Names as legacy: Catalogue of taxa described by and for Michel Brancucci (1950-2012)

This article provides a compilation of the taxa introduced to science by the late Dr. MichelBrancucci, Basel, and of the taxa named in honour of him. We provide details of nomenclatorial value such asholotype depository (for species described by Michel Brancucci), page number of the original description andtype locality. References of the original descriptions are given in full and the actual publication dates werethoroughly checked. Indices to all taxa complete this article and make it a searchable catalogue

Reactive Strength Index Modified Is a Valid Measure of Explosiveness in Collegiate Female Volleyball Players

Kipp, K, Kiely, MT, and Geiser, CF. Reactive strength index modified is a valid measure of explosiveness in collegiate female volleyball players. J Strength Cond Res 30(5): 1341–1347, 2016—The purpose of this study was to investigate the validity of the reactive strength index modified (RSImod) as a measure of lower body explosiveness. Fifteen female, National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I volleyball players performed vertical countermovement jumps (CMJs) while standing on a force plate. Each player performed 3 CMJs. The vertical ground reaction forces collected during each jump were used to calculate jump height, time to take-off, time to peak force, peak force, peak rate of force development, and peak power; the latter 3 variables were all normalized to body mass. Reactive strength index modified was calculated as the ratio between jump height and time to take-off. All variables, except for jump height, were then entered a factor analysis, which reduced the input data into 2 factors: a force factor and a speed factor. Although RSImod loaded more strongly onto the force factor, further analysis showed that RSImod loaded positively onto both force and speed factors. Visual analysis of the Cartesian coordinates also showed that RSImod loaded into the quadrant of greater force and speed abilities. These results indicate that the construct of RSImod, as derived from CMJ force-time data, captures a combination of speed-force factors that can be interpreted as lower body explosiveness during the CMJ. Reactive strength index modified therefore seems to be a valid measure to study lower body explosiveness

Biomechanical Determinants of the Reactive Strength Index During Drop Jumps

The Reactive Strength Index (RSI) is often used to quantify drop-jump (DJ) performance; however, not much is known about its biomechanical determinants. The purpose of this study was to investigate the correlations between the RSI and several biomechanical variables calculated from DJ performed with different initial drop heights. Twelve male NCAA Division I basketball players performed DJs from drop heights of 30, 45, and 60 cm. Force plates were used to calculate DJ performance parameters (ie, DJ height, contact time, and RSI) and DJ biomechanical variables (ie, vertical stiffness and eccentric/concentric energetics). Regression analyses were used to assess the correlations between variables at each drop height, and ANOVAs were used to assess the differences of all variables across drop heights. Follow-up analyses used 2 neural networks to determine if DJ performance and biomechanical data could accurately classify DJ trials by drop-height condition. Vertical-stiffness values were significantly correlated with RSI at each height but did not change across drop heights. Surprisingly, the RSI and other DJ parameters also did not vary across drop height, which resulted in the inability of these variables to accurately classify DJ trials. Given that vertical stiffness did not change across drop height and was highly correlated with RSI at each height, the RSI appears to reflect biomechanical behavior related to vertical stiffness during DJ. However, the inability of the RSI to accurately classify drop-height condition questions the use of RSI profiles established from DJs from different heights

Mechanical Demands of the Hang Power Clean and Jump Shrug: A Joint-level Perspective

The purpose of this study was to investigate the joint- and load-dependent changes in the mechanical demands of the lower extremity joints during the hang power clean (HPC) and the jump shrug (JS). Fifteen male lacrosse players were recruited from an NCAA DI team, and completed three sets of the HPC and JS at 30%, 50%, and 70% of their HPC 1-Repetition Maximum (1-RM HPC) in a counterbalanced and randomized order. Motion analysis and force plate technology were used to calculate the positive work, propulsive phase duration, and peak concentric power at the hip, knee, and ankle joints. Separate three-way analysis of variances were used to determine the interaction and main effects of joint, load, and lift type on the three dependent variables. The results indicated that the mechanics during the HPC and JS exhibit joint-, load-, and lift-dependent behavior. When averaged across joints, the positive work during both lifts increased progressively with external load, but was greater during the JS at 30% and 50% of 1-RM HPC than during the HPC. The JS was also characterized by greater hip and knee work when averaged across loads. The joint-averaged propulsive phase duration was lower at 30% than at 50% and 70% of 1-RM HPC for both lifts. Furthermore, the load-averaged propulsive phase duration was greater for the hip than the knee and ankle joint. The jointaveraged peak concentric power was the greatest at 70% of 1-RM for the HPC and at 30% to 50% of 1-RM for the JS. In addition, the joint-averaged peak concentric power of the JS was greater than that of the HPC. Furthermore, the load-averaged peak knee and ankle concentric joint powers were greater during the execution of the JS than the HPC. However, the loadaveraged power of all joints differed only during the HPC, but was similar between the hip and knee joints for the JS. Collectively, these results indicate that compared to the HPC the JS is characterized by greater hip and knee positive joint work, and greater knee and ankle peak concentric joint power, especially if performed at 30 and 50% of 1-RM HPC. This study provides important novel information about the mechanical demands of two commonly used exercises and should be considered in the design of resistance training programs that aim to improve the explosiveness of the lower extremity joints

Multispektrale Fotoaufnahme für die Detektion von Hautkrebs

Since skin cancer is the most common kind of cancer in Switzerland, its detection and treatment consumes a high amount of time and money. Due to subjective diagnosis by eye, based on experience of the dermatologist, a surgical operation will take place - or not. Here the product can show his strengths. Substantiate the decision of the dermatologist, or maybe indicate another view. It will be possible to avoid unnecessary surgery, sparing a lot of trouble. A meeting with Dr. Gianadda helped to understand the problem, and led the project into the right direction. We got a view on the FotoFinder, which will be described on the next chapter

