Alcohol consumption and risk of common cancers: evidence from a cohort of adults from the United Kingdom

Background: Recent guidelines from the United Kingdom recommend that men and women should drink no more than 14 units of alcohol per week. This recommendation takes into account the link between alcohol and several cancers; however, there is a dearth of high quality evidence from the UK to support this. Methods: Alcohol consumption using a detailed diary was obtained from 8,670 adults representative of the UK population in 1984/5, with follow-up data from cancer registries until 2009. Hazard ratios (HR) adjusted for several variables including cigarette smoking were calculated for cancers of the breast, lung, colorectum and prostate separately using Cox regression. Results: Units per week on a typical basis, fitted as a linear term, was associated with breast cancer in women (HR=1.27 per 10 units/week; 95% CI 1.03-1.58) and lung cancer in men (HR=1.16; 1.06-1.27). Increased risks of lung (HR=2.23; 1.18-4.24) and colorectal (HR = 2.28; 1.13-4.57) cancer were seen in men at 15-28 units/week along with higher levels of consumption. Some findings differed by alcohol type. Conclusions: Overall, alcohol consumption of 15-28 units/week may be harmful in men with respect to common cancers. A linear association between alcohol consumption and risk of breast cancer was observed in women

The Adaptive Evolution Database (TAED): a phylogeny based tool for comparative genomics

From 138 662 embryophyte (higher plant) and 348 142 chordate genes, 4216 embryophyte and 15 452 chordate gene families were generated. For each of these gene families, multiple sequence alignments, phylogenetic trees, ratios of non-synonymous to synonymous nucleotide substitution rates (K(a)/K(s)), mappings from gene trees to the NCBI taxonomy and structural links to solved three-dimensional protein structures in the Protein Data Bank (PDB) with Grantham-weighted mutational factors were all calculated. Of the ‘gene family trees’, 173 embryophyte and 505 chordate branches show K(a)/K(s) ≫ 1 and are candidates for functional adaptation. The calculated information is available both as a gene family database and as a phylogenetically indexed resource, called ‘The Adaptive Evolution Database’ (TAED), available at http://www.bioinfo.no/tools/TAED

Lidar Remote Sensing Variables Predict Breeding Habitat of a Neotropical Migrant Bird

A topic of recurring interest in ecological research is the degree to which vegetation structure influences the distribution and abundance of species. Here we test the applicability of remote sensing, particularly novel use of waveform lidar measurements, for quantifying the habitat heterogeneity of a contiguous northern hardwoods forest in the northeastern United States. We apply these results to predict the breeding habitat quality, an indicator of reproductive output of a well-studied Neotropical migrant songbird, the Black-throated Blue Warbler (Dendroica caerulescens). We found that using canopy vertical structure metrics provided unique information for models of habitat quality and spatial patterns of prevalence. An ensemble decision tree modeling approach (random forests) consistently identified lidar metrics describing the vertical distribution and complexity of canopy elements as important predictors of habitat use over multiple years. Although other aspects of habitat were important, including the seasonality of vegetation cover, the canopy structure variables provided unique and complementary information that systematically improved model predictions. We conclude that canopy structure metrics derived from waveform lidar, which will be available on future satellite missions, can advance multiple aspects of biodiversity research, and additional studies should be extended to other organisms and regions

Response to fragmentation by avian communities is mediated by species traits

Aim The hypothesis that habitat fragmentation negatively influences biodiversity stems from island biogeography and metapopulation theory which predict negative impacts of decreasing patch size on richness and distribution patterns. Empirical support of this idea is weak in terrestrial systems, though tests of fragmentation effects are typically confounded with landscape composition and potentially obscured by imperfect detection. Here, we used multispecies occupancy models and a mensurative experimental design to test competing hypotheses about how forest fragmentation influences distributions of breeding forest bird species and communities. Location Southern Indiana, USA. Methods During the breeding seasons of 2011-2013, we recorded over 80,000 bird detections in 202 forest fragments using a sampling design that isolated the effects of patch size per se from the effects of forest amount within a 2 km radius, edge distance, local vegetation and sampling area. We modelled the effects of these covariates on distributions of individual species categorized by ecological trait groups (i.e., forest, forest interior or forest edge), and evaluated how forest loss and fragmentation impact species richness. Results Though our results indicated little effect of patch size on total species richness, decreasing patch size had a negative effect on interior species, and a positive effect on edge species. The effects of total forest amount were much more variable, and surprisingly had a negative influence on many species, particularly cavity nesters. Main conclusions Our results do not support theoretical predictions that forest patch size should positively influence bird species richness. However, composition of bird communities shifted towards edge species from interior species with decreasing patch size. Maintaining large forest patches is thus critical for supporting forest interior species, which tend to be of the greatest conservation concern

