Information pertaining to farm, home, and community : with special reference to type-of-farming area.

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Growth performance and management of a mixed rainforest tree plantation

Monoculture plantations of Pinus, Eucalyptus and Acacia have been established oil rainforest lands throughout the world. However, this type of reforestation generally supplies low quality timber and contributes to landscape simplification. Alternatives to exotic monoculture plantations are now beginning to gain momentum with farmers and landholders attempting to establish a variety of rainforest trees in small plantations. When compared to the well studied commercial species, knowledge concerning the growth and management of many of these rainforest species is in its infancy. To help expand this limited knowledge base an experimental plantation of 16 rainforest tree species in a randomised design was established near Mt. Mee, in south-eastern Queensland, Australia. Changes in growth, form (based on stem straightness, branch size and branchiness), crown diameters and leaf area of each species were examined over 5 years. Patterns of height growth were also measured monthly for 31 months. Species in this trial could be separated into three groups based on their overall growth after 5 years and their growth patterns. Early successional status, low timber density, high maximum photosynthetic rates and large total leaf areas were generally correlated to rapid height growth. Several species (including Araucaria cunninghamii, Elaeocarpus grandis, Flindersia brayleyana, Grevillea robusta and Khaya nyasica) had above average form and growth, while all species in the trial had considerable potential to have increased productivity through tree selection. As canopy closure occurred at the site between years four and five, growth increments declined. To reduce stand competition a number of different thinning techniques could be employed. However, simple geometric or productivity based thinnings appear to be inappropriate management techniques for this mixed species stand as they would either remove many of the best performing trees or nearly half the species in the trial. Alternatively, a form based thinning would maintain the site's diversity, increase the average form of the plantation and provide some productivity benefits.

Linking physiological processes with mangrove forest structure: phosphorus deficiency limits canopy development, hydraulic conductivity and photosynthetic carbon gain in dwarf Rhizophora mangle

Spatial gradients in mangrove tree height in barrier islands of Belize are associated with nutrient deficiency and sustained flooding in the absence of a salinity gradient. While nutrient deficiency is likely to affect many parameters, here we show that addition of phosphorus (P) to dwarf mangroves stimulated increases in diameters of xylem vessels, area of conductive xylem tissue and leaf area index (LAI) of the canopy. These changes in structure were consistent with related changes in function, as addition of P also increased hydraulic conductivity (K-s), stomatal conductance and photosynthetic assimilation rates to the same levels measured in taller trees fringing the seaward margin of the mangrove. Increased xylem vessel size and corresponding enhancements in stern hydraulic conductivity in P fertilized dwarf trees came at the cost of enhanced midday loss of hydraulic conductivity and was associated with decreased assimilation rates in the afternoon. Analysis of trait plasticity identifies hydraulic properties of trees as more plastic than those of leaf structural and physiological characteristics, implying that hydraulic properties are key in controlling growth in mangroves. Alleviation of P deficiency, which released trees from hydraulic limitations, reduced the structural and functional distinctions between dwarf and taller fringing tree forms of Rhizophora mangle.

Mechanisms of hematopoietic stem cell mobilization: When innate immunity assails the cells that make blood and bone

Mobilization is now used worldwide to collect large numbers of hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs) for transplantation. Although the first mobilizing agents were discovered largely by accident, discovery of more efficient mobilizing agents will require a better understanding of the molecular mechanisms responsible. During the past 5 years, a number of mechanisms have been identified, shedding new light on the dynamics of the hematopoietic system in vivo and on the intricate relationship between hematopoiesis, innate immunity, and bone. After briefly reviewing the mechanisms by which circulating HSPCs home into the bone marrow and what keeps them there, the current knowledge of mechanisms responsible for HSPC mobilization in response to hematopoietic growth factors such as granulocyte colony-stimulating factor, chemotherapy, chemokines, and polyanions will be discussed together with current strategies developed to further increase HSPC mobilization. (c) 2006 International Society for Experimental Hematology.

