The role of small mammals in the population dynamics of two native grassland forbs: Lupinus sericeus and Lithospermum ruderale

Although post-dispersal seed predators are common and often reduce seed density, their influence on plant abundance remains unclear. We examined the impact of seed predation by small mammals, primarily deer mice (Peromyscus maniculatus), on seedling recruitment and plant establishment of two perennial grassland forbs: Lupinus sericeus (Fabaceae) and Lithospermum ruderale (Boraginaceae), using experimental seed addition and rodent exclusion treatments. For both species, small mammal exclusion increased the total number of seedlings that emerged, and these effects were still significant three years after seed addition, resulting in greater numbers of established plants inside exclosures than in control plots. To shed light on how these relatively short-term rodent-driven reductions in seed abundance and recruitment might influence longer-term patterns of L. ruderale population growth, we combined experimental results with demographic data in stage-based population models. Model outputs revealed that rodent seed predation had a significant impact on L. ruderale population growth rate. These results demonstrate that rodent granivory can be a potent force limiting the abundance of a perennial forb. In the third chapter, we examined the effects of multiple consumers on L. sericeus populations. We combined the experimental evidence of rodent-driven reduction in seedling recruitment in with the impacts of two other consumers, folivorous ground squirrels (Spermophilus columbianus), and herbivorous insects (Lepidopteran and Coleopteran larvae) on L. sericeus fecundity, with stage-based matrix models. We examined how these consumers, individually and in concert, influence the population growth of L. sericeus at three sites. Because consumers sequentially attack flowers, pre-dispersed seeds and then post-dispersed seeds, the opportunities for any given species to influence the population growth rate of L. sericeus is contingent on the impacts of the preceding consumer. We found that release from all consumers caused significant, and sometimes dramatic, increases in the population growth rate. These results suggest that despite high rates of asexual reproduction, consumers impose strong limits to the population growth and therefore the abundance of this long-lived forb. The final chapter reflects outreach to the public school community, bringing scientific content and methods to an elementary school classroom in an inquiry demonstrating the importance of seed dispersal in plants

Postdispersal Seed Predation Limits the Abundance of a Long-Lived Perennial Forb (Lithospermum ruderale)

Loss of seeds to consumers is common in plant communities, but the degree to which these losses influence plant abundance or population growth is often unclear. This is particularly the case for postdispersal seed predation by rodents, as most studies of rodent seed predation have focused on the sources of spatiotemporal variation in seed loss but not quantified the population consequences of this loss. In previous work we showed that seed predation by deer mice (Peromyscus maniculatus) substantially reduced seedling recruitment and establishment of Lithospermum ruderale (Boraginaceae), a long-lived perennial forb. To shed light on how rodent seed predation and the near-term effects on plant recruitment might influence longer-term patterns of L. ruderale population growth, we combined experimental results with demographic data in stage-based population models. Model outputs revealed that rodent seed predation had a significant impact on L. ruderale population growth rate (λ). With the removal of postdispersal seed predation, the projected population growth rates increased between 0.06 and 0.12, depending on site (mean Δλ across sites = 0.08). Seed predation shifted the projected stable stage distribution of populations from one with a high proportion of young plants to one in which larger adult size classes dominate. Elasticities of vital rates also changed, with germination and growth of seedlings and young plants becoming more important with the removal of seed predation. Simulations varying the magnitude of seed predation pressure while holding other vital rates constant showed that seed predation could lower λ even if only 40% of available seeds were consumed. These results demonstrate that rodent granivory can be a potent force limiting the abundance of a long-lived perennial forb

The influence of injured athletes perceptions of social support from ATCs on athletes' beliefs about rehabilitation

