Soil properties and plant community relationship in a saltmarsh of the Grado and Marano lagoon (northern Italy)

7noPurpose: The relationship between soil properties and plant communities was investigated in a saltmarsh of the Grado and Marano lagoon (northern Italy), where hydrology and micromorphology strongly influence the features of the ecosystem. A multidisciplinary approach was used to assess the change of soil properties and plant communities in relation to the submergence of soil. Materials and methods: The plant community and soil profile surveys were both carried out along a transect in six sampling sites of the Gran Chiusa saltmarsh (Grado and Marano lagoon). The morphological and physicochemical parameters of soil profiles were investigated, and soils were classified according to Soil Taxonomy. The concentration of macronutrients in both soils and plants was analysed by inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectrometry. Cluster and linear discriminant analysis were used to assist the interpretation of the data of plant communities and soil properties, respectively. The bioconcentration factor explored the macronutrient relationship between plant community and soil. Results and discussion: A high, middle and low zone were identified by clustering the different plant communities along the studied transect. Discriminant analysis showed how the increase in soil submergence supported the accumulation of S and Ca content and depletion of Fe and Na. The development of different plant communities was linked to both soil water saturation and to the capacity of halophytes to tolerate anoxic conditions or salinity, by extrusion or bioconcentration strategies. Conclusions: This study demonstrates that tide level plays an important role in the pedological development and chemical transformations along a soil hydrosequence. The micromosaic vegetation pattern may therefore represent a useful index of the hydrological and nutritional status of the underlying soils and could be used to predict changes in coastal ecosystems. © 2016, Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.openopenVittori Antisari, Livia; Ferronato, Chiara; Pellegrini, Elisa; Boscutti, Francesco; Casolo, Valentino; de Nobili, Maria; Vianello, GilmoVittori Antisari, Livia; Ferronato, Chiara; Pellegrini, Elisa; Boscutti, Francesco; Casolo, Valentino; DE NOBILI, Maria; Vianello, Gilm

A New Theoretical Approach to Ancestry Estimation as Applied to Human Crania

Since Frank Livingstone proposed the idea that there are no races, only clines, in 1962, little has changed in the way that anthropologists study and, ultimately, estimate ancestry. The way in which we talk about the study of human variation may have changed--shifting away from “racial” labels and towards those of supposed ancestral origins--but the methods with which we label and analyze groups, however termed, has remained the same. In this paper, I suggest a new theoretical approach to ancestry estimation that does not rely on group labels using Howells Craniometric dataset as an example. In the suggested workflow, the data structure themselves into natural clusters, which I am referring to as Morphogroups, without the reliance of a group label. Each Morphogroup is explored for sub-groups and the process is repeated until no further distinctions can be made. At each level an individual is compared to the Morphogroup in a descriptive manner focusing on similarities and differences. Lastly, a multi-iteration classification procedure, using random forest modeling, is implemented to classify by Morphogroup. In this test, hierarchical clustering was used to identify the optimal number of natural clusters within the data and principal components analysis was used to explore Morphogroups. Using my suggested workflow, three main Morphogroups were identified with each having different numbers of subclusters ranging from 0-8. Morphogroup correct classifications are typically in the mid 90 percent and the accompanying sex estimations between 93-100% correct. Additionally, for anyone who has access to R, I have provided a markdown file that shows all of the code used for this paper step-by-step at https://rpubs.com/kenyhercz2/717620. I want to make it clear this is not the way I think this should be done, rather one of myriad ways it could be done. Human variation and identity are not static and we need to stop thinking of them as such. It is on us to help one another get better at rethinking and redefining what is possible for our field

A Novel Method Based on Headspace-Ion Mobility Spectrometry for the Detection and Discrimination of Different Petroleum Derived Products in Seawater

The objective of the present study is to develop an optimized method where headspace-ion mobility spectrometry is applied for the detection and discrimination between four petroleum-derived products (PDPs) in water. A Box-Behnken design with a response surface methodology was used, and five variables (incubation temperature, incubation time, agitation, sample volume, and injection volume) with influences on the ion mobility spectrometry (IMS) response were optimized. An IMS detector was used as a multiple sensor device, in which, each drift time acts as a specific sensor. In this way, the total intensity at each drift time is equivalent to multiple sensor signals. According to our results, 2.5 mL of sample incubated for 5 min at 31 degrees C, agitated at 750 rpm, and with an injection volume of 0.91 mL were the optimal conditions for successful detection and discrimination of the PDPs. The developed method has exhibited good intermediate precision and repeatability with a coefficient of variation lower than 5%, (RSD (Relative Standard Deviation): 2.35% and 3.09%, respectively). Subsequently, the method was applied in the context of the detection and discrimination of petroleum-derived products added to water samples at low concentration levels (2 mu L center dot L-1). Finally, the new method was applied to determine the presence of petroleum-derived products in seawater samples.This work has been co-financed by the 2014-2020 ERDF Operational Program and by the Department of Economy, Knowledge, Business and University of the Regional Government of Andalusia. Project reference: "FEDER-UCA18-107214"

