The Aquatic Trophic Ecology of Suisun Marsh, San Francisco Estuary, California, During Autumn in a Wet Year

Using stable isotopes of carbon (δ13C) and nitrogen (δ15N) and mixing models, we investigated the trophic levels and carbon sources of invertebrates and fishes of a large tidal marsh in the San Francisco Estuary. Our goal was to better understand an estuarine food web comprised of native and alien species. We found the following: (1) the food web was based largely on carbon from phytoplankton and emergent-aquatic and terrestrial vegetation, but carbon from submerged aquatic vegetation and phytobenthos was also used; (2) alien species increased the complexity of the food web by altering carbon-flow pathways and by occupying trophic positions different from native species; and (3) most consumers were dietary generalists

Ectoine can enhance structural changes in DNA in vitro

Strand breaks and conformational changes of DNA have consequences for the physiological role of DNA. The natural protecting molecule ectoine is beneficial to entire bacterial cells and biomolecules such as proteins by mitigating detrimental effects of environmental stresses. It was postulated that ectoine-like molecules bind to negatively charged spheres that mimic DNA surfaces. We investigated the effect of ectoine on DNA and whether ectoine is able to protect DNA from damages caused by ultraviolet radiation (UV-A). In order to determine different isoforms of DNA, agarose gel electrophoresis and atomic force microscopy experiments were carried out with plasmid pUC19 DNA. Our quantitative results revealed that a prolonged incubation of DNA with ectoine leads to an increase in transitions from supercoiled (undamaged) to open circular (single-strand break) conformation at pH 6.6. The effect is pH dependent and no significant changes were observed at physiological pH of 7.5. After UV-A irradiation in ectoine solution, changes in DNA conformation were even more pronounced and this effect was pH dependent. We hypothesize that ectoine is attracted to the negatively charge surface of DNA at lower pH and therefore fails to act as a stabilizing agent for DNA in our in vitro experiments

Causality in relativistic many body theory

The stability of the nuclear matter system with respect to density fluctuations is examined exploring in detail the pole structure of the electro-nuclear response functions. Making extensive use of the method of dispersion integrals we calculate the full polarization propagator not only for real energies in the spacelike and timelike regime but also in the whole complex energy plane. The latter proved to be necessary in order to identify unphysical causality violating poles which are the consequence of a neglection of vacuum polarization. On the contrary it is shown that Dirac sea effects stabilize the nuclear matter system shifting the unphysical pole from the upper energy plane back to the real axis. The exchange of strength between these real timelike collective excitations and the spacelike energy regime is shown to lead to a reduction of the quasielastic peak as it is seen in electron scattering experiments. Neglecting vacuum polarization one also obtains a reduction of the quasielastic peak but in this case the strength is partly shifted to the causality violating pole mentioned above which consequently cannot be considered as a physical reliable result. Our investigation of the response function in the energy region above the threshold of nucleon anti-nucleon production leads to another remarkable result. Treating the nucleons as point-like Dirac particles we show that for any isospin independent NN-interaction RPA-correlations provide a reduction of the production amplitude for $p\bar p$-pairs by a factor 2.Comment: 19 pages Latex including 12 postscript figure

Impurity effects in unconventional density waves in the unitary limit

We investigate the effect of strong, nonmagnetic impurities on quasi-one-dimensional conventional and unconventional density waves (DW and UDW). The conventional case remains unaffected similarly to s-wave superconductors in the presence of weak, nonmagnetic impurities. The thermodynamic properties of UDW were found to be identical to those of a d-wave superconductor in the unitary limit. The real and imaginary part of the optical conductivity is determined for electric fields applied in the perpendicular directions. A new structure can be present corresponding to excitations from the bound state at the Fermi energy to the gap maximum in addition to the usual peak at 2\Delta. In the dc limit, universal electric conductivity is found.Comment: 9 pages, 5 figure

Advances in the process-related understanding of atmosphere-cryosphere-hydrosphere couplings on the Tibetan Plateau

Abstract HKT-ISTP 2013 B

Age-related changes in global motion coherence: conflicting haemodynamic and perceptual responses

Our aim was to use both behavioural and neuroimaging data to identify indicators of perceptual decline in motion processing. We employed a global motion coherence task and functional Near Infrared Spectroscopy (fNIRS). Healthy adults (n = 72, 18-85) were recruited into the following groups: young (n = 28, mean age = 28), middle-aged (n = 22, mean age = 50), and older adults (n = 23, mean age = 70). Participants were assessed on their motion coherence thresholds at 3 different speeds using a psychophysical design. As expected, we report age group differences in motion processing as demonstrated by higher motion coherence thresholds in older adults. Crucially, we add correlational data showing that global motion perception declines linearly as a function of age. The associated fNIRS recordings provide a clear physiological correlate of global motion perception. The crux of this study lies in the robust linear correlation between age and haemodynamic response for both measures of oxygenation. We hypothesise that there is an increase in neural recruitment, necessitating an increase in metabolic need and blood flow, which presents as a higher oxygenated haemoglobin response. We report age-related changes in motion perception with poorer behavioural performance (high motion coherence thresholds) associated with an increased haemodynamic response

Coulomb explosion imaging of small organic molecules at LCLS.

Fragmentation of small organic molecules by intense few-femtosecond X-ray free-electron laser pulses has been studied using Coulomb explosion imaging. By measuring kinetic energies and emission angles of the ionic fragments in coincidence, we disentangle different fragmentation pathways, for certain cases can reconstruct molecular geometry at the moment of explosion, and show how it depends on LCLS pulse duration

Acceptability and feasibility of peer assisted supervision and support for intervention practitioners: a Q-methodology evaluation

Evidence-based interventions often include quality improvement methods to support fidelity and improve client outcomes. Clinical supervision is promoted as an effective way of developing practitioner confidence and competence in delivery; however, supervision is often inconsistent and embedded in hierarchical line management structures that may limit the opportunity for reflective learning. The Peer Assisted Supervision and Support (PASS) supervision model uses peer relationships to promote the self-regulatory capacity of practitioners to improve intervention delivery. The aim of the present study was to assess the acceptability and feasibility of PASS amongst parenting intervention practitioners. A Q-methodology approach was used to generate data and 30 practitioners volunteered to participate in the study. Data were analyzed and interpreted using standard Q-methodology procedures and by-person factor analysis yielded three factors. There was consensus that PASS was acceptable. Participants shared the view that PASS facilitated an environment of support where negative aspects of interpersonal relationships that might develop in supervision were not evident. Two factors represented the viewpoint that PASS was also a feasible model of supervision. However, the third factor was comprised of practitioners who reported that PASS could be time consuming and difficult to fit into existing work demands. There were differences across the three factors in the extent to which practitioners considered PASS impacted on their intervention delivery. The findings highlight the importance of organizational mechanisms that support practitioner engagement in supervision