discipline as an inter-disciplinary bridge between the social and natural sciences. Using a multi-proxy approach combining archaeological data with palaeoenvironmental indicators embedded in coastal sediments, we outline millennial timescales of lowland landscape evolution in the Society Islands. Geomorphic and cultural histories for four coastal zones on Mo‘orea are reconstructed based on stratigraphic records, sedimentology, pollen analysis, and radiocarbon determinations from mid- to late Holocene contexts. Prehuman records of the island’s flora and fauna are described utilizing landsnail, insect, and botanical data, providing a palaeo-backdrop for later anthropogenic change. Several environmental processes, including sea level change, island subsidence, and anthropogenic alterations, leading to changes in sedimentary budget have operated on Mo‘orea coastlines from c. 4600 to 200 BP. We document significant transformation of littoral and lowland zones which obscured earlier human activities and created significant changes in vegetation and other biota. Beginning as early as 440 BP (1416–1490 cal. ad), a major phase of sedimentary deposition commenced which can only be attributed to anthropogenic effects. At several sites, between 1.8 and 3.0 m of terrigenous sediments accumulated within a span of two to three centuries due to active slope erosion and deposition on the coastal flats. This phase correlates with the period of major inland expansion of Polynesian occupation and intensive agriculture on the island, indicated by the presence of charcoal throughout the sediments, including wood charcoal from several economically important tree species.

Shedder status— An analysis of self and non-self DNA in multiple handprints deposited by the same individuals over time

There are several studies that suggest that different people deposit different quantities of their own DNA on items they touch, i.e. some are good shedders and others are bad shedders. It is of interest to determine if individuals deposit consistent quantities of their own DNA, no matter the occasion, as well as the degree of variability among individuals. To investigate this, participants were tested for their ability to deposit DNA by placing right and left handprints on separate DNA-free glass plates at three set times during the day (morning, midday and afternoon) on four different days spaced over several weeks. Information regarding recent activities performed by the individual was recorded, along with information on gender, hand dominance and hand size. A total of 240 handprint deposits were collected from 10 individuals and analyzed for differences in DNA quantity and the type of the DNA profile obtained at different times of the day, on different days, between the two hands of the same individual, and between different individuals. Furthermore, the correlation between the deposit quantity and the ratio of self to non-self DNA in the mixed deposits was analyzed to determine if the amount of non-self DNA has an effect on overall DNA quantities obtained. In general, this study has shown that while there is substantial variation in the quantities deposited by individuals on different occasions, some clear trends were evident with some individuals consistently depositing significantly more or less DNA than others. Non-self DNA was usually deposited along with self DNA and, in most instances, was the minor component. Incidents where the non-self portion was the major component were very rare and, when observed, were associated with a poor depositor/shedder. Forensic DNA scientists need to consider the range and variability of DNA a person deposits when touching an object, the likelihood of non-self DNA being co-deposited onto the handled object of interest and the factors that may affect the relative quantity of this component within the deposit.

Dry sliding wear of active screen plasma carburised austenitic stainless steel

Low temperature diffusion treatments with nitrogen and carbon have been widely used to increase the tribological performance of austenitic stainless steels. These processes produce a layer of supersaturated austenite, usually called expanded austenite or S-phase, which exhibits good corrosion and wear resistance. The novel active screen technology is said to provide benefits over the conventional DC plasma technology. The improvements result from the reduction in the electric potential applied to the treated components, and the elimination of such defects and processing instabilities as edge effects, hollow cathode effects and arcing. In this study, AISI 316 coupon samples were plasma carburised in DC and active screen plasma furnaces. The respective layers of carbon expanded austenite were characterised and their tribological performance was studied and compared. Detailed post-test examinations included SEM observations of the wear tracks and of the wear debris, EDX mapping of the wear track, EBSD crystal orientation mapping of the cross sections of the wear tracks, and cross-sectional TEM. Based on the results of wear tests and post-test examinations, the wear mechanisms involved are discussed.