This is the publisher's version, also found at http://ehis.ebscohost.com/ehost/detail?vid=3&sid=cc60431c-6281-4940-bc2d-85f4c9ff2060%40sessionmgr11&hid=17&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=s3h&AN=24665314Objective: To determine whether athletes’ perceptions of social support from their certified athletic trainers (ATCs) were related to their beliefs about the rehabilitation process. Design: Division I athletes (N = 57) completed a survey including measures of social support and beliefs about rehabilitation. Participants: Division I college athletes (35 men, 22 women) who had sustained an injury that caused them to miss no less than 5 consecutive days. Measurements: The Social Support Survey (SSS) and the Sports Injury Rehabilitation Beliefs Survey (SIRBS). Results: Results revealed significant correlations between the SSS and the SIRBS scales only for athletes who had sustained severe injuries. Multiple-regression analyses revealed that the SSS scales were significant predictors of each of the SIRBS scales. Conclusions: Results suggest that when severely injured athletes perceive that their ATCs provide strong social support, they are more likely to believe in their rehabilitation programs. Key Words: psychology of injury, psychology of rehabilitatio

Small-Mammal Seed Predation Limits the Recruitment and Abundance of Two Perennial Grassland Forbs

Although post-dispersal seed predators are common and often reduce seed density, their influence on plant population abundance remains unclear. On the one hand, increasing evidence suggests that many plant populations are seed limited, implying that seed predators could reduce plant abundance. On the other hand, it is generally uncertain whether the magnitude of seed limitation imposed by granivores is strong enough to overcome density-dependent processes that could compensate for seed loss at later stages. We examined the impact of seed predation by small mammals, primarily deer mice (Peromyscus maniculatus), on seedling recruitment and subsequent plant establishment of two perennial grassland forbs in western Montana, USA: Lupinus sericeus (Fabaceae) and Lithospermum ruderale (Boraginaceae). The experiment combined graded densities of seed addition for each species with a small-mammal exclusion treatment. Seedling recruitment and plant establishment were monitored in the experimental plots for up to three years. For both species, small-mammal exclusion increased the total number of seedlings that emerged, and these effects were still significant three years after seed addition, resulting in greater numbers of established plants inside exclosures than in control plots. We also found evidence of seed limitation, with increasing density of seeds added leading to increased numbers of seedlings. Results from seed addition and small-mammal exclusion experiments in later years also revealed significant impacts of small mammals on seedling emergence. These results suggest that granivores can have potentially important impacts in limiting forb abundance in grasslands communities

Control of intestinal stem cell function and proliferation by mitochondrial pyruvate metabolism.

Most differentiated cells convert glucose to pyruvate in the cytosol through glycolysis, followed by pyruvate oxidation in the mitochondria. These processes are linked by the mitochondrial pyruvate carrier (MPC), which is required for efficient mitochondrial pyruvate uptake. In contrast, proliferative cells, including many cancer and stem cells, perform glycolysis robustly but limit fractional mitochondrial pyruvate oxidation. We sought to understand the role this transition from glycolysis to pyruvate oxidation plays in stem cell maintenance and differentiation. Loss of the MPC in Lgr5-EGFP-positive stem cells, or treatment of intestinal organoids with an MPC inhibitor, increases proliferation and expands the stem cell compartment. Similarly, genetic deletion of the MPC in Drosophila intestinal stem cells also increases proliferation, whereas MPC overexpression suppresses stem cell proliferation. These data demonstrate that limiting mitochondrial pyruvate metabolism is necessary and sufficient to maintain the proliferation of intestinal stem cells

Formas do grotesco em A amoreira

RESUMO Este artigo defende a relevância multifacetada da noção bakhtiniana do grotesco para o conto A amoreira, dos Irmãos Grimm. A gravidez da mulher, descrita em relação ao ciclo natural de vida-e-morte, representa tanto o grotesco no corpo individual quanto no seu papel mais amplo de renascimento que ele antecipa. A mãe morre após dar a luz. O pai casa-se novamente com uma mulher agressiva que decapita e cozinha seu enteado num forno, e o pai o come sem saber. O conto destaca a canção carnavalesca "Minha mãe me matou, Meu pai me comeu", cantada por um pássaro nascido na árvore onde os ossos do filho são enterrados. As interpolações de prosa e verso no conto tornam-se centrais para sua descrição do desenvolvimento moral romântico. A canção funciona como um pregão de Paris, para criar um mercado público que faz o diálogo avançar. A performance ainda ilumina o grotesco e conduz a narrativa até que a justiça seja restaurada

