The spatial and temporal distribution of koala faecal pellets

Faecal pellets were collected under trees used by free-ranging koalas in south-western, central and southeastern Queensland to determine the spatial and temporal distribution of pellets with respect to the activity of koalas. Deposition of faecal pellets by koalas was analysed according to the time of day at which the tree was occupied. For free-ranging koalas, 47% of daily faecal pellet output was recovered using a collection mat of 8 x 8 m placed under a day-roost tree. The best predictor of pellet production was the presence of a koala in a tree between 1800 hours and midnight. For other periods, there was no relationship between period of tree occupancy and faecal pellet recovery. There was a significant relationship between the average length of tree occupancy and the time of day that a koala entered a tree.

Who fails to complete tuberculosis treatment? Temporal trends and risk factors for treatment interruption in a community-based directly observed therapy programme in a rural district of South Africa

SETTING: Hlabisa Tuberculosis Programme, Hlabisa, South Africa. OBJECTIVE: To determine trends in and risk factors for interruption of tuberculosis treatment. METHODS: Data were extracted from the control programme database starting in 1991. Temporal trends in treatment interruption are described; independent risk factors for treatment interruption were determined with a multiple logistic regression model, and Kaplan-Meier survival curves for treatment interruption were constructed for patients treated in 1994-1995. RESULTS: Overall 629 of 3610 surviving patients (17%) failed to complete treatment; this proportion increased from 11% (n = 79) in 1991/1992 to 22% (n = 201) in 1996. Independent risk factors for treatment interruption were diagnosis between 1994-1996 compared with 1991-1393 (odds ratio [OR] 1.9, 95% confidence interval [CT] 1.6-2.4); human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) positivity compared with HIV negativity (OR 1.8, 95% CI 1.4-2.4); supervised by village clinic compared with community health worker (OR 1.9, 95% CI 1.4-2.6); and male versus female sex (OR 1.3, 95% CI 1.1-1.6). Few patients interrupted treatment during the first 2 weeks, and the treatment interruption rate thereafter was constant at 1% per 14 days. CONCLUSIONS: Frequency of treatment interruption from this programme has increased recently. The strongest risk factor was year of diagnosis, perhaps reflecting the impact of an increased caseload on programme performance. Ensuring adherence to therapy in communities with a high level of migration remains a challenge even within community-based directly observed therapy programmes.

Conservation of the sequence and temporal expression of let-7 heterochronic regulatory RNA

Two small RNAs regulate the timing of Caenorhabditis elegans development(1,2). Transition from the first to the second larval stage fates requires the 22-nucleotide lin-4 RNA(1,3,4), and transition from late larval to adult cell fates requires the 21-nucleotide let-7 RNA 2. The lin-4 and let-7 RNA genes are not homologous to each other, but are each complementary to sequences in the 3' untranslated regions of a set of protein-coding target genes that are normally negatively regulated by the RNAs1,2,5,6. Here we have detected let-7 RNAs of similar to 21 nucleotides in samples from a wide range of animal species, including vertebrate, ascidian, hemichordate, mollusc, annelid and arthropod, but not in RNAs from several cnidarian and poriferan species, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Escherichia coli or Arabidopsis. We did not detect lin-4 RNA in these species. We found that let-7 temporal regulation is also conserved: let-7 RNA expression is first detected at late larval stages in C. elegans and Drosophila, at 48 hours after fertilization in zebrafish, and in adult stages of annelids and molluscs. The let-7 regulatory RNA may control late temporal transitions during development across animal phylogeny.

Spatial and temporal variation in distribution of mangroves in Moreton Bay, subtropical Australia: a comparison of pattern metrics and change detection analyses based on aerial photographs

An assessment of the changes in the distribution and extent of mangroves within Moreton Bay, southeast Queensland, Australia, was carried out. Two assessment methods were evaluated: spatial and temporal pattern metrics analysis, and change detection analysis. Currently, about 15,000 ha of mangroves are present in Moreton Bay. These mangroves are important ecosystems, but are subject to disturbance from a number of sources. Over the past 25 years, there has been a loss of more than 3800 ha, as a result of natural losses and mangrove clearing (e.g. for urban and industrial development, agriculture and aquaculture). However, areas of new mangroves have become established over the same time period, offsetting these losses to create a net loss of about 200 ha. These new mangroves have mainly appeared in the southern bay region and the bay islands, particularly on the landward edge of existing mangroves. In addition, spatial patterns and species composition of mangrove patches have changed. The pattern metrics analysis provided an overview of mangrove distribution and change in the form of single metric values, while the change detection analysis gave a more detailed and spatially explicit description of change. An analysis of the effects of spatial scales on the pattern metrics indicated that they were relatively insensitive to scale at spatial resolutions less than 50 m, but that most metrics became sensitive at coarser resolutions, a finding which has implications for mapping of mangroves based on remotely sensed data. (C) 2003 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

The human organization of time: Temporal realities and experience (Book)

Reviews the book "The Human Organization of Time: Temporal Realities and Experience," by Allen C. Bluedorn.

