Seedling Survival after Novel Drought-Induced Germination in Ceanothus megacarpus

As California is experiencing what is believed to be the worst drought in 500 years, monitoring the change of vegetation is of utmost importance. This spring we observed novel germination of Big Pod Ceanothus seedlings (Ceanothus megacarpus). Germination was novel in that seeds typically require a fire heat cue but in this particular case, germination was likely due to excessive soil temperatures resulting from drought-induced canopy reduction. This is a phenomenon not well known to science as Ceanothus megacarpus seedlings are typically not found between fire events. We believe this results from increased soil temperatures due to greater openings in the canopy after adult die back. With this is mind, we hypothesized that there would be higher quantities of seedlings adjacent to trails more exposed to sunlight than off trails. To test this hypothesis, sixty-seven 1 m2 plots, were established to monitor seedling survival along trails and compare seedling densities to adult stands, assessed by point quarter sampling off trails. We also measured percent shade, leaf area index, volumetric water content, and soil water potential. There was no correlation found between any of these measurements and seedling survival. However survival was correlated with maximum rooting depth of seedlings. Dead seedlings had \u3c 20 cm rooting depths whereas surviving seedlings had \u3e 20 cm. This corresponded to mean soil water potentials of -7 MPa which is less negative than critical levels of hydraulic dysfunction in C. megacarpus seedlings, -11 MPa. We conclude that severe drought, fostered canopy cover, increasing soil temperatures that promoted novel seed germination. We speculate that novel seed germination will either compensate for drought-induced mortality of adults by enhanced recruitment of seedlings or deplete the soil seed bank through seedling establishment failure

The Nutritional Value of Fecal Sacs: Testing the Parental Nutrition Hypothesis

Nest sanitation is an important aspect of parental investment in birds with altricial nestlings. Passerine nestlings produce fecal matter that is encased in a mucous membrane for easy disposal. These fecal sacs are either removed from the nest and transported a distance away or they are ingested by the adult. A decline in fecal sac ingestion rates as nestlings age has been observed in several species. The parental nutrition hypothesis posits that this pattern can be attributed to increasing digestive efficiency as nestlings age. The parental nutrition hypothesis makes three predictions: fecal sac consumption rates should decrease as nestlings age, the nutritional value of fecal sacs should decline as nestlings age, and females should consume more fecal sacs than males. I tested these predictions in Eastern Bluebirds (Sialia sialis) using video cameras in order to quantify changes in behavior over the nestling cycle and analysis of protein content of fecal sacs. Both male and female bluebirds consumed fecal sacs significantly less often as nestlings aged. Protein content (μg/g) of fecal sacs also declined with age. Female bluebirds consumed more fecal sacs than males. Overall, my results support the parental nutrition hypothesis, although multiple selective factors may affect consumption of fecal sacs

Unit Costs of Health and Social Care 2016

This is the latest updated volume in a well-established series bringing together information from a variety of sources to estimate national unit costs for a wide range of health and social care services. This report consists of tables for approaching 100 types of service which, as well as providing the most detailed and comprehensive information possible, also quotes sources and assumptions so users can adapt the information for their own purposes. This year we have included a guest editorial: Agency staff in the NHS; and two articles: Costs of the Well London programme and PUCC: The Preventonomics Unit Cost Calculator. There is also a new schema providing the costs of the Geriatric Care Management Model (GRACE) and new information has been added to the Adoption and GP schemas. Changes have also been made to further improve the costs of NHS overheads and environmental costs have been extended to appear in the mental health hospital services schema

Trends and characteristics of accidental and intentional codeine overdose deaths in Australia

