Subaqueous soils: Pedogenesis in a submersed environment.

ABSTRACT and sediment parameters is difficult to determine. To apply a new approach, a pedological approach, it is Proposals for the inclusion of permanently submersed materials necessary to demonstrate that shallow water sediments in soil taxonomic systems have periodically been put forth since some can be described by a pedological paradigm. time in the mid 1800s. The proposals were largely conceptual in nature, relying more on subjective reasoning rather than analytical and field Since the inception of pedological research, debate data. Advances in computer and global positioning technology, and concerning the inclusion of subaqueous materials in soil the continuing development of the discipline of pedology provided taxonomic systems has arisen periodically (v.Post, 1862; the opportunity to examine shallow water estuarine sediments within a pedological framework. Morphological and analytical data from 85 The question at the center of the debate seems to be 1.5-to 2.0-m profiles from Sinepuxent Bay, Maryland, indicate that related to the concepts of the "upper limit" of soil and the four pedogenic processes of additions, losses, transformations

Fluctuation of left ventricular thresholds and required safety margin for left ventricular pacing with cardiac resynchronization therapy

AIMS: Fluctuations in left ventricular (LV) thresholds with cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) are unknown. The LV capture management (LVCM) algorithm automatically measures LV thresholds on a daily basis and offers the opportunity to analyse threshold fluctuations. METHODS AND RESULTS: A total of 282 patients implanted with a Medtronic Concerto CRT-D device were prospectively studied. Device data were collected at periodic visits, including daily thresholds from the preceding 14 days and weekly threshold ranges since implantation, acquired by the LVCM algorithm up to 12 months' follow-up. Overall, LV thresholds remained relatively stable, with 189/208 (91%) patients having a maximum increase in threshold of > or = 1.0 V at any time between their 1 and 6 month visits and 127/135 (94%) between the 6 and 12 month visits. However, increase in threshold was significantly affected by LV threshold amplitude. Of the 170 patients with a 1 month threshold of > or = 2.0 V, 159 (94%) had increases of >1.0 V up to their 6 month visit, whereas 8/38 (21%) patients with or = 2.0 V) LV thresholds, a safety margin of 1.0 V is sufficient to ensure LV capture if phrenic nerve stimulation is an issue, and may be even lower in devices with auto-adaptive capture management algorithms. However, the margin should be greater in patients with higher thresholds because of larger fluctuations. Left ventricular capture management may be particularly useful in these patients to ensure LV capture without sacrificing device longevity

Genetic Control of Circuit Function: Vsx1 and Irx5 Transcription Factors Regulate Contrast Adaptation in the Mouse Retina

Transcriptional programs guide the specification of neural cell types in the developing nervous system. However, it is unclear whether such programs also control specific aspects of neural circuit function at maturity. In the mammalian retina, Vsx1 and Irx5 transcription factors are present in a subset of bipolar interneurons that convey signals from photoreceptors to ganglion cells. The biased expression of Vsx1 and Irx5 in hyperpolarizing OFF compared with depolarizing ON bipolar cells suggests that these transcription factors may selectively regulate signal processing in OFF circuits. To test this hypothesis, we generated mice lacking both Vsx1 and Irx5. Bipolar cells in these mice were morphologically normal, but the expression of cell-specific markers in some OFF but not ON bipolar cells was reduced or absent. To assess visual function in Vsx1/Irx5/ retinas, we recorded light responses from ensembles of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs). We first identified functional RGC types in control mice and describe their response properties and adaptation to temporal contrast using a simple linearnonlinear model. We found that spacetime receptive fields of RGCs are unchanged in Vsx1/Irx5/ mice compared with control retinas. In contrast, response threshold, gain, and range were lowered in a cell-type-specific manner in OFF but not ON RGCs in Vsx1/Irx5/ retinas. Finally, we discovered that the ability to adapt to temporal contrast is greatly reduced in OFF RGCs in the double mutant, suggesting that Vsx1 and Irx5 control specific aspects of visual function in circuits of the mammalian retina