LGI1 mutations in temporal lobe epilepsies

Background and Objectives: A number of familial temporal lobe epilepsies (TLE) have been recently recognized. Mutations in LGI1 (leucine-rich, glioma-inactivated 1 gene) have been found in a few families with the syndrome of autosomal dominant partial epilepsy with auditory features (ADPEAF). The authors aimed to determine the spectrum of TLE phenotypes with LGI1 mutations, to study the frequency of mutations in ADPEAF, and to examine the role of LGI1 paralogs in ADPEAF without LGI1 mutations. Methods: The authors performed a clinical and molecular analysis on 75 pedigrees comprising 54 with a variety of familial epilepsies associated with TLE and 21 sporadic TLE cases. All were studied for mutations in LGI1. ADPEAF families negative for LGI1 mutations were screened for mutations in LGI2, LGI3, and LGI4. Results: Four families had ADPEAF, 22 had mesial TLE, 11 had TLE with febrile seizures, two had TLE with developmental abnormalities, and 15 had various other TLE syndromes. LGI1 mutations were found in two of four ADPEAF families, but in none of the other 50 families nor in the 21 individuals with sporadic TLE. The mutations were novel missense mutations in exons 1 (c. 124T --> G; C42G) and 8 (c. 1418C --> T; S473L). No mutations in LGI2, LGI3, or LGI4 were found in the other two ADPEAF families. Conclusion: In TLE, mutations in LGI1 are specific for ADPEAF but do not occur in all families. ADPEAF is genetically heterogeneous, but mutations in LGI2, LGI3, or LGI4 did not account for families without LGI1 mutations.

Temporal dynamic of the relationship between the parasitic isopod Aporobopyrus curtatus (Crustacea: Isopoda: Bopyridae) and the anomuran crab Petrolisthes armatus (Crustacea: Decapoda: Porcellanidae) in southern Brazil

The prevalence of the parasite Aporobopyrus curtatus in Petrolisthes armatus from southern Brazil was determined, and the effect the parasite had on host reproduction was evaluated. Of all 775 crabs sampled in Araca region from March 2005 to July 2006, 3.2% presented bopyrid parasites. All the parasitized individuals had one branchial chamber occupied by two mature parasites, with no preference for the right or left chamber. Male and female hosts were infested in equal proportions. Parasitized juveniles, large individuals and ovigerous females were not found in our study. The absence of parasitized ovigerous females seems to be insufficient evidence to support the hypothesis of parasitic castration and would require a histological study to confirm their reproductive death. The percentage of infestation observed in our study (3.1%) is lower than the one found in other studies and it could indicate the existence of factor(s) regulating the density of A. curtatus in the Araca region. At least in this population, the low but constant presence of the bopyrid A. curtatus population did not appear to have a negative effect on the porcellanid population, and parasitized individuals did not play a significant role in the natural history of P. armatus.

Temporal and spatial distribution of anurans in the Pampa Region (Santa Maria, RS).

The present study aimed to determine the richness, occurrence constancy, reproductive modes. standard of abundance distribution, season of vocalization and to test correlation among climatic variables and activity of vocalization of anurans in a region of the Pampa Biome, Santa Maria, Rio Grande do Sul State. During the period of Novernber/2001 to October/2002 monthly collections were carried out utilizing the `survey at breeding site` method and examination of specimens kept in the Colecao Herpetologica do Setor de Zoologia da Universidade Federal de Santa Maria (ZUFSM). Tire Occurrence of 25 species of anurans was recorded. The anurofauna recorded represents 30% of the species known to Occur in Rio Grande do Sul, and comprises species generally associated with grasslands in this state and neighboring countries. Four reproductive modes were recorded: mode 1 (14 species: 58.3%) mode 11 and 30 (9 species` 37.5%) and mode 24 (1 species; 4.2%). The low diversification of reproductive modes is likely related to the homogeneity of the grassland habitat. Most species were constant or accessory in the Study area and the species abundance distribution patterns fit in the Broken Stick and Log-normal models. characterized by homogeneity of species abundance distribution. Most species showed great plasticity in habitat. but few were plastic in vocalization sites use. There was a weak positive correlation between species richness and precipitation. There was also a weak positive correlation between the abundance of species calling activity and maximum average temperatures. These correlations indicated that, in the study area. the abundance of calling males is more affected by the temperature, and species richness is more affected by precipitation, despite the fact that significantly higher species richness occurs during the hottest period of the year. These results showed that the climatological variables examined were not enough to explain the seasonal occurrence of species, thus the influence of other environmental variables merit to be tested in future studies.

