Historical comparisons reveal multiple drivers of decadal change of an ecosystem engineer at the range edge

Biogenic reefs are important for habitat provision and coastal protection. Long-term datasets on the distribution and abundance of Sabellaria alveolata (L.) are available from Britain. The aim of this study was to combine historical records and contemporary data to (1) describe spatiotemporal variation in winter temperatures, (2) document short-term and long-term changes in the distribution and abundance of S. alveolata and discuss these changes in relation to extreme weather events and recent warming, and (3) assess the potential for artificial coastal defense structures to function as habitat for S. alveolata. A semi-quantitative abundance scale (ACFOR) was used to compare broadscale, long-term and interannual abundance of S. alveolata near its range edge in NW Britain. S. alveolata disappeared from the North Wales and Wirral coastlines where it had been abundant prior to the cold winter of 1962/1963. Population declines were also observed following the recent cold winters of 2009/2010 and 2010/2011. Extensive surveys in 2004 and 2012 revealed that S. alveolata had recolonized locations from which it had previously disappeared. Furthermore, it had increased in abundance at many locations, possibly in response to recent warming. S. alveolata was recorded on the majority of artificial coastal defense structures surveyed, suggesting that the proliferation of artificial coastal defense structures along this stretch of coastline may have enabled S. alveolata to spread across stretches of unsuitable natural habitat. Long-term and broadscale contextual monitoring is essential for monitoring responses of organisms to climate change. Historical data and gray literature can be invaluable sources of information. Our results support the theory that Lusitanian species are responding positively to climate warming but also that short-term extreme weather events can have potentially devastating widespread and lasting effects on organisms. Furthermore, the proliferation of coastal defense structures has implications for phylogeography, population genetics, and connectivity of coastal populations.

Historical comparisons reveal multiple drivers of decadal change of an ecosystem engineer at the range edge

Biogenic reefs are important for habitat provision and coastal protection. Long-term datasets on the distribution and abundance of Sabellaria alveolata (L.) are available from Britain. The aim of this study was to combine historical records and contemporary data to (1) describe spatiotemporal variation in winter temperatures, (2) document short-term and long-term changes in the distribution and abundance of S. alveolata and discuss these changes in relation to extreme weather events and recent warming, and (3) assess the potential for artificial coastal defense structures to function as habitat for S. alveolata. A semi-quantitative abundance scale (ACFOR) was used to compare broadscale, long-term and interannual abundance of S. alveolata near its range edge in NW Britain. S. alveolata disappeared from the North Wales and Wirral coastlines where it had been abundant prior to the cold winter of 1962/1963. Population declines were also observed following the recent cold winters of 2009/2010 and 2010/2011. Extensive surveys in 2004 and 2012 revealed that S. alveolata had recolonized locations from which it had previously disappeared. Furthermore, it had increased in abundance at many locations, possibly in response to recent warming. S. alveolata was recorded on the majority of artificial coastal defense structures surveyed, suggesting that the proliferation of artificial coastal defense structures along this stretch of coastline may have enabled S. alveolata to spread across stretches of unsuitable natural habitat. Long-term and broadscale contextual monitoring is essential for monitoring responses of organisms to climate change. Historical data and gray literature can be invaluable sources of information. Our results support the theory that Lusitanian species are responding positively to climate warming but also that short-term extreme weather events can have potentially devastating widespread and lasting effects on organisms. Furthermore, the proliferation of coastal defense structures has implications for phylogeography, population genetics, and connectivity of coastal populations.

Characterization of IGH locus breakpoints in multiple myeloma indicates a subset of translocations appear to occur in pregerminal center B cells.

Translocations in myeloma are thought to occur solely in mature B cells in the germinal center through class switch recombination (CSR). We used a targeted captured technique followed by massively parallel sequencing to determine the exact breakpoints in both the immunoglobulin heavy chain (IGH) locus and the partner chromosome in 61 presentation multiple myeloma samples. The majority of samples (62%) have a breakpoint within the switch regions upstream of the IGH constant genes and are generated through CSR in a mature B cell. However, the proportion of CSR translocations is not consistent between cytogenetic subgroups. We find that 100% of t(4;14) are CSR-mediated; however, 21% of t(11;14) and 25% of t(14;20) are generated through DH-JH recombination activation gene-mediated mechanisms, indicating they occur earlier in B-cell development at the pro-B-cell stage in the bone marrow. These 2 groups also generate translocations through receptor revision, as determined by the breakpoints and mutation status of the segments used in 10% and 50% of t(11;14) and t(14;20) samples, respectively. The study indicates that in a significant number of cases the translocation-based etiological events underlying myeloma may arise at the pro-B-cell hematological progenitor cell level, much earlier in B-cell development than was previously thought.

