The Effects of Rotation Rate on Deep Convection in Giant Planets with Small Solid Cores

We study how the pattern of thermal convection and differential rotation in the interior of a giant gaseous planet is affected by the presence of a small solid core as a function of the planetary rotation rate. We show, using 2D anelastic, hydrodynamic simulations, that the presence of a small solid core results in significantly different flow structure relative to that of a fully convective interior only if there is little or no planetary rotation.Comment: 12 pages, 3 figure

Maternal age differences in cognitive regulation: examination of associations and interactions between RSA and EEG frontoparietal alpha power coherence

Strong cognitive regulation is advantageous for flexible, responsive parenting. Optimal cognitive regulation is reliant on associations between physiological mechanisms of central and peripheral nervous system functioning. Across middle adulthood there may be shifts in how cognitive regulation functions, reflecting changes in the associations and interactions between these physiological mechanisms. Two physiological indicators of cognitive regulation are autonomic regulation of the heart (e.g., respiratory sinus arrhythmia, RSA) and activity of the brain’s frontoparietal network (e.g., frontoparietal EEG alpha power coherence, FPc). In the current study we examined maternal age differences (N = 90, age M = 32.35 years, SD = 5.86 years) in correlations and interactions between RSA and FPc in the statistical prediction of cognitive regulation [i.e., executive function (EF), effortful control (EC), cognitive reappraisal (CR)]. Age-related patterns involving interaction between RSA and FPc were found, pointing to a potential shift from optimization to compensation for changes with aging or alternately, the effects of age-based decrements in functioning. Findings are discussed in the context of adult developmental changes in maternal caregiving

INFLUENCE OF PHOSPHATE SOURCE ON VESICULAR-ARBUSCULAR MYCORRHIZAE OF \u3ci\u3eBOUTELOUA GRACILIS\u3c/i\u3e

Non-mycorrhizal and vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizal Bouteloua gracilis infected with Glomus fasciculatus were grown in defined media containing different phosphate sources and compared with respect to phosphate content and form, biomass, chlorophyll concentration, and root phosphatase activity. The phosphate sources were sodium monobasic phosphate, a mixture of sodium monobasic phosphate and calcium phytate, and calcium phytate. Inositol and inositol plus calcium were added to the sodium phosphate medium as additional treatments. Mycorrhizal infection was highest in roots of plants grown in the presence of phytate (75%). Lower root infection levels were noted in plants from the sodium phosphate (19%) and mixed phosphate (22%) media. No penetration by fungi occurred in plants from the sodium phosphate plus inositol or inositol and calcium media. Dry wts of non-mycorrhizal plants were highest when grown in media containing phytate and sodium phosphate plus inositol and calcium followed in decreasing order by sodium phosphate plus inositol, mixed phosphates, and sodium phosphate. Mycorrhizal infection increased leaf dry wt in plants from the sodium phosphate medium and root dry wt from the phytate medium. Phosphate concentrations in the plants were highest when grown in mixed phosphate medium followed by sodium phosphate and phytate. Mycorrhizal infection always increased significantly leaf phosphate concentrations but increased root phosphate concentrations only in the phytate medium. Phosphates were found predominantly as organicallybound compounds in leaves of mycorrhizal plants whereas in leaves of non-mycorrhizal plants, most of the phosphate was inorganic. Chlorophyll concentrations increased significantly with mycorrhizal infection with no change in a/b ratios. Mycorrhizal plants grown in the phytate medium had substantially higher alkaline phosphatase activity than did non-mycorrhizal plants; acid phosphatase activity was not affected by mycorrhizal condition. These results suggest that form of the phosphate in the root environment influences naycorrhizal establishment and effect of mycorrhizae on plant growth

INFLUENCE OF PHOSPHATE SOURCE ON VESICULAR-ARBUSCULAR MYCORRHIZAE OF \u3ci\u3eBOUTELOUA GRACILIS\u3c/i\u3e

Non-mycorrhizal and vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizal Bouteloua gracilis infected with Glomus fasciculatus were grown in defined media containing different phosphate sources and compared with respect to phosphate content and form, biomass, chlorophyll concentration, and root phosphatase activity. The phosphate sources were sodium monobasic phosphate, a mixture of sodium monobasic phosphate and calcium phytate, and calcium phytate. Inositol and inositol plus calcium were added to the sodium phosphate medium as additional treatments. Mycorrhizal infection was highest in roots of plants grown in the presence of phytate (75%). Lower root infection levels were noted in plants from the sodium phosphate (19%) and mixed phosphate (22%) media. No penetration by fungi occurred in plants from the sodium phosphate plus inositol or inositol and calcium media. Dry wts of non-mycorrhizal plants were highest when grown in media containing phytate and sodium phosphate plus inositol and calcium followed in decreasing order by sodium phosphate plus inositol, mixed phosphates, and sodium phosphate. Mycorrhizal infection increased leaf dry wt in plants from the sodium phosphate medium and root dry wt from the phytate medium. Phosphate concentrations in the plants were highest when grown in mixed phosphate medium followed by sodium phosphate and phytate. Mycorrhizal infection always increased significantly leaf phosphate concentrations but increased root phosphate concentrations only in the phytate medium. Phosphates were found predominantly as organicallybound compounds in leaves of mycorrhizal plants whereas in leaves of non-mycorrhizal plants, most of the phosphate was inorganic. Chlorophyll concentrations increased significantly with mycorrhizal infection with no change in a/b ratios. Mycorrhizal plants grown in the phytate medium had substantially higher alkaline phosphatase activity than did non-mycorrhizal plants; acid phosphatase activity was not affected by mycorrhizal condition. These results suggest that form of the phosphate in the root environment influences naycorrhizal establishment and effect of mycorrhizae on plant growth

COMPARATIVE WATER RELATIONS AND PHOTOSYNTHESIS OF MYCORRHIZAL AND NON-MYCORRHIZAL \u3ci\u3eBOUTELOUA GRACILIS\u3c/i\u3e H.B.K. LAG EX STEUD.

