Differential drift and parasitism in invading and native Gammarus spp. (Crustacea : Amphipoda)

Invading and native species often interact directly, such as by predation, producing patterns of exclusion and coexistence. Less direct factors, such as interactions with the broader abiotic and biotic environment, may also contribute to such patterns, but these have received less recognition. In Northern Ireland, the North American Gammarus tigrinus has invaded freshwaters populated with the native Gammarus duebeni celticus, with intraguild predation between the two implicated in their relative success. However, these species also engage in day and night

Aportación de técnicas geoespaciales para la determinación de los niveles de referencia de la deforestación y la degradación de bosques en el ámbito de proyectos REDD. análisis de factores de causalidad subyacentes y directos

La pérdida de bosques en la Tierra, principalmente en ecosistemas amazónicos, es un factor clave en el proceso del cambio climático. Para revertir esta situación, los mecanismos REDD (Reducing Emission from Deforestation and forest Degradation) están permitiendo la implementación de actividades de protección del clima a través de la reducción de emisiones por deforestación evitada, según los esquemas previstos en el Protocolo de Kioto. El factor técnico más crítico en un proyecto REDD es la determinación de la línea de referencia de emisiones, que define la expectativa futura sobre las emisiones de CO2 de origen forestal en ausencia de esfuerzos adicionales obtenidos como consecuencia de la implementación del programa REDD para frenar este tipo de emisiones. La zona del estudio se ubica en la región de San Martín (Perú), provincia cubierta fundamentalmente por bosques tropicales cuyas tasas de deforestación son de las más altas de la cuenca amazónica. En las últimas décadas del siglo XX, la región empezó un acelerado proceso de deforestación consecuencia de la integración vial con el resto del país y la rápida inmigración desde zonas rurales en busca de nuevas tierras agrícolas. Desde el punto de vista de la investigación llevada a cabo en la tesis doctoral, se pueden destacar dos líneas: 1. El estudio multitemporal mediante imágenes de satélite Landsat 5/TM con el propósito de calcular las pérdidas de bosque entre períodos. El estudio multitemporal se llevó a cabo en el período 1998-2011 utilizando imágenes Landsat 5/TM, aplicando la metodología de Análisis de Mezclas Espectrales (Spectral Mixtures Analysis), que permite descomponer la reflectancia de cada píxel de la imagen en diferentes fracciones de mezcla espectral. En este proceso, las etapas más críticas son el establecimiento de los espectros puros o endemembers y la recopilación de librerías espectrales adecuadas, en este caso de bosques tropicales, que permitan reducir la incertidumbre de los procesos. Como resultado de la investigación se ha conseguido elaborar la línea de referencia de emisiones histórica, para el período de estudio, teniendo en cuenta tanto los procesos de deforestación como de degradación forestal. 2. Relacionar los resultados de pérdida de bosque con factores de causalidad directos e indirectos. La determinación de los procesos de cambio de cobertura forestal utilizando técnicas geoespaciales permite relacionar, de manera significativa, información de los indicadores causales de dichos procesos. De igual manera, se pueden estimar escenarios futuros de deforestación y degradación de acuerdo al análisis de la evolución de dichos vectores, teniendo en cuenta otros factores indirectos o subyacentes, como pueden ser los económicos, sociales, demográficos y medioambientales. La identificación de los agentes subyacentes o indirectos es una tarea más compleja que la de los factores endógenos o directos. Por un lado, las relaciones causa – efecto son mucho más difusas; y, por otro, los efectos pueden estar determinados por fenómenos más amplios, consecuencia de superposición o acumulación de diferentes causas. A partir de los resultados de pérdida de bosque obtenidos mediante la utilización de imágenes Landsat 5/TM, se investigaron los criterios de condicionamiento directos e indirectos que podrían haber influido en la deforestación y degradación forestal en ese período. Para ello, se estudiaron las series temporales, para las mismas fechas, de 9 factores directos (infraestructuras, hidrografía, temperatura, etc.) y 196 factores indirectos (económicos, sociales, demográficos y ambientales, etc.) con, en principio, un alto potencial de causalidad. Finalmente se ha analizado la predisposición de cada factor con la ocurrencia de deforestación y degradación forestal por correlación estadística de las series temporales obtenidas. ABSTRACT Forests loss on Earth, mainly in Amazonian ecosystems, is a key factor in the process of climate change. To reverse this situation, the REDD (Reducing Emission from Deforestation and forest Degradation) are allowing the implementation of climate protection activities through reducing emissions from avoided deforestation, according to the schemes under the Kyoto Protocol. Also, the baseline emissions in a REDD project defines a future expectation on CO2 emissions from deforestation and forest degradation in the absence of additional efforts as a result of REDD in order to stop these emissions. The study area is located in the region of San Martín (Peru), province mainly covered by tropical forests whose deforestation rates are the highest in the Amazon basin. In the last decades of the twentieth century, the region began an accelerated process of deforestation due to road integration with the rest of the country and the rapid migration from rural areas for searching of new farmland. From the point of view of research in the thesis, we can highlight two lines: 1. The multitemporal study using Landsat 5/TM satellite images in order to calculate the forest loss between periods. The multitemporal study was developed in the period 1998-2011 using Landsat 5/TM, applying the methodology of Spectral Mixture Analysis, which allows decomposing the reflectance of each pixel of the image in different fractions of mixture spectral. In this process, the most critical step is the establishment of pure spectra or endemembers spectra, and the collecting of appropriate spectral libraries, in this case of tropical forests, to reduce the uncertainty of the process. As a result of research has succeeded in developing the baseline emissions for the period of study, taking into account both deforestation and forest degradation. 2. Relate the results of forest loss with direct and indirect causation factors. Determining the processes of change in forest cover using geospatial technologies allows relating, significantly, information of the causal indicators in these processes. Similarly, future deforestation and forest degradation scenarios can be estimated according to the analysis of the evolution of these drivers, taking into account other indirect or underlying factors, such as economic, social, demographic and environmental. Identifying the underlying or indirect agents is more complex than endogenous or direct factors. On the one hand, cause - effect relationships are much more diffuse; and, second, the effects may be determined by broader phenomena, due to superposition or accumulation of different causes. From the results of forest loss obtained using Landsat 5/TM, the criteria of direct and indirect conditioning that might have contributed to deforestation and forest degradation in that period were investigated. For this purpose, temporal series, for the same dates, 9 direct factors (infrastructure, hydrography, temperature, etc.) and 196 underlying factors (economic, social, demographic and environmental) with, in principle, a high potential of causality. Finally it was analyzed the predisposition of each factor to the occurrence of deforestation and forest degradation by statistical correlation of the obtained temporal series.