Qualitative Comparative Analysis as a Tool for Concept Clarification, Typology Building, and Contextualized Comparisons in Gender and Feminist Research

Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA) is a method for the systematic analysis of cases. A holistic view of cases and an approach to causality emphasizing complexity are some of its core features. Over the last decades, QCA has found application in many fields of the social sciences. In spite of this, its use in feminist research has been slower, and only recently QCA has been applied to topics related to social care, the political representation of women, and reproductive politics. In spite of the comparative turn in feminist studies, researchers still privilege qualitative methods, in particular case studies, and are often skeptical of quantitative techniques (Spierings 2012). These studies show that the meaning and measurement of many gender concepts differ across countries and that the factors leading to feminist success and failure are context specific. However, case study analyses struggle to systematically account for the ways in which these forces operate in different locations.

Resident’s Perceptions on Impacts of Hosting the Guimaraes 2012 European Capital of Culture: Comparisons of the Pre- and Post Periods

Residents tend to have high expectations regarding the benefits of hosting a mega- event, in particular the creation of new infrastructure, growth in GDP and employ- ment, image enhancement and the spin-offs of attracting tourists and fostering sustainable growth of the cultural supply (Jeong and Faulkner 1996; Deccio and Baloglu 2002; Gursoy and Kendall 2006; Getz 2008; Langen and Garcia 2009; Ritchie et al. 2009; Gursoy et al. 2011; Palonen 2011). Nevertheless, they normally recognise that some costs will be incurred (Kim and Petrick 2005; Kim et al. 2006; Ritchie et al. 2009; Gursoy et al. 2011; Lee et al. 2013). So, it was not surprising that the nomination of Guimaraes, a small city in the northwest of Portugal, as one of the two European Capitals of Culture in 2012 (2012 ECOC), had raised great expectations in the local community vis- a-vis its socio-economic and cultural benefits. Our research was designed to examine the Guimar~aes residents’ perceptions of the impacts of hosting the 2012 ECOC, approached at two different times: before and after the event, to try and capture the evolution of the residents’ assessment of its impacts. From the empirical literature, we know that residents’ perceived impacts tend to change as time goes by (Kim et al. 2006; Ritchie et al. 2009; Gursoy et al. 2011; Lee et al. 2013). The data were gathered via two surveys applied to Guimaraes residents, one in 2011, before the event, and the other afterwards, in 2013. The Guimaraes residents’ assessment was thought to be essential to get an accurate appraisal of the impact of the mega-event as they were a main part of the hosting process. 2012 ECOC impacts were mainly felt by local people who, in most cases, will go on feeling them in the short and long term. The research was thought to be socially pertinent as the opinions collected through the surveys can help to prevent repeating mistakes when similar mega- events are organised in the future, and to increase the positive impacts derived from hosting them. When we talk about the social pertinence of the empirical results, we want to stress that the expertise acquired can be useful to any host city or country.

Tidal Energy ”Round Robin” Tests Comparisons between towing tank and circulating tank results

One key step of the industrial development of a tidal energy device is the testing of scale prototype devices within a controlled laboratory environment. At present, there is no available experimental protocol which addresses in a quantitative manner the differences which can be expected between results obtained from the different types of facilities currently employed for this type of testing. As a consequence, where differences between results are found it has been difficult to confirm the extent to which these differences relate to the device performance or to the test facility type. In the present study, a comparative ”Round Robin” testing programme has been conducted as part of the EC FP VII MaRINET program in order to evaluate the impact of different experimental facilities on the test results. The aim of the trials was to test the same model tidal turbine in four different test facilities to explore the sensitivity of the results to the choice of facility. The facilities comprised two towing tanks, of very different size, and two circulating water channels. Performance assessments in terms of torque, drag and inflow speed showed very similar results in all facilities. However, expected differences between the different tank types (circulating and towing) were observed in the fluctuations of torque and drag measurements. The main facility parameters which can influence the behaviour of the turbine were identified; in particular the effect of blockage was shown to be significant in cases yielding for high thrust coefficients, even at relatively small blockage ratios.