The rangeland grass, Bouteloua gracilis was inoculated with its mycorrhizal symbiont, Glomus fasciculatus, to determine the influence of vesicular-arhuscular mycorrhizae on water status, stomatal behaviour and photosynthesis as well as gross plant morphology, biomass and phosphorus content. Mycorrhizal infection increased transpiration rates by over 100% with 50 to 70% lower leaf resistances to water vapour diffusion. Leaf xylem pressure was not different between mycorrhizal and non-mycorrhizal plants indicating that whole-plant resistance to water transport was reduced by more than 50%. Photosynthetic rates under saturating light conditions increased 68% with infection as a consequence of a 33% reduction in stomatal resistance and a 67% reduction in mesophyll resistance to CO2 uptake. Mycorrhizal infection did not affect biomass or gross plant morphology after 30 weeks of growth, but increased chlorophyll and phosphate concentrations by 28% and 70% respectively. These physiological changes indicate that mycorrhizae may substantially alter survival ability of Bouteloua gracilis

Effects of elevated [CO2 ] on maize defence against mycotoxigenic Fusarium verticillioides.

Maize is by quantity the most important C4 cereal crop; however, future climate changes are expected to increase maize susceptibility to mycotoxigenic fungal pathogens and reduce productivity. While rising atmospheric [CO2 ] is a driving force behind the warmer temperatures and drought, which aggravate fungal disease and mycotoxin accumulation, our understanding of how elevated [CO2 ] will effect maize defences against such pathogens is limited. Here we report that elevated [CO2 ] increases maize susceptibility to Fusarium verticillioides proliferation, while mycotoxin levels are unaltered. Fumonisin production is not proportional to the increase in F. verticillioides biomass, and the amount of fumonisin produced per unit pathogen is reduced at elevated [CO2 ]. Following F. verticillioides stalk inoculation, the accumulation of sugars, free fatty acids, lipoxygenase (LOX) transcripts, phytohormones and downstream phytoalexins is dampened in maize grown at elevated [CO2 ]. The attenuation of maize 13-LOXs and jasmonic acid production correlates with reduced terpenoid phytoalexins and increased susceptibility. Furthermore, the attenuated induction of 9-LOXs, which have been suggested to stimulate mycotoxin biosynthesis, is consistent with reduced fumonisin per unit fungal biomass at elevated [CO2 ]. Our findings suggest that elevated [CO2 ] will compromise maize LOX-dependent signalling, which will influence the interactions between maize and mycotoxigenic fungi

Autism Spectrum Disorder Among US Children (2002–2010): Socioeconomic, Racial, and Ethnic Disparities

Objectives. To describe the association between indicators of socioeconomic status (SES) and the prevalence of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in the United States during the period 2002 to 2010, when overall ASD prevalence among children more than doubled, and to determine whether SES disparities account for ongoing racial and ethnic disparities in ASD prevalence

Maternal inflammatory, lipid and metabolic markers and associations with birth and breastfeeding outcomes

BackgroundConditions in utero influence intrauterine and postnatal infant growth and a few studies indicate that maternal inflammation and insulin resistance might affect birth and breastfeeding outcomes. Furthermore, hormones in human milk (HM) may influence infant appetite-regulation and thereby milk intake, but the associations are less understood.Objective(1) To investigate associations between maternal inflammatory, lipid and metabolic markers and birth and breastfeeding outcomes, and (2) to assess predictors of maternal inflammatory, lipid and metabolic markers in pregnancy.MethodsSeventy-one mother-infant dyads participating in the Mothers, Infants and Lactation Quality (MILQ) study were included in the present study. Fasting blood samples were collected around 28th gestational week, and HM samples at three time points from 1.0 to 8.5 months, where milk intake was assessed using 24-h test weighing. Maternal plasma inflammatory, lipid and metabolic markers included high-sensitive C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), tumor-necrosis factor-α (TNFα), interferon-γ (IFNγ), Interleukin (IL)-6, IL-8, high-, low-, and very-low-density lipoprotein (HDL, LDL, VLDL), total-cholesterol, triglycerides, leptin, adiponectin, insulin, C-peptide, the homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) and glucose concentration at t = 120 min following an oral glucose tolerance test. Of these, TNFα, IFNγ, IL-6, IL-8, leptin, adiponectin and insulin were also measured in HM samples.ResultsHDL in pregnancy was inversely associated with gestational age (GA) at birth and GA-adjusted birthweight z-score, whereas triglycerides and glucose (t = 120) were positively associated with GA-adjusted birthweight z-score. Higher hs-CRP, VLDL and triglycerides were associated with a higher placental weight. Furthermore, higher HDL, insulin, leptin and HOMA-IR were associated with longer duration of exclusive breastfeeding (EBF). Higher pre-pregnancy BMI was the main predictor of higher levels of hs-CRP, log-TNFα, leptin, insulin, C-peptide, and HOMA-IR.ConclusionMaternal lipid and metabolic markers influenced birthweight z-score and placental weight as well as duration of EBF. Furthermore, pre-pregnancy BMI and maternal age predicted levels of several inflammatory and metabolic markers during pregnancy. Our findings indicate that maternal lipid and metabolic profiles in pregnancy may influence fetal growth and breastfeeding, possibly explained