Sylow P-Subgroups of Abelian Group Rings

2000 Mathematics Subject Classification: Primary 20C07, 20K10, 20K20, 20K21; Secondary 16U60, 16S34.

Transcription factors MYOCD, SRF, Mesp1 and SMARCD3 enhance the cardio-inducing effect of GATA4, TBX5, and MEF2C during direct cellular reprogramming.

Transient overexpression of defined combinations of master regulator genes can effectively induce cellular reprogramming: the acquisition of an alternative predicted phenotype from a differentiated cell lineage. This can be of particular importance in cardiac regenerative medicine wherein the heart lacks the capacity to heal itself, but simultaneously contains a large pool of fibroblasts. In this study we determined the cardio-inducing capacity of ten transcription factors to actuate cellular reprogramming of mouse embryonic fibroblasts into cardiomyocyte-like cells. Overexpression of transcription factors MYOCD and SRF alone or in conjunction with Mesp1 and SMARCD3 enhanced the basal but necessary cardio-inducing effect of the previously reported GATA4, TBX5, and MEF2C. In particular, combinations of five or seven transcription factors enhanced the activation of cardiac reporter vectors, and induced an upregulation of cardiac-specific genes. Global gene expression analysis also demonstrated a significantly greater cardio-inducing effect when the transcription factors MYOCD and SRF were used. Detection of cross-striated cells was highly dependent on the cell culture conditions and was enhanced by the addition of valproic acid and JAK inhibitor. Although we detected Ca(2+) transient oscillations in the reprogrammed cells, we did not detect significant changes in resting membrane potential or spontaneously contracting cells. This study further elucidates the cardio-inducing effect of the transcriptional networks involved in cardiac cellular reprogramming, contributing to the ongoing rational design of a robust protocol required for cardiac regenerative therapies.