A fruit diet rather than invertebrate diet maintains a robust innate immunity in an omnivorous tropical songbird

Experiments were funded by the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW) Academy Ecology Fund to C.J.N—(KENMERK J1618/ECO/G437). C.J.N. was supported by a studentship funded by the Leventis Conservation Foundation through the University of St. Andrews UK and an Ubbo Emmius grant of the University of Groningen, The Netherlands. B.I.T. was supported by the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO‐Vidi 864.10.012).1. Diet alteration may lead to nutrient limitations even in the absence of food limitation, and this may affect physiological functions, including immunity. Nutrient limitations may also affect the maintenance of body mass and key life history events that may affect immune function. Yet, variation in immune function is largely attributed to energetic trade-offs rather than specific nutrient constraints. 2. To test the effect of diet on life history traits, we tested how diet composition affects innate immune function, body mass and moult separately and in combination with each other, and then used path analyses to generate hypotheses about the mechanistic connections between immunity and body mass under different diet composition. 3. We performed a balanced parallel and crossover design experiment with omnivorous common bulbuls Pycnonotus barbatus in out-door aviaries in Nigeria. We fed 40 wild-caught bulbuls ad libitum on fruits or invertebrates for 24 weeks, switching half of each group between treatments after 12 weeks. We assessed innate immune indices (haptoglobin, nitric oxide and ovotransferrin concentrations, and haemagglutination and haemolysis titres), body mass and primary moult, fortnightly. We simplified immune indices into three principal components (PCs), but we explored mechanistic connections between diet, body mass and each immune index separately. 4. Fruit fed bulbuls had higher body mass, earlier moult and showed higher values for two of the three immune PCs compared to invertebrate fed bulbuls. These effects were reversed when we switched bulbuls between treatments after 12 weeks. Exploring the correlations between immune function, body mass and moult, showed that an increase in immune function was associated with a decrease in body mass and delayed moult in invertebrate fed bulbuls, while fruit fed bulbuls maintained body mass despite variation in immune function. Path analyses indicated that diet composition was most likely to affect body mass and immune indices directly and independently from each other. Only haptoglobin concentration was indirectly linked to diet composition via body mass. 5. We demonstrated a causal effect of diet composition on innate immune function, body mass and moult: bulbuls were in better condition when fed on fruits than invertebrates, confirming that innate immunity is nutrient specific. Our results are unique because they show a reversible effect of diet composition on wild adult birds whose immune systems are presumably fully developed and adapted to wild conditions – demonstrating a short-term consequence of diet alteration on life history traits.Publisher PDFPeer reviewe

Study protocol: can a school gardening intervention improve children's diets?

BACKGROUND: The current academic literature suggests there is a potential for using gardening as a tool to improve children's fruit and vegetable intake. This study is two parallel randomised controlled trials (RCT) devised to evaluate the school gardening programme of the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) Campaign for School Gardening, to determine if it has an effect on children's fruit and vegetable intake. METHOD/DESIGN: Trial One will consist of 26 schools; these schools will be randomised into two groups, one to receive the intensive intervention as "Partner Schools" and the other to receive the less intensive intervention as "Associate Schools". Trial Two will consist of 32 schools; these schools will be randomised into either the less intensive intervention "Associate Schools" or a comparison group with delayed intervention. Baseline data collection will be collected using a 24-hour food diary (CADET) to collect data on dietary intake and a questionnaire exploring children's knowledge and attitudes towards fruit and vegetables. A process measures questionnaire will be used to assess each school's gardening activities. DISCUSSION: The results from these trials will provide information on the impact of the RHS Campaign for School Gardening on children's fruit and vegetable intake. The evaluation will provide valuable information for designing future research in primary school children's diets and school based interventions. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ISRCTN11396528