Morphometric analysis of the Saccharum complex (Poaceae, Andropogoneae)

Saccharum s.l. comprises 35–40 species, including sugarcane (S. officinarum), and is distributed in the tropics and subtropics. The term “Saccharum complex” refers to four related genera: Saccharum, Erianthus s.l. (including E. sect. Ripidium, or Tripidium), Narenga, and Sclerostachya. Miscanthus and Miscanthidium are also closely related to this group. The delimitation of these genera is contentious and largely unresolved, with most species recognized under Saccharum. This study aimed to assess the morphological variation of the Saccharum complex, especially Saccharum s.s. and Erianthus s.l., and contribute to clarifying their generic circumscriptions. To accomplish this purpose, 31 exomorphological characters (17 qualitative and 14 quantitative) were analyzed using cluster (UPGMA) and discriminant analyses. The existence of significant differences among groups was analyzed by a one-way MANOVA. The morphological evidence clearly indicated three groups: (1) Saccharum s.s. from the Old World, (2) Tripidium + some species of Saccharum s.l. sometimes recognized as Narenga, Miscanthus, or Miscanthidium (all taxa from the Old World), and (3) Erianthus s.s. from the New World. The results support that the native species from the New World (Erianthus s.s.) are morphologically different from the species of Saccharum s.s. often cultivated, suggesting that Erianthus should be accepted as a genus distinct from Saccharum. For the species of Tripidium, we provide the morphological traits that distinguish them from Saccharum s.s. and Erianthus s.s. and revalidate the recent differential recognition postulated by molecular works.Fil: Vasquez, Susana I.. Universidad Nacional del Nordeste. Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias; ArgentinaFil: Dorneles Welker, Cassiano Aimbere. Universidade Federal de Uberlandia; BrasilFil: Solis Neffa, Viviana Griselda. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Nordeste. Instituto de Botánica del Nordeste. Universidad Nacional del Nordeste. Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias. Instituto de Botánica del Nordeste; ArgentinaFil: Peichoto, Myriam Carolina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Nordeste. Instituto de Botánica del Nordeste. Universidad Nacional del Nordeste. Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias. Instituto de Botánica del Nordeste; Argentin

Rankings of Canadian Universities, 2000: Buyer Beware

We present a critical perspective on the rankings of Canadian universities pre- sented in Maclean's magazine, November 20, 2000. Data from several statistical analyses, including cluster analysis, show that in many cases universities actually resemble each other in a manner different from their classification or final ranking by Maclean's, and that the magazine’s classifications are often decided by variables not realistically measurable by or amenable to students. We summarize several pitfalls in the ranking procedures for the 2000 data, and in ranking exercises more generally. In their present form, Maclean's data cannot be logically or empirically useful to students. Les auteurs critiquent le classement des universités canadiennes présenté dans le Maclean's le 20 novembre 2000. Les données tirées de plusieurs analyses statistiques, dont l’analyse typologique, indiquent que, dans bien des cas, les universités se res- semblent sur d’autres fronts que ce que laisse supposer leur position dans le pal- marès. Les auteurs résument les écueils méthodologiques liés au classement pour les données de 2000. Dans leur forme actuelle, les classifications du magazine reposent sur des variables qui ne sont ni empiriquement mesurables ni accessibles aux étudiants.

Search for single top quarks in the tau+jets channel using 4.8 fb−1^{-1} of ppˉp\bar{p} collision data

We present the first direct search for single top quark production using tau leptons. The search is based on 4.8 fb$^{-1}$ of integrated luminosity collected in $p\bar{p}$ collisions at $\sqrt{s}$=1.96 TeV with the D0 detector at the Fermilab Tevatron Collider. We select events with a final state including an isolated tau lepton, missing transverse energy, two or three jets, one or two of them $b$ tagged. We use a multivariate technique to discriminate signal from background. The number of events observed in data in this final state is consistent with the signal plus background expectation. We set in the tau+jets channel an upper limit on the single top quark cross section of \TauLimObs pb at the 95% C.L. This measurement allows a gain of 4% in expected sensitivity for the observation of single top production when combining it with electron+jets and muon+jets channels already published by the D0 collaboration with 2.3 fb$^{-1}$ of data. We measure a combined cross section of \SuperCombineXSall pb, which is the most precise measurement to date.Comment: 12 pages, 5 figure