Episodic and semantic memory in children with mesial temporal sclerosis

The aim of this study was to analyze semantic and episodic memory deficits in children with mesial temporal sclerosis (MTS) and their correlation with clinical epilepsy variables. For this purpose, 19 consecutive children and adolescents with MTS (8 to 16 years old) were evaluated and their performance on five episodic memory tests (short- and long-term memory and learning) and four semantic memory tests was compared with that of 28 healthy volunteers. Patients performed worse on tests of immediate and delayed verbal episodic memory, visual episodic memory, verbal and visual learning, mental scanning for semantic clues, object naming, word definition, and repetition of sentences. Clinical variables such as early age at seizure onset, severity of epilepsy, and polytherapy impaired distinct types of memory. These data confirm that children with MTS have episodic memory deficits and add new information on semantic memory. The data also demonstrate that clinical variables contribute differently to episodic and semantic memory performance. (C) 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Spatial bias and temporal lag in tactile space perception

Constructing a veridical spatial map by touch poses at least two problems for a perceptual system. First, as the hand is moved through space, the locations of features may be displaced if there is an uncorrected lag between the moment the hand encounters a feature and the time that feature is encoded on a spatial map. Second, due to the sequential nature of the process, some form of memory, which itself may be subject to spatial distortions, is required for integration of spatial samples. We investigated these issues using a task involving active haptic exploration with a stylus swept back and forth in the horizontal plane at the wrist. Remembered locations of tactile targets were shifted towards the medial axis of the forearm, suggesting a central tendency in haptic spatial memory, while evidence for a displacement of perceived locations in the direction of sweep motion was consistent with processing delays.

Microsurgical Anatomy of the Posterior Cerebral Artery in Three-Dimensional Images

OBJECTIVE: To describe the microsurgical anatomy, branches, and anatomic relationships of the posterior cerebral artery (PCA) represented in three-dimensional images. METHODS: Seventy hemispheres of 35 brain specimens were studied. They were previously injected with red silicone and fixed in 10% formalin for at least 40 days. Four of the studied specimens were frozen at -10 degrees to -15 degrees C for 14 days, and additional dissection was done with the Klingler`s fiber dissection technique at x6 to x40 magnification. Each segment of the artery was measured and photographed to obtain three-dimensional stereoscopic images. RESULTS: The PCA origin was in the interpeduncular cistern at the pontomesencephalic junction level in 23 specimens (65.7%). The PCA was divided into four segments: P1 extends from the PCA origin to its junction with the posterior communicating artery with an average length of 7.7 mm; P2 was divided into an anterior and posterior segment. The P2A segment begins at the posterior communicating artery and ends at the most lateral aspect of the cerebral peduncle, with an average length of 23.6 mm, and the P2P segment extends from the most lateral aspect of the cerebral peduncle to the posterior edge of the lateral surface of the midbrain, with an average length of 16.4 mm; P3 extends from the posterior edge of the lateral surface of the midbrain and ends at the origin of the parieto-occipital sulcus along the calcarine fissure, with an average length of 19.8 mm; and the P4 segment corresponds to the parts of the PCA that run along or inside both the parieto-occipital sulcus and the distal part of the calcarine fissure. CONCLUSIONS: To standardize the neurosurgical practice and knowledge, surgical anatomic classifications should be used uniformly and further modified according to the neurosurgical experience gathered. The PCA classification proposed intends to correlate its anatomic segments with their required microneurosurgical approaches.

Feedforward contraction of transversus abdominis is not influenced by the direction of arm movement

Because the structure of the spine is inherently unstable, muscle activation is essential for the maintenance of trunk posture and intervertebral control when the limbs are moved. To investigate how the central nervous system deals with this situation the temporal components of the response of the muscles of the trunk were evaluated during rapid limb movement performed in response to a visual stimulus. Fine-wire electromyography (EMG) electrodes were inserted into transversus abdominis (TrA), obliquus internus abdominis (OI) and obliquus externus abdominis (OE) of 15 subjects under the guidance of real-time ultrasound imaging. Surface electrodes were placed over rectus abdominis (RA), lumbar multifidus (MF) and the three parts of deltoid. In a standing position, ten repetitions of shoulder flexion, abduction and extension were performed by the subjects as fast as possible in response to a visual stimulus. The onset of TrA EMG occurred in advance of deltoid irrespective of the movement direction. The time to onset of EMC activity of OI, OE, RA and MF varied with the movement direction, being activated earliest when the prime action of the muscle opposed the reactive forces associated with the specific limb movement. It is postulated that the non-direction-specific contraction of TrA may be related to the control of trunk. stability independent of the requirement for direction-specific control of the centre of gravity in relation to the base of support.