Differential Modulation of Transcriptional Activity of Estrogen Receptors by Direct Protein-Protein Interactions with the T Cell Factor Family of Transcription Factors

Two major signaling pathways, those triggered by estrogen (E(2)) and by the Wnt family, interact in the breast to cause growth and differentiation. The estrogen receptors ER(alpha) and ER(beta) are activated by binding E(2) and act as ligand-dependent transcription factors. The effector for the Wnt family is the Tcf family of transcription factors. Both sets of transcription factors recognize discrete but different nucleotide sequences in the promoters of their target genes. By using transient transfections of reporter constructs for the osteopontin and thymidine kinase promoters in rat mammary cells, we show that Tcf-4 antagonizes and Tcf-1 stimulates the effects of activated ER/E(2). For mutants of the former promoter, the stimulatory effects of ER(alpha)/E(2) can be made to be dependent on Tcf-1, and for the latter promoter the effects of the T cell factors (TCFs) are dependent on ER/E(2). Direct interaction between ERs and Tcfs either at the Tcf/ER(alpha)-binding site on the DNA or in the absence of DNA is established by gel retardation assays or by coimmunoprecipitation/biosensor methods, respectively. These results show that the two sets of transcription factors can interact directly, the interaction between ERs and Tcf-4 being antagonistic and that between ERs and Tcf-1 being synergistic on the activity of the promoters employed. Since Tcf-4 is the major Tcf family member in the breast, it is suggested that the antagonistic interaction is normally dominant in vivo in this tissue.

Factors influencing the direct costs of property trust IPOs

Underwriting, legal, accounting and valuation costs average around 3.3%, 0.39%, 0.23% and 0.12% of proceeds raised and are substantial costs to property trust initial public offering (IPO) issuers. As such, identifYing factors that influence these costs is important. This paper investigates factors influencing these costs as well as the total direct costs of raising equity capital by property trust IPOs in Australia from 1994 to 2004. The results suggest clear economies of scale in direct costs. In addition, IPOs that employ more debt are likely to have higher capital raising costs while those that have proportionally higher net asset values and offer stapled securities (and likely to be engaged in property development activities) have lower capital raising costs.

Lifestyle factors, direct and indirect costs for a Brazilian airline company

OBJECTIVE: To analyze lifestyle risk factors related to direct healthcare costs and the indirect costs due to sick leave among workers of an airline company in Brazil. METHODS: In this longitudinal 12-month study of 2,201 employees of a Brazilian airline company, the costs of sick leave and healthcare were the primary outcomes of interest. Information on the independent variables, such as gender, age, educational level, type of work, stress, and lifestyle-related factors (body mass index, physical activity, and smoking), was collected using a questionnaire on enrolment in the study. Data on sick leave days were available from the company register, and data on healthcare costs were obtained from insurance records. Multivariate linear regression analysis was used to investigate the association between direct and indirect healthcare costs with sociodemographic, work, and lifestyle-related factors. RESULTS: Over the 12-month study period, the average direct healthcare expenditure per worker was US$505.00 and the average indirect cost because of sick leave was US$249.00 per worker. Direct costs were more than twice the indirect costs and both were higher in women. Body mass index was a determinant of direct costs and smoking was a determinant of indirect costs. CONCLUSIONS: Obesity and smoking among workers in a Brazilian airline company were associated with increased health costs. Therefore, promoting a healthy diet, physical activity, and anti-tobacco campaigns are important targets for health promotion in this study population.