Neuronal convergence in early contrast vision: binocular summation is followed by response nonlinearity and area summation

We assessed summation of contrast across eyes and area at detection threshold ( C t). Stimuli were sine-wave gratings (2.5 c/deg) spatially modulated by cosine- and anticosine-phase raised plaids (0.5 c/deg components oriented at ±45°). When presented dichoptically the signal regions were interdigitated across eyes but produced a smooth continuous grating following their linear binocular sum. The average summation ratio ( C t1/([ C t1+2]) for this stimulus pair was 1.64 (4.3 dB). This was only slightly less than the binocular summation found for the same patch type presented to both eyes, and the area summation found for the two different patch types presented to the same eye. We considered 192 model architectures containing each of the following four elements in all possible orders: (i) linear summation or a MAX operator across eyes, (ii) linear summation or a MAX operator across area, (iii) linear or accelerating contrast transduction, and (iv) additive Gaussian, stochastic noise. Formal equivalences reduced this to 62 different models. The most successful four-element model was: linear summation across eyes followed by nonlinear contrast transduction, linear summation across area, and late noise. Model performance was enhanced when additional nonlinearities were placed before binocular summation and after area summation. The implications for models of probability summation and uncertainty are discussed.

Women’s adaptation to STEM domains promotes resilience and a lesser reliance on heuristic thinking

Experiences that compel people to challenge social stereotypes can promote enhanced cognitive flexibility on a range of judgmental domains. Women in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) fields are chronically exposed to such experiences and may therefore also demonstrate these benefits. Two studies examined the differential effects of counterstereotypical experiences on women from STEM and non-STEM fields. Results showed that imagining or recollecting these experiences led women from STEM fields to exhibit a lesser reliance on heuristic thinking compared to women from non-STEM fields, and this difference was mediated by self-perceived resilience to the negative impact of gender stereotyping. Implications for psychologists’ and educators’ understanding of the relationship between counterstereotypical experiences and heuristic thinking are discussed.

Growth and gas exchange responses of Brazilian pepper (Schinus terebinthifolius) and native South Florida species to salinity

Schinus terebinthifolius Raddi (Schinus) is an invasive exotic species widely found in disturbed and native communities of Florida. This species has been shown to displace native species as well as alter community structure and function. The purpose of this study was to determine if the growth and gas exchange patterns of Schinus, under differing salinity conditions, were different from native species. Two native upland glycophytic species (Rapanea punctata and Randia aculeata) and two native mangrove species (Rhizophora mangle and Laguncularia racemosa) were compared with the exotic. Overall, the exotics morphologic changes and gas exchange patterns were most similar to R. mangle. Across treatments, increasing salinity decreased relative growth rate (RGR), leaf area ratio (LAR) and specific leaf area (SLA) but did not affect root/shoot ratios (R:S). Allocation patterns were however significantly different among species. The largest proportion of Schinus biomass was allocated to stems (47%), resulting in plants that were generally taller than the other species. Schinus also had the highest SLA and largest total leaf area of all species. This meant that the exotic, which was taller and had thinner leaves, was potentially able to maintain photosynthetic area comparable to native species. Schinus response patterns show that this exotic exhibits some physiological tolerance for saline conditions. Coupled with its biomass allocation patterns (more stem biomass and large area of thin leaves), the growth traits of this exotic potentially provide this species an advantage over native plants in terms of light acquisition in a brackish forested ecosystem.

Area-Wide Job Access and Reverse Commute Transportation Plan

A Job Access project focuses on implementing new or expanded transportation services, targeted at filling transportation gaps and designed to transport welfare recipients and low-income individuals to and from jobs and other employment-related activities such as child care or training.

Rethinking the STEM fields: the importance of definitions in examining women's participation and success in the sciences

This study uses longitudinal data of undergraduate students from five public land-grant universities to better understand undergraduate students’ persistence in and switching of majors, with particular attention given to women’s participation in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) fields. Specifically, the study examines patterns of behavior of women and minorities in relation to initial choice of college major and major field persistence, as well as what majors students switched to upon changing majors. Factors that impact major field persistence are also examined, as well as how switching majors affects students’ time-to-degree. Using a broad definition of STEM, data from nearly 17,000 undergraduate students was analyzed with descriptive statistics, cross tabulations, and binary logistic regressions. The results highlight women’s high levels of participation and success in the sciences, challenging common notions of underrepresentation in the STEM fields. The study calls for researchers to use a comprehensive definition of STEM and broad measurements of persistence when investigating students’ participation in the STEM fields.