The magical realism of metaphor: cross-cultural comparisons in use of metaphor in cognition

Three experiments explore the hypothesis that due to linguistic and cultural factors, metaphor usage – or thinking in terms of what something is like – differs across cultures. In Experiment 1, a lexical decision task supported the hypothesis that perception of what something is like tends to be faster and more automatic in Latino participants than in Anglo participants. In Experiment 2, Anglo participants were less able to solve a problem framed metaphorically than Latino participants were. To ensure that a preference for metaphor is not applicable to all bilingual populations, we included bilingual Asian participants in Experiment 3. In this study, Latino participants rated arguments presented with metaphors as more persuasive than arguments that did not have metaphors, while the opposite pattern was found in Anglo and Asian participants. The findings from these three studies provide support for the hypothesis that the Latino preference for metaphor is real and pervasive. Implications in the domains of education and public health interventions are briefly noted.

A SUBSET OF 3´ TO 5´ EXORIBONUCLEASES ARE THE PRIMARY ENZYMES RESPONSIBLE FOR THE DEGRADATION OF PGPG IN CYCLIC DI-GMP SIGNALING

Bis-(3´-5´)-cyclic dimeric guanosine monophosphate, or cyclic di-GMP (c-di-GMP) is a ubiquitous bacterial second messenger that regulates processes such biofilm formation, motility, and virulence. C-di-GMP is synthesized by diguanylate cyclases (DGCs), while phosphodiesterases (PDE-As) end signaling by linearizing c-di-GMP to 5ʹ-phosphoguanylyl-(3ʹ,5ʹ)-guanosine (pGpG), which is then hydrolyzed to two GMPs by previously unidentified enzymes termed PDE-Bs. To identify the PDE-B responsible for pGpG turnover, a screen for pGpG binding proteins in a Vibrio cholerae open reading frame library was conducted to identify potential pGpG binding proteins. This screen led to identification of oligoribonuclease (Orn). Purified Orn binds to pGpG and can cleave pGpG to GMP in vitro. A deletion mutant of orn in Pseudomonas aeruginosa was highly defective in pGpG turnover and accumulated pGpG. Deletion of orn also resulted in accumulation c-di-GMP, likely through pGpG-mediated inhibition of the PDE-As, causing an increase in c-di-GMP-governed auto-aggregation and biofilm. Thus, we found that Orn serves as the primary PDE-B enzyme in P. aeruginosa that removes pGpG, which is necessary to complete the final step in the c-di-GMP degradation pathway. However, not all bacteria that utilize c-di-GMP signaling also have an ortholog of orn, suggesting that other PDE-Bs must be present. Therefore, we asked whether RNases that cleave small oligoribonucleotides in other species could also act as PDE-Bs. NrnA, NrnB, and NrnC can rapidly degrade pGpG to GMP. Furthermore, they can reduce the elevated aggregation and biofilm formation in P. aeruginosa ∆orn. Together, these results indicate that rather than having a single dedicated PDE-B, different bacteria utilize distinct RNases to cleave pGpG and complete c-di-GMP signaling. The ∆orn strain also has a growth defect, indicating changes in other regulatory processes that could be due to pGpG accumulation, c-di-GMP accumulation, or another effect due to loss of Orn. We sought to investigate the genetic pathways responsible for these growth defect phenotypes by use of a transposon suppressor screen, and also investigated transcriptional changes using RNA-Seq. This work identifies that c-di-GMP degradation intersects with RNA degradation at the point of the Orn and the functionally related RNases.

Effects of efficient fronto-temporal circuitry on lexical ambiguity resolution: converging evidence from cross-age comparisons in eye-tracking and ERP data

Eye-tracking was used to examine how younger and older adults use syntactic and semantic information to disambiguate noun/verb (NV) homographs (e.g., park). We find that young adults exhibit inflated first fixations to NV-homographs when only syntactic cues are available for disambiguation (i.e., in syntactic prose). This effect is eliminated with the addition of disambiguating semantic information. Older adults (60+) as a group fail to show the first fixation effect in syntactic prose; they instead reread NV homographs longer. This pattern mirrors that in prior event-related potential work (Lee & Federmeier, 2009, 2011), which reported a sustained frontal negativity to NV-homographs in syntactic prose for young adults, which was eliminated by semantic constraints. The frontal negativity was not observed in older adults as a group, although older adults with high verbal fluency showed the young-like pattern. Analyses of individual differences in eye-tracking patterns revealed a similar effect of verbal fluency in both young and older adults: high verbal fluency groups of both ages show larger first fixation effects, while low verbal fluency groups show larger downstream costs (rereading and/or refixating NV homographs). Jointly, the eye-tracking and ERP data suggest that effortful meaning selection recruits frontal brain areas important for suppressing contextually inappropriate meanings, which also slows eye movements. Efficacy of fronto-temporal circuitry, as captured by verbal fluency, predicts the success of engaging these mechanisms in both young and older adults. Failure to recruit these processes requires compensatory rereading or leads to comprehension failures (Lee & Federmeier, in press).