Examines trends in codeine-related mortality rates in Australia, and the clinical and toxicological characteristics of codeine-related deaths. Abstract Objectives: To examine trends in codeine-related mortality rates in Australia, and the clinical and toxicological characteristics of codeine-related deaths. Design and setting: Analysis of prospectively collected data from the National Coronial Information System on deaths where codeine toxicity was determined to be an underlying or contributory cause of death. The study period was 2000–2013. Main outcome measures: Population-adjusted numbers (per million persons) of (1) codeine-related deaths, classified by intent (accidental or intentional); and (2) heroin- and Schedule 8 opioid-related deaths (as a comparator). Results: The overall rate of codeine-related deaths increased from 3.5 per million in 2000 to 8.7 per million in 2009. Deaths attributed to accidental overdoses were more common (48.8%) than intentional deaths (34.7%), and their proportion increased during the study period. High rates of prior comorbid mental health (53.6%), substance use (36.1%) and chronic pain (35.8%) problems were recorded for these deaths. For every two Schedule 8 opioid-related deaths in 2009, there was one codeine-related death. Most codeine-related deaths (83.7%) were the result of multiple drug toxicity. Conclusions: Codeine-related deaths (with and without other drug toxicity) are increasing as the consumption of codeine-based products increases. Educational messages are needed to better inform the public about the potential harms of chronic codeine use, especially in the context of polypharmacy

Tablet Use by Occupational Therapists for Preliteracy Learning with Preschool Children

Purpose: Tablet technologies are being used in pediatric occupational therapy (OT) despite a dearth of literature supporting their use. The purpose of this study was to investigate key strategies and decision-making considerations occupational therapists are using with tablet technologies to develop preliteracy skills with preschool aged children. Method: An ethnographic study of three pediatric occupational therapists (one school-based; one private clinic; and one school-based/private clinic) was conducted through semi-structured interviews and observations of the participants using the tablet. Results: One central theme, that tablets are “just a tool,” and three subthemes, that tablets are versatile, motivating, and fun, were identified. Results indicated that participants in this study are using tablets purposefully as a tool and as an alternative to traditional preliteracy activities. Conclusion: It is becoming more important for therapists to integrate the tablet and other mainstream technology into their practice in order to assist children in learning how to navigate an increasingly digital world. Further research regarding the efficacy of using tablet technology in pediatric occupational therapy is recommended

Regulation of the Cholesterol-Biosynthesis Pathway Influences Effects of Peroxisome Proliferators in Mouse Liver

Phthalates and a variety of other environmental compounds belong to a class of chemicals known as peroxisome proliferators (PPs). PPs are a widely studied class of compounds that cause non-genotoxic liver carcinogenesis in rodents. The mechanism by which PPs cause cancer and a number of other pleotropic effects, including induction of peroxisomes, hepatocellular hypertrophy and oxidative stress involve activation of the nuclear receptor peroxisome proliferator activated receptor (PPAR) alpha. While it is known that PPARα is required for these effects, the exact mechanism of action is unknown. In order to determine how human health is affected by these compounds it is necessary to elucidate the mechanism of action. A number of studies have suggested that PPARα plays a role in the cholesterol biosynthesis (mevalonate) pathway. We hypothesize that by affecting the key regulators of this pathway, we can modulate the effects of peroxisome proliferators in the mouse liver. Here, we explored the consequences of blocking the mevalonate pathway with lovastatin or increasing the availability of isoprenoids by treating with farnesol on PP induced liver effects. While farnesol had no effect on PP-induced AGO activity (i.e., peroxisome proliferation), it blocked the increase in cell proliferation. Collectively, these results indicated that disregulation of the mevalonate pathway affects the promotional ability of PPs in liver, but not their ability to cause induction of peroxisomes. Thus, the perturbations of lipid metabolism in liver that are caused by PPs may be linked to the ability of the agents to induce cell proliferation.Master of Science in Public Healt