The Detergent Evaluation Methods and the Washing Machine(PART II)

AIC model selection table and associated coefficients for hermit warbler 2013 for all models combined. Column names for the model coefficients use the following notation: coefficient = parameter(covariate) and standard error = SEparameter(covariate). Parameter abbreviations are p = detection probability, psi = initial occupancy, col = colonization/settlement, ext = extinction/vacancy. Parameter(Int) refers to the intercept. ‘nPars’ is the number of parameters estimated in the model. Each model is ranked by its AIC score, which represents how well the model fits the data. A lower ∆AIC (delta) value is indicative of a better model. The probability that the model (of the models tested) would best explain the data is indicated by AICwt

Interactive effects of locus coeruleus structure and catecholamine synthesis capacity on cognitive function

BackgroundThe locus coeruleus (LC) produces catecholamines (norepinephrine and dopamine) and is implicated in a broad range of cognitive functions including attention and executive function. Recent advancements in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) approaches allow for the visualization and quantification of LC structure. Human research focused on the LC has since exploded given the LC’s role in cognition and relevance to current models of psychopathology and neurodegenerative disease. However, it is unclear to what extent LC structure reflects underlying catecholamine function, and how LC structure and neurochemical function are collectively associated with cognitive performance.MethodsA partial least squares correlation (PLSC) analysis was applied to 19 participants’ LC structural MRI measures and catecholamine synthesis capacity measures assessed using [18F]Fluoro-m-tyrosine ([18F]FMT) positron emission tomography (PET).ResultsWe found no direct association between LC-MRI and LC-[18F]FMT measures for rostral, middle, or caudal portions of the LC. We found significant associations between LC neuroimaging measures and neuropsychological performance that were driven by rostral and middle portions of the LC, which is in line with LC cortical projection patterns. Specifically, associations with executive function and processing speed arose from contributions of both LC structure and interactions between LC structure and catecholamine synthesis capacity.ConclusionThese findings leave open the possibility that LC MRI and PET measures contribute unique information and suggest that their conjoint use may increase sensitivity to brain-behavior associations in small samples

Cerebrospinal fluid and positron-emission tomography biomarkers for noradrenergic dysfunction in neurodegenerative diseases: a systematic review and meta-analysis

The noradrenergic system shows pathological modifications in aging and neurodegenerative diseases and undergoes substantial neuronal loss in Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease. While a coherent picture of structural decline in post-mortem and in vivo MRI measures seems to emerge, whether this translates into a consistent decline in available noradrenaline levels is unclear. We conducted a meta-analysis of noradrenergic differences in Alzheimer’s disease dementia and Parkinson’s disease using CSF and PET biomarkers. CSF noradrenaline and 3-methoxy-4-hydroxyphenylglycol levels as well as noradrenaline transporters availability, measured with PET, were summarized from 26 articles using a random-effects model meta-analysis. Compared to controls, individuals with Parkinson’s disease showed significantly decreased levels of CSF noradrenaline and 3-methoxy-4-hydroxyphenylglycol, as well as noradrenaline transporters availability in the hypothalamus. In Alzheimer’s disease dementia, 3-methoxy-4-hydroxyphenylglycol but not noradrenaline levels were increased compared to controls. Both CSF and PET biomarkers of noradrenergic dysfunction reveal significant alterations in Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s disease dementia. However, further studies are required to understand how these biomarkers are associated to the clinical symptoms and pathology

The Role of the L1 in the L2 Classroom

The use of the L1 in L2 classrooms has historically been a controversial issue. Research over the years has greatly influenced the perspectives of the L1 and its purposes in the L2 classroom. In this paper, I will review the traditional views of L1 usage in the L2 classroom as well as discuss the major research studies which have brought new light upon the L1 and its influences on L2 acquisition. The focus of this paper will then shift to the pedagogical implications of such findings and how these findings affect my decisions as a teacher with respect to L1 usage in my classroom