Host factors in metastasis: Direct lysis of bloodborne metastatic tumor cells by murine vascular endothelial cells

During the process of cancer metastasis, the majority of circulating tumor cells arrest in microcapillary beds and then rapidly die. To study whether vascular endothelial cells can directly lyse tumor cells, we isolated vascular endothelial cells by perfusion of lungs from immunocompetent or nude mice. The cells were grown in culture, and then cloned and characterized. Cloned endothelial cells were incubated with several lymphokines and cytokines. Cells incubated with IFN-$\gamma$ and TNF lysed a variety of tumor cells with different metastatic potential. Mouse skin and lung fibroblasts treated with the same cytokines did not. Endothelial cell mediated tumor cell lysis was not due to different binding ability of tumor cells to cytokine treated and untreated endothelial monolayers. Kinetic studies demonstrated that the continuous presence of cytokines in the tumor-endothelial cocultures was necessary to produce maximal lysis of tumor cells. Target cell lysis was not due to the direct effects of IFN-$\gamma$ or TNF, since vascular endothelial cells isolated from the lung of nude mice lysed human melanoma cells that are sensitive or resistant to TNF. Cytokine treated endothelial cells produced a high level of nitric oxide, which is known to be cytotoxic to a variety of target cells. The level of nitric oxide production was directly correlated with the degree of tumor cell lysis. A specific inhibitor of nitric oxide synthesis(N$\sp{\rm G}$-monomethyl-L-arginine), completely inhibited production of nitric oxide and tumor cell lysis. Treatment of cytokine activated endothelial cells with dexamethasone also inhibited tumor cell lysis. This inhibition was independent of tumor-endothelial adhesion but correlated with inhibition of nitric oxide production. Collectively, these results suggest that vascular endothelial cells can directly destory tumor emboli and thus play an active role in the pathogenesis of cancer metastasis. ^

Childhood Trauma and Complex Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Symptoms in Older Adults: A Study of Direct Effects and Social-Interpersonal Factors as Potential Mediators

Childhood traumatic events may lead to long-lasting psychological effects and contribute to the development of complex posttraumatic sequelae. These might be captured by the diagnostic concept of complex posttraumatic stress disorder (CPTSD) as an alternative to classic posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). CPTSD comprises a further set of symptoms in addition to those of PTSD, namely, changes in affect, self, and interpersonal relationships. Previous empirical research on CPTSD has focused on middle-aged adults but not on older adults. Moreover, predictor models of CPTSD are still rare. The current study investigated the association between traumatic events in childhood and complex posttraumatic stress symptoms in older adults. The mediation of this association by 2 social-interpersonal factors (social acknowledgment as a survivor and dysfunctional disclosure) was investigated. These 2 factors focus on the perception of acknowledgment by others and either the inability to disclose traumatic experiences or the ability to do so only with negative emotional reactions. A total of 116 older individuals (age range = 59–98 years) who had experienced childhood traumatic events completed standardized self-report questionnaires indexing childhood trauma, complex trauma sequelae, social acknowledgment, and dysfunctional disclosure of trauma. The results showed that traumatic events during childhood were associated with later posttraumatic stress symptoms but with classic rather than complex symptoms. Social acknowledgment and dysfunctional disclosure partially mediated this relationship. These findings suggest that childhood traumatic stress impacts individuals across the life span and may be associated with particular adverse psychopathological consequences.

The effect of direct taxes and other factors on money wage changes in U.S. manufacturing /

Cover title.

Indirect and direct controls of macroinvertebrates and small fish by abiotic factors and trophic interactions in the Florida Everglades