Exploitation of Unintentional Ethernet Cable Emissions Using Constellation Based-Distinct Native Attribute (CB-DNA) Fingerprints to Enhance Network Security

This research contributed to the AFIT\u27s Radio Frequency Intelligence (RFINT) program by developing a new device discrimination technique called Constellation-Based Distinct Native Attribute (CB-DNA) Fingerprinting. This is of great interest to the Air Force Research Lab (AFRL), Sensor Directorate, who supported the research and now have new method for improving network security. CB-DNA fingerprints are used to authenticate wired network device identities, thwart unauthorized access, and augment traditional bit-level security measures that area easily bypassed by skilled hackers. Similar to human fingerprint features that uniquely identify individuals, CB-DNA uniquely identifies communication devices and improves the rate at which unauthorized rogue devices are granted network access

Comparison of different processing approaches by SVM and RF on HS-MS eNose and NIR Spectrometry data for the discrimination of gasoline samples

In the quality control of flammable and combustible liquids, such as gasoline, both rapid analysis and automated data processing are of great importance from an economical viewpoint for the petroleum industry. The present work aims to evaluate the chemometric tools to be applied on the Headspace Mass Spectrometry (HS-MS eNose) and Near-Infrared Spectroscopy (NIRS) results to discriminate gasoline according to their Research Octane Number (RON). For this purpose, data from a total of 50 gasoline samples of two types of RON-95 and 98-analyzed by the two above-mentioned techniques were studied. The HS-MS eNose and NIRS data were com-bined with non-supervised exploratory techniques, such as Hierarchical Cluster Analysis (HCA), as well as other supervised classification techniques, namely Support Vector Machine (SVM) and Random Forest (RF). For su-pervised classification, the low-level data fusion was additionally applied to evaluate if the combined use of the data increases the scope of relevant information. The HCA results showed a clear clustering trend of the gasoline samples according to their RON with HS-MS eNose data. SVM in combination with 5-Fold Cross-Validation successfully classified 100% of the samples with the HS-MS eNose data set. The RF algorithm in combination with 5-Fold Cross-Validation achieved the best accuracy rate for the test set with the low-level data fusion system. Furthermore, it allowed us to identify the most important features that could define the differences between RON 95 and RON 98 gasoline. On the other hand, using the HS-MS eNose and NIRS low-level data fusion reached better results than those obtained using NIRS data individually, with accuracy rates of 100% in both SVM and RF performances with the test set. In general, the performance of the SVM and RF algorithms was found to be similar

Phylogenetic origin of primary and secondary metabolic pathway genes revealed by C. maxima and C. reticulata diagnostic SNPs

Modern cultivated Citrus species and varieties result from interspecific hybridization between four ancestral taxa. Among them, Citrus maxima and Citrus reticulata, closely associated with the pummelo and mandarin horticultural groups, respectively, were particularly important as the progenitors of sour and sweet oranges (Citrus aurantium and Citrus sinensis), grapefruits (Citrus paradisi), and hybrid types resulting from modern breeding programs (tangors, tangelos, and orangelos). The differentiation between the four ancestral taxa and the phylogenomic structure of modern varieties widely drive the phenotypic diversity's organization. In particular, strong phenotypic differences exist in the coloration and sweetness and represent important criteria for breeders. In this context, focusing on the genes of the sugar, carotenoid, and chlorophyll biosynthesis pathways, the aim of this work was to develop a set of diagnostic single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers to distinguish the ancestral haplotypes of C. maxima and C. reticulata and to provide information at the intraspecific diversity level (within C. reticulata or C. maxima). In silico analysis allowed the identification of 3,347 SNPs from selected genes. Among them, 1,024 were detected as potential differentiation markers between C. reticulata and C. maxima. A total of 115 SNPs were successfully developed using a competitive PCR technology. Their transferability among all Citrus species and the true citrus genera was very good, with only 0.87% of missing data. The ancestral alleles of the SNPs were identified, and we validated the usefulness of the developed markers for tracing the ancestral haplotype in large germplasm collections and sexually recombined progeny issued from the C. reticulata/C. maxima admixture gene pool. These markers will pave the way for targeted association studies based on ancestral haplotypes