Linfócitos T : uma análise do perfil diferencial da expressão gênica na imunorregulação

Tese (doutorado)—Universidade de Brasília, Faculdade de Medicina, Pós-Graduação em Patologia Molecular, 2016.

Teaching Communications, Cultures, Connections, Comparisons, and Communities with Multimedia: A University-Middle School Service-Learning Project

Se describe el uso de tecnología en forma de presentaciones de multimedia para facilitar la enseñanza de las Normas para el Aprendizaje de una Lengua Extranjera del Concilio Americano para la Enseñanza de Lenguas extranjeras. Las normas abarcan las comunicaciones, las culturas, las conexiones, las comparaciones y las comunidades. El estudiantado universitario aprende a crear, con multimedia, presentaciones sobre un tema cultural en la lengua meta. El componente de aprendizaje por servicio comunitario se fundamenta en las presentaciones creadas para estudiantes de colegio, quienes tienen acceso a las presentaciones en un sitio web de la universidad.A description is provided of how the use of technology in the form of multimedia presentations enhances the teaching of the Five C Standards for Foreign Language Learning of the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages: communications, cultures, connections, comparisons, and communities. University students learn to create multimedia presentations on a cultural topic in the target language. The service-learning component provides the multimedia presentations for middle-school students who access them from the university website.

Shallow Groundwater Quality and Geochemistry in the Shields River Basin, South-Central Montana

Water samples were collected from 33 domestic wells, 2 springs, and 3 streams in the Shields River Basin (Basin) in southwest Montana. Samples were collected in 2013 to describe the chemical quality of groundwater in the Basin. Sampling was done to assess potential impacts to water quality from recent exploratory oil and gas drilling and to establish baseline water quality conditions. Wells were selected in areas near and away from oil and gas drilling and in areas susceptible to contamination. Water samples from surface water sites were collected in October to characterize base flow conditions. Physical characteristics of the land surface, soils, and shallow aquifers were used to assess groundwater susceptibility to contamination from the land surface. This analysis was completed using GIS. Samples were analyzed for major ions, trace metals, water isotopes of oxygen and hydrogen. A subset (24) of samples were analyzed for tritium and organic constituents (GRO, DRO, BTEX, methane, ethylene, and ethane). One sample exceeded the human health drinking water standard for selenium. Dissolved methane and ethylene gas were detected in six samples at concentrations less than 0.184 milligrams per liter. Three locations were resampled in 2014, and no methane or ethylene was detected. Shallow groundwater and streams are generally calcium- or sodium-bicarbonate type water with total dissolved solids concentration less than 300 milligrams per liter. Some wells produce either sodium-chloride or sodium-sulfate type water suggesting slower flow paths and more rock-water interaction. Tritium concentrations suggest that older water (TU< 0.8), recharged prior to the mid-1950’s, is generally sodium type, whereas younger water (TU > 4) is generally a calcium type. Water-quality data from this study were compared to available historic data in the Basin. Additionally, the USGS Produced Waters Geochemical database was queried for chemical data of produced waters from reservoir rocks throughout Montana and the surrounding states. Comparisons to historic and produced water chemical data suggest no impact to shallow groundwater quality from exploratory oil and gas drilling.

Comparisons of an aerosol transport model with a 4-year analysis of summer aerosol optical depth retrievals over the Canadian Arctic

Abstract : This is a study concerning comparisons between the Dubovik Aerosol optical depth (AOD) retrievals from AEROCAN (ARONET) stations and AOD estimates from simulations provided by a chemical transport model (GEOS-Chem : Goddard Earth Observing System Chemistry). The AOD products associated with the Dubovik product are divided into total, fine and coarse mode components. The retrieval period is from January 2009 to January 2013 for 5 Arctic stations (Barrow, Alaska; Resolute Bay, Nunavut; 0PAL and PEARL (Eureka), Nunavut; and Thule, Greenland). We also employed AOD retrievals from 10 other mid-latitude Canadian stations for comparisons with the Arctic stations. The results of our investigation were submitted to Atmosphere-Ocean. To briefly summarize those results, the model generally but not always tended to underestimate the (monthly) averaged AOD and its components. We found that the subdivision into fine and coarse mode components could provide unique signatures of particular events (Asian dust) and that the means of characterizing the statistics (log-normal frequency distributions versus normal distributions) was an attribute that was common to both the retrievals and the model.