Käfer (Coleoptera) im Gebiet des Furkapasses, Kantone Uri und Wallis

In einem zusammenfassenden Beitrag zur Käferfauna des Furkapasses (2300–2700 m ü. M.) wurden 111 Arten zusammengetragen. Der Artenreichtum ist hoch im Vergleich mit anderen Studien in ähnlichen Biotopen in den Schweizer Alpen. Die Funde von Psylliodes schwarzi Weise, 1900, Mycetoporus inaris Luze, 1901 und Cratosilis distinguenda (Baudi, 1859) auf der Alpennordseite sind bemerkenswert

Impact of weather variation on feeding behaviour, nestling growth and brood survival in Wrynecks Jynx torquilla

While habitat destruction is thought to be the most important reason for the decline of the Wryneck Jynx torquilla throughout Europe, it has been hypothesised that weather factors may also play a crucial role. We studied the impact of variations in ambient temperature and rainfall on feeding behaviour, nestling growth and daily brood survival probabilities in a population from the Swiss Alps. We recorded the frequency of food provisioning and measured nestlings' growth on 6days at 17 nests, and monitored the success of 181 broods from 2002 to 2006. The mean feeding frequency was 7.9 feedings per hour, and increased with temperature and with nestling age. Changes of body mass, tarsus length and of the 8th primary feather were not strongly influenced by temperature and rainfall. Body growth was negatively influenced by the initial size of the different body measures towards the end of the growing phase of the corresponding body measure, pointing towards compensatory growth. Daily brood survival probabilities declined in the course of the season and with increasing rainfall, and they increased with increasing temperature and with increasing nestling age. Our findings highlight that the effects of adverse weather on feeding behaviour, nestling growth and nest survival in Wrynecks are complex, as they alter with the age of the nestlings and possibly with the duration of the adverse weather event

A first broad-scale molecular phylogeny of Prionoceridae (Coleoptera: Cleroidea) provides insight into taxonomy, biogeography and life history evolution

© Senckenberg Gesellschaft fur Naturforschung, 2016. This is an open access article. Authors are permitted to post a PDF of their own articles, as provided by the publisher, on their personal web pages or the web page of their institution. Any commercial use is excluded. The attached file is the published version of the article

Nitrogen-induced terrestrial eutrophication: cascading effects and impacts on ecosystem services

Human activity has significantly increased the deposition of nitrogen (N) on terrestrial ecosystems over pre-industrial levels leading to a multitude of effects including losses of biodiversity, changes in ecosystem functioning, and impacts on human well-being. It is challenging to explicitly link the level of deposition on an ecosystem to the cascade of ecological effects triggered and ecosystem services affected, because of the multitude of possible pathways in the N cascade. To address this challenge, we report on the activities of an expert workshop to synthesize information on N-induced terrestrial eutrophication from the published literature and to link critical load exceedances with human beneficiaries by using the STressor–Ecological Production function–final ecosystem Services Framework and the Final Ecosystem Goods and Services Classification System (FEGS-CS). We found 21 N critical loads were triggered by N deposition (ranging from 2 to 39 kg N·ha−1·yr−1), which cascaded to distinct beneficiary types through 582 individual pathways in the five ecoregions examined (Eastern Temperate Forests, Marine West Coast Forests, Northwestern Forested Mountains, North American Deserts, Mediterranean California). These exceedances ultimately affected 66 FEGS across a range of final ecosystem service categories (21 categories, e.g., changes in timber production, fire regimes, and native plant and animal communities) and 198 regional human beneficiaries of different types. Several different biological indicators were triggered in different ecosystems, including grasses and/or forbs (33% of all pathways), mycorrhizal communities (22%), tree species (21%), and lichen biodiversity (11%). Ecoregions with higher deposition rates for longer periods tended to have more numerous and varied ecological impacts (e.g., Eastern Temperate Forests, eight biological indicators) as opposed to other ecoregions (e.g., North American Deserts and Marine West Coast Forests each with one biological indicator). Nonetheless, although ecoregions differed by ecological effects from terrestrial eutrophication, the number of FEGS and beneficiaries impacted was similar across ecoregions. We found that terrestrial eutrophication affected all ecosystems examined, demonstrating the widespread nature of terrestrial eutrophication nationally. These results highlight which people and ecosystems are most affected according to present knowledge, and identify key uncertainties and knowledge gaps to be filled by future research

Bandwidth-controlled Mott transition in κ−(BEDT−TTF)2Cu[N(CN)2]BrxCl1−x\kappa-(BEDT-TTF)_2 Cu [N(CN)_2] Br_x Cl_{1-x} I. Optical studies of localized charge excitations

Infrared reflection measurements of the half-filled two-dimensional organic conductors $\kappa$-(BEDT-TTF)$_2$Cu[N(CN)$_{2}$]Br$_{x}$Cl$_{1-x}$ were performed as a function of temperature ($5 {\rm K}<T<300$ K) and Br-substitution ($x=0$, 40%, 73%, 85%, and 90%) in order to study the metal-insulator transition. We can distinguish absorption processes due to itinerant and localized charge carriers. The broad mid-infrared absorption has two contributions: transitions between the two Hubbard bands and intradimer excitations from the charges localized on the (BEDT-TTF)$_2$ dimer. Since the latter couple to intramolecular vibrations of BEDT-TTF, the analysis of both electronic and vibrational features provides a tool to disentangle these contributions and to follow their temperature and electronic-correlations dependence. Calculations based on the cluster model support our interpretation.Comment: 12 pages, 12 figure