Functional studies of lignin biosynthesis genes and putative flowering gene in Miscanthus x giganteus and studies on indolyl glucosinolate biosynthesis and translocation in Brassica oleracea

The first topic area of this thesis involved studies on the accumulation and translocation of glucosinolates (GSs), bioactive secondary plant compounds, in broccoli plants. Changes in GS accumulation and gene expression levels in response to exogeneous methyl jasmonate (MeJA) treatment were analyzed in different tissue types at different developmental stages of broccoli. Greater accumulation of GSs with MeJA treatment was observed in apical leaves of broccoli seedlings and florets of plants at harvest maturity. Increases in indolyl GS in apical leaves of seedlings and florets were coupled with the up-regulation of indolyl GS biosynthesis genes. The accumulation of indolyl GSs appears to be modulated by MeJA treatment in an organ-specific manner for optimal distribution of defense substances in the plant. Metabolic profiling of hydrophilic metabolites using GC-MS demonstrated increased accumulation of various phenolics, ascorbates and amino acids in broccoli tissues after MeJA treatment. Distinct changes in carbohydrate levels observed between different tissues (vegetative leaves and floret tissues) of broccoli plants after treatment suggest that carbon metabolism is differentially modulated by MeJA treatment in different tissue types depending on sink-source relationships. Reduced levels of hexose sugars and tricarboxylic acid intermediates after MeJA treatment may reflect the increased requirement for carbon and energy needed to drive secondary product biosynthesis to accumulate metabolites for defense against insects and other herbivores. Substantial increases of indolyl and aromatic GSs after exogenous treatment with MeJA in stem and petioles of seedlings and the existence of intact indolyl-GS forms in phloem exudates suggest enhanced de novo synthesis in combination with active transport. Indoly GSs share structural similarities with the auxin, IAA, and may interact with components of the auxin transport system for intra- and extra-cellular transport or translocation. Application of the auxin efflux inhibitor, 1-naphthylphthalamic acid (NPA) reduced MeJA-mediated accumulation of indolyl GSs in broccoli florets and seedling tissues. NPA did not inhibit expression of indolyl GS biosynthesis genes shown to be upregulated by MeJA treatment or the accumulation of tryptophan, the amino acid precursor of indolyl GSs. Exogenous application of benzyl GS to Arabidopsis roots induced ectopic expression of the PIN1 protein associated with the auxin transport system similar to treatment with NPA, again suggesting GS interaction with the auxin efflux carrier system. The inhibitory effect of NPA on MeJA-mediated accumulation of GS may be due to competitive binding of NPA to auxin efflux carrier components and that GS transport is mediated by the auxin transport system. The inhibitory effect of NPA on indolyl and aromatic GS accumulation and the bioactivity of exogenous treatment of these GS compounds in PIN1 localization, Arabidopsis root growth, and gravitrophic response suggest that indolyl and aromatic GSs may be antagonistic to IAA transport and biosynthesis. Indolyl and aromatic GSs can also be potentially converted into IAA by hydrolysis. This intrinsic feature of GSs may be the part of a sophisticated regulatory process where the metabolic pathways in the plant shift from active growth to a reversible defense posture in response to biotic or abiotic stress. It seems likely that indolyl and aromatic GSs are important compounds that provide connections between jasmonate and auxin signaling. Further studies are required to reveal the regulatory mechanism for crosstalk between the two hormones. The third part of this research was to investigate effect of selenium fertilization and MeJA treatment on accumulation of GSs in broccoli florets. Increasing dietary intake of the element selenium (Se) has been shown to reduce the risk of cancer. Simultaneous enhancement of both Se and GS concentrations in broccoli floret tissue were conducted through the combined treatment of MeJA with Se fertilization. A low level of Se fertilization (concentration) with MeJA treatment displayed no significant changes in total aliphatic GS concentrations with 90% and 50% increases in indolyl and total GSs concentrations, respectively. This result suggests that Se- and GS-enriched broccoli with improved health-promoting properties can be generated by this combined treatment. The second topic of this thesis was conducted to provide basic information required to improve biomass quality and productivity and develop tools for gene transformation in Miscanthus x giganteus. The perennial rhizomatous grass, Miscanthus x giganteus is an ideal biomass crop due to its rapid vegetative growth and high biomass yield potential. As a naturally occurring sterile hybrid, M. x giganteus must be propagated vegetatively by mechanicalling divided rhizomes or from micropropagated plantlets. The effect of callus type, age and culture methods on regeneration competence was studied to improve regeneration efficiency and shorten the period of tissue culture in M. x giganteus propagation. Seven lignin biosynthesis genes and one putative flowering gene were isolated from M. x giganteus by PCR reactions using maize othologous sequences. Southern hybridization and nuclear DNA content analysis indicated that the genes isolated from M. x giganteus exist in the genome of other Miscanthus species as multiple copies. Analysis of lignin content and histological staining of lignin deposition indicated that higher lignin content is found in mature stem node tissues compared to young leaves and apical stem nodal tissues. Cell wall lignification is associated with increasing tissue maturity in Miscanthus species. RNAi and antisense constructs harboring sequences of these genes were developed to generate Miscanthus transgenic plants with suppressed of lignin biosynthesis and delayed flowering.