Temporal and spatial ensemble statistics are formed by distinct mechanisms

Our brains can extract a summary representation of the facial characteristics provided by a group of faces. To date, there has been a lack of clarity as to what calculations the brain is actually performing during this ensemble perception. For example, does ensemble processing average the fiducial points (e.g., distance between the eyes, width of the mouth) and surface characteristics (e.g., skin tone) of a set of faces in a fashion that produces what we call a ‘morph average’ face from the group? Or does ensemble perception extract a general ‘gist average’ of the face set (e.g., these faces are unattractive)? Here, we take advantage of the fact that the ‘morph average’ face derived from a group of faces is more attractive than the ‘gist average’. If ensemble perception is performing morph averaging, then the adaptation aftereffects elicited by a morphed average face from a group should be equivalent to those elicited by the group. By contrast, if ensemble perception reflects gist averaging, then the aftereffects produced by the group should be distinct from those elicited by the more attractive morphed average face. In support of the morph averaging hypothesis, we show that the adaptation aftereffects derived via temporal ensemble perception of a group of faces are equal to those produced by the group's morphed average face. Moreover, these effects increase as a linear function of increasing attractiveness in the underlying group. We also reveal that spatial ensemble processing is not equal to temporal ensemble processing, but instead reflects the ‘gist’ attractiveness of the group of faces; e.g., these faces are unattractive. Finally, gist averaging of a spatially presented group of faces is abolished when a temporal manipulation is additionally employed; under these circumstances, morph averaging becomes apparent again. In summary, we have shown for the first time that temporal and spatial ensemble statistics reflect qualitatively different perceptual calculations.Ministry of Education (MOE)Nanyang Technological UniversitySupported by Nanyang Technological University Research Scholarship (HY), Undergraduate Research Experience on Campus (AC), College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences Incentive Scheme (HX), and Ministry of Education - Singapore Academic Research Fund (AcRF) Tier 1 (HX). H. Ying is also supported by the Ministry of Education - China Project of Humanities and Social Sciences (19YJC190030), the City & University strategy-Soochow University Leading Research Team in Humanities and Social Sciences. Parts of this research (data from Exp 1) were presented at the Annual Meeting of Visual Science Society (VSS), May 2017, St. Pete Beach, Florida. The research reported here forms part of H. Ying's Ph.D. thesis at Nanyang Technological University

Drugs and the internet.

Key findings: The number of retailers on the Silk Road increased (from 282 at time 1 to 374 at the last time point), while the number of retailers on the surface web remained relatively stable (92 at time 1 and 101 at the last time point). The increase on the Silk Road is largely driven by international rather than domestic retailers. • On the Silk Road, cannabis and EPS were sold by the largest number of retailers consistently across all time points, followed by MDMA (3,4-methylenedioxy-Nmethylamphetamine) and pharmaceuticals (primarily benzodiazepines and sildenafil). • The type of EPS available from surface web retailers differed substantially from the EPS available from those selling on the Silk Road. EPS sold on the Silk Road more closely mirrored those most commonly used by EDRS participants (i.e. people who regularly use psychostimulants) including drugs from the 2C-x and NBOMe categories, followed by DMT (dimethyltryptamine), Mephedrone and Methylone. • Average prices of methamphetamine, cocaine and ecstasy being sold on the Silk Road remained stable across the time period. Average domestic prices for common quantities of these substances were comparable to prices paid for these same quantities by 2012 EDRS participants. Average international prices for these substances were substantially lower

Public Attitudes to the Sharing of Personal Information in the Course of Online Public Service Provision

The research focused on the following question: What are attitudes of different members of the New Zealand general public towards the collection, management, and sharing of personal information in the course of online public service provision? In order to find answers to this research question we used a qualitative research approach to empirically explore attitudes of a variety of New Zealanders in their service relationships with New Zealand public sector organisations. The research was conducted from March 2010 until August 2010, using the following research methods: • A review of international and New Zealand-based literature in the area of information sharing, privacy, and the management of citizen identity information in e-government service environments; • Semi-structured interviews with New Zealand public sector staff about the characteristics, conditions, and strategic developments in online integrated public service provision in the New Zealand public sector; • Ten focus groups with representatives of the New Zealand general public