1. The roles of nutrients, disturbance and predation in regulating consumer densities have long been of interest, but their indirect effects have rarely been quantified in wetland ecosystems. The Florida Everglades contains gradients of hydrological disturbance (marsh drying) and nutrient enrichment (phosphorus), often correlated with densities of macroinvertebrate infauna (macroinvertebrates inhabiting periphyton), small fish and larger invertebrates, such as snails, grass shrimp, insects and crayfish. However, most causal relationships have yet to be quantified. 2.  We sampled periphyton (content and community structure) and consumer (small omnivores, carnivores and herbivores, and infaunal macroinvertebrates inhabiting periphyton) density at 28 sites spanning a range of hydrological and nutrient conditions and compared our data to seven a priori structural equation models. 3.  The best model included bottom-up and top-down effects among trophic groups and supported top-down control of infauna by omnivores and predators that cascaded to periphyton biomass. The next best model included bottom-up paths only and allowed direct effects of periphyton on omnivore density. Both models suggested a positive relationship between small herbivores and small omnivores, indicating that predation was unable to limit herbivore numbers. Total effects of time following flooding were negative for all three consumer groups even when both preferred models suggested positive direct effects for some groups. Total effects of nutrient levels (phosphorus) were positive for consumers and generally larger than those of hydrological disturbance and were mediated by changes in periphyton content. 4.  Our findings provide quantitative support for indirect effects of nutrient enrichment on consumers, and the importance of both algal community structure and periphyton biomass to Everglades food webs. Evidence for top-down control of infauna by omnivores was noted, though without substantially greater support than a competing bottom-up-only model.

The role of overseas Chinese investment in the emerging countries of Southeast and East Asia: A Confucian model of the foreign direct investment decision-making process using factors unconsidered in the West

The purpose of this study was to gain a better understanding of the foreign direct investment location decision making process through the examination of non-Western investors and their investment strategies in non-traditional markets. This was accomplished through in-depth personal interviews with 50 Overseas Chinese business owners and executives in several different industries from Hong Kong, Singapore, Taiwan, Malaysia, and Thailand about 97 separate investment projects in Southeast and East Asia, including The Philippines, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Singapore, Vietnam, India, Pakistan, South Korea, Australia, Indonesia, Cambodia, Thailand, Burma, Taiwan, and Mainland China.^ Traditional factors utilized in Western models of the foreign direct investment decision making process are reviewed, as well as literature on Asian management systems and the current state of business practices in emerging countries of Southeast and East Asia. Because of the lack of institutionalization in these markets and the strong influences of Confucian and patriarchal value systems on the Overseas Chinese, it was suspected that while some aspects of Western rational economic models of foreign direct investment are utilized, these models are insufficient in this context, and thus are not fully generalizable to the unique conditions of the Overseas Chinese business network in the region without further modification.^ Thus, other factors based on a Confucian value system need to be integrated into these models. Results from the analysis of structured interviews suggest Overseas Chinese businesses rely more heavily on their network and traditional Confucian values than rational economic factors when making their foreign direct investment location decisions in emerging countries in Asia. This effect is moderated by the firm's industry and the age of the firm's owners. ^

Foreign direct investment motives and location decision factors under economic recession: Three cases of Finnish FDI in Portugal

The purpose of this thesis was to study how uncertainty in economic conditions of the FDI host country affects location decision of an investment, and what kinds of motives are behind the investment decision to a country in economic recession, in this case Portugal. The country has attracted foreign direct investment steadily, but it is evident that most multinational firms and investors tend to be more interested in emerging economies in general. The aim was to find out also which host country specific advantages are important in this kind of cross-border investment and which factors are important for an FDI to succeed under economic uncertainty at the host country. The study was done by analyzing three Finnish case companies: a private equity and real estate investment firm Pontos Group, A wave energy technology research and development company AW Energy and NSN, Nokia Solutions and Networks, a global telecommunications company. The research was done empirically, by interviewing experts on the subject, mainly persons representing these companies. In addition relevant articles, journals and content from case companies’ web-pages is used for the desk research regarding the topic. The results of this thesis showed that the FDIs with strategic asset-seeking investments seem most profitable FDI types under uncertain economic conditions. This kind of investments aim to strengthen the company’s long-term strategy, including the time after recession. Firm-specific ownership advantages that bring competitive advantage proved out to be important under these circumstances, as well as first-mover advantages and externally created assets such as government promotional policies regarding FDI incentives. Also the location was considered suitable for resource- or efficiency seeking motives, based on the lowered price level at the host country. Problems were related mainly to financing, but as foreign companies receive financing usually from their home countries, the economic recession of the host country does not have significant effect for FDI decision, according to this study