Correlation between urban form and PM2.5 concentration — Evidence from the New York metropolitan Area and Shanghai city

With the development of the economy and society, air pollution has posed a huge threat to public health around the world, especially to people who live in urban areas. Typically, urban development patterns can be roughly divided into compact cities and urban sprawl. In recent years, the relationship between urban form and air quality (especially PM2.5) is gaining more and more attention from urban planners, environmentalists, and governments. This study is focusing on The New York metropolitan area and Shanghai city, which are both megacities but with different urban spatial forms. For both study areas,there are five main variables to measure the urban form metrics, naming Population Density, Artificial Land Area Per Ten Thousand People, Road Density, Green Land Area Ratio and Artificial Land Area Ratio. In addition, considering the impact of economic activities and public transportation, GDP per capita, Number of bus stop and Number of subway station are used as control variables. Based on the results of regression, a megacity like the New York metropolitan area with urban sprawl shows a low spatial correlation on PM2.5 concentration. Meanwhile, almost all the spatial form indicators effect on PM2.5 concentration is not significant. However, a compact megacity like Shanghai shows a diametrically opposite result. Urban form, especially population density, has a strong relationship with PM2.5 concentration. It can be predicted that a reduction in population density would lead to significant improvements on decrease the PM2.5 concentration in Shanghai. Meanwhile, increasing the ratio of green land and construction area per capita will get a positive influence on reducing PM2.5 concentration as well. Road density is not a significant factor for a megacity in both two urban forms. The way and type of energy used by vehicles on megacities maybe more critical.

Antibody Recognition Of Plasmodium Falciparum Infected Red Blood Cells By Symptomatic And Asymptomatic Individuals In The Brazilian Amazon.

In the Amazon Region, there is a virtual absence of severe malaria and few fatal cases of naturally occurring Plasmodium falciparum infections; this presents an intriguing and underexplored area of research. In addition to the rapid access of infected persons to effective treatment, one cause of this phenomenon might be the recognition of cytoadherent variant proteins on the infected red blood cell (IRBC) surface, including the var gene encoded P. falciparum erythrocyte membrane protein 1. In order to establish a link between cytoadherence, IRBC surface antibody recognition and the presence or absence of malaria symptoms, we phenotype-selected four Amazonian P. falciparum isolates and the laboratory strain 3D7 for their cytoadherence to CD36 and ICAM1 expressed on CHO cells. We then mapped the dominantly expressed var transcripts and tested whether antibodies from symptomatic or asymptomatic infections showed a differential recognition of the IRBC surface. As controls, the 3D7 lineages expressing severe disease-associated phenotypes were used. We showed that there was no profound difference between the frequency and intensity of antibody recognition of the IRBC-exposed P. falciparum proteins in symptomatic vs. asymptomatic infections. The 3D7 lineages, which expressed severe malaria-associated phenotypes, were strongly recognised by most, but not all plasmas, meaning that the recognition of these phenotypes is frequent in asymptomatic carriers, but is not necessarily a prerequisite to staying free of symptoms.