[3] Routine Checkup

Artist Statement I make artwork that focuses on the aspects of life that are important to me, and that I feel in some way can be important to others. This series of works looks at both the emotional and physical trials of being someone diagnosed with a life-long illness. This theme, that until this series has rarely shown itself in my work, has been a constant part of my life as someone who has been diagnosed with a chronic disease. This show is titled Routine Checkup and it communicates my own experience of being humiliated and de-humanized by doctors, nurses, and technicians for so long that it has simply become a routine. The idea of feeling inhuman is a theme that progressed as I worked on this series. Therefore, I decided to use abstracted figures that create an almost Surrealist take on the human figure. I did this to express the monstrous nature of what it feels like to be a medical oddity. I used a wide variety of lines that are extremely chaotic in their quality to represent the fear and anxiety that occurs when someone is going through medical testing. I felt it was important to note the alienation or idea of loneliness that can come with the territory of being a long-term patient, so I kept the backgrounds un-descriptive and atmospheric. Black and white was the main color theme used in this series to demonstrate the sterile nature of the medical environment. Throughout each piece there are hints of color, symbolizing the thin attachment one has to their humanity throughout this process. Although I have touched on personal experiences in other pieces, I hope that by producing these works I can continue growing and exploring these ideas in a variety of media. I wanted to explore the idea of self-identity by looking at the experiences that have led me to who I am as a person. As someone who has gone through multiple diagnoses, treatment, and testing from an early age I wanted people to not only understand my own personal take, but to relate to the discomfort and pain anyone goes through in these situations. I made visual references to moments that actually occurred, such as being held down by nurses during examinations. I also felt it was important to touch on the idea of side effects, as there is no medication without one, and they often loom over the patient’s subconscious. An example of this is the rotting of teeth that can occur from many different oral medications. By using my own life, this series represents my physical and emotional hardships with the medical community. By picking a media that relies on line and little color the work is an aggressively dark take on what it means to live with an illness, or chronic pain. We try not to let our bad experiences define who we are, but inevitably they will always be a part of us.https://digitalcommons.northgeorgia.edu/seniorexhibfall2012/1018/thumbnail.jp

[5] Routine Checkup

Artist Statement I make artwork that focuses on the aspects of life that are important to me, and that I feel in some way can be important to others. This series of works looks at both the emotional and physical trials of being someone diagnosed with a life-long illness. This theme, that until this series has rarely shown itself in my work, has been a constant part of my life as someone who has been diagnosed with a chronic disease. This show is titled Routine Checkup and it communicates my own experience of being humiliated and de-humanized by doctors, nurses, and technicians for so long that it has simply become a routine. The idea of feeling inhuman is a theme that progressed as I worked on this series. Therefore, I decided to use abstracted figures that create an almost Surrealist take on the human figure. I did this to express the monstrous nature of what it feels like to be a medical oddity. I used a wide variety of lines that are extremely chaotic in their quality to represent the fear and anxiety that occurs when someone is going through medical testing. I felt it was important to note the alienation or idea of loneliness that can come with the territory of being a long-term patient, so I kept the backgrounds un-descriptive and atmospheric. Black and white was the main color theme used in this series to demonstrate the sterile nature of the medical environment. Throughout each piece there are hints of color, symbolizing the thin attachment one has to their humanity throughout this process. Although I have touched on personal experiences in other pieces, I hope that by producing these works I can continue growing and exploring these ideas in a variety of media. I wanted to explore the idea of self-identity by looking at the experiences that have led me to who I am as a person. As someone who has gone through multiple diagnoses, treatment, and testing from an early age I wanted people to not only understand my own personal take, but to relate to the discomfort and pain anyone goes through in these situations. I made visual references to moments that actually occurred, such as being held down by nurses during examinations. I also felt it was important to touch on the idea of side effects, as there is no medication without one, and they often loom over the patient’s subconscious. An example of this is the rotting of teeth that can occur from many different oral medications. By using my own life, this series represents my physical and emotional hardships with the medical community. By picking a media that relies on line and little color the work is an aggressively dark take on what it means to live with an illness, or chronic pain. We try not to let our bad experiences define who we are, but inevitably they will always be a part of us.https://digitalcommons.northgeorgia.edu/seniorexhibfall2012/1020/thumbnail.jp