Can agricultural cultivation methods influence the healthfulness of crops for foods

The aim of the current study was to investigate if there are any health effects of long-term consumption of organically grown crops using a rat model. Crops were retrieved over two years from along-term field trial at three different locations in Denmark, using three different cultivation systems(OA, organic based on livestock manure; OB, organic based on green manure; and C, conventional with mineral fertilizers and pesticides)with two field replicates. The cultivation system had an impact on the nutritional quality, affecting γ-tocopherol, some amino acids, and fatty acid composition. Additionally, the nutritional quality was affected by harvest year and location. However, harvest year and location rather than cultivation system affected the measured health biomarkers. In conclusion, the differences in dietary treatments composed of ingredients from different cultivation systems did not lead to significant differences in the measured health biomarkers, except for a significant difference in plasma IgGl evels

Portable, Low-cost NMR with Laser-Lathe Lithography Produced

Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) is unsurpassed in its ability to non-destructively probe chemical identity. Portable, low-cost NMR sensors would enable on-site identification of potentially hazardous substances, as well as the study of samples in a variety of industrial applications. Recent developments in RF microcoil construction (i.e. coils much smaller than the standard 5 mm NMR RF coils), have dramatically increased NMR sensitivity and decreased the limits-of-detection (LOD). We are using advances in laser pantographic microfabrication techniques, unique to LLNL, to produce RF microcoils for field deployable, high sensitivity NMR-based detectors. This same fabrication technique can be used to produce imaging coils for MRI as well as for standard hardware shimming or 'ex-situ' shimming of field inhomogeneities typically associated with inexpensive magnets. This paper describes a portable NMR system based on a laser-fabricated microcoil and homebuilt probe design. For testing this probe, we used a hand-held 2 kg Halbach magnet that can fit into the palm of a hand, and an RF probe with laser-fabricated microcoils. The focus of the paper is on the evaluation of the microcoils, RF probe, and first generation gradient coils. The setup of this system, initial results, sensitivity measurements, and future plans are discussed. The results, even though preliminary, are promising and provide the foundation for developing a portable, inexpensive NMR system for chemical analysis. Such a system will be ideal for chemical identification of trace substances on site

No Evidence for a Trade-Off between Reproductive Investment and Immunity in a Rodent

Life history theory assumes there are trade-offs between competing functions such as reproduction and immunity. Although well studied in birds, studies of the trade-offs between reproduction and immunity in small mammals are scarce. Here we examined whether reduced immunity is a consequence of reproductive effort in lactating Brandt's voles (Lasiopodomys brandtii). Specifically, we tested the effects of lactation on immune function (Experiment I). The results showed that food intake and resting metabolic rate (RMR) were higher in lactating voles (6≤ litter size ≤8) than that in non-reproductive voles. Contrary to our expectation, lactating voles also had higher levels of serum total Immunoglobulin G (IgG) and anti-keyhole limpet hemocyanin (KLH) IgG and no change in phytohemagglutinin (PHA) response and anti-KLH Immunoglobulin M (IgM) compared with non-reproductive voles, suggesting improved rather than reduced immune function. To further test the effect of differences in reproductive investment on immunity, we compared the responses between natural large (n≥8) and small litter size (n≤6) (Experiment II) and manipulated large (11–13) and small litter size (2–3) (Experiment III). During peak lactation, acquired immunity (PHA response, anti-KLH IgG and anti-KLH IgM) was not significantly different between voles raising large or small litters in both experiments, despite the measured difference in reproductive investment (greater litter size, litter mass, RMR and food intake in the voles raising larger litters). Total IgG was higher in voles with natural large litter size than those with natural small litter size, but decreased in the enlarged litter size group compared with control and reduced group. Our results showed that immune function is not suppressed to compensate the high energy demands during lactation in Brandt's voles and contrasting the situation in birds, is unlikely to be an important aspect mediating the trade-off between reproduction and survival