[access To Basic Health Services And Associated Factors: A Population-based Study].

This study sought to identify factors involved in access to the services of a basic health unit. It is a cross-sectional, population-based study involving 101 randomly-selected families residing in the area covered by the health unit. An adult resident of each household was interviewed. The response variable was whether or not the resident frequented the health unit if he/she or anyone in the family required assistance to resolve a health issue. The independent variables investigated were service provision aspects, demographic and socio-economic characteristics, individual habits, morbidities and use of the health unit. In addition to descriptive and univariate analysis, logistic regression was applied in the multivariate analysis. The results show that access to the basic health unit is associated with the treatment received previously (OR = 3,224) with accessibility (OR = 0,146) and micro-area of residence (OR = 10,918). These findings suggest that access is related to the impressions created by the care received at the health unit and is based on experiences with the service, but can also be strongly modulated by individual aspects and factors related to the territory.

Vagotomy Ameliorates Islet Morphofunction And Body Metabolic Homeostasis In Msg-obese Rats.

The parasympathetic nervous system is important for β-cell secretion and mass regulation. Here, we characterized involvement of the vagus nerve in pancreatic β-cell morphofunctional regulation and body nutrient homeostasis in 90-day-old monosodium glutamate (MSG)-obese rats. Male newborn Wistar rats received MSG (4 g/kg body weight) or saline [control (CTL) group] during the first 5 days of life. At 30 days of age, both groups of rats were submitted to sham-surgery (CTL and MSG groups) or subdiaphragmatic vagotomy (Cvag and Mvag groups). The 90-day-old MSG rats presented obesity, hyperinsulinemia, insulin resistance, and hypertriglyceridemia. Their pancreatic islets hypersecreted insulin in response to glucose but did not increase insulin release upon carbachol (Cch) stimulus, despite a higher intracellular Ca2+ mobilization. Furthermore, while the pancreas weight was 34% lower in MSG rats, no alteration in islet and β-cell mass was observed. However, in the MSG pancreas, increases of 51% and 55% were observed in the total islet and β-cell area/pancreas section, respectively. Also, the β-cell number per β-cell area was 19% higher in MSG rat pancreas than in CTL pancreas. Vagotomy prevented obesity, reducing 25% of body fat stores and ameliorated glucose homeostasis in Mvag rats. Mvag islets demonstrated partially reduced insulin secretion in response to 11.1 mM glucose and presented normalization of Cch-induced Ca2+ mobilization and insulin release. All morphometric parameters were similar among Mvag and CTL rat pancreases. Therefore, the higher insulin release in MSG rats was associated with greater β-cell/islet numbers and not due to hypertrophy. Vagotomy improved whole body nutrient homeostasis and endocrine pancreatic morphofunction in Mvag rats.

Validity and reliability of methods for the detection of secondary caries around amalgam restorations in primary teeth

Secondary caries has been reported as the main reason for restoration replacement. The aim of this in vitro study was to evaluate the performance of different methods - visual inspection, laser fluorescence (DIAGNOdent), radiography and tactile examination - for secondary caries detection in primary molars restored with amalgam. Fifty-four primary molars were photographed and 73 suspect sites adjacent to amalgam restorations were selected. Two examiners evaluated independently these sites using all methods. Agreement between examiners was assessed by the Kappa test. To validate the methods, a caries-detector dye was used after restoration removal. The best cut-off points for the sample were found by a Receiver Operator Characteristic (ROC) analysis, and the area under the ROC curve (Az), and the sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of the methods were calculated for enamel (D2) and dentine (D3) thresholds. These parameters were found for each method and then compared by the McNemar test. The tactile examination and visual inspection presented the highest inter-examiner agreement for the D2 and D3 thresholds, respectively. The visual inspection also showed better performance than the other methods for both thresholds (Az = 0.861 and Az = 0.841, respectively). In conclusion, the visual inspection presented the best performance for detecting enamel and dentin secondary caries in primary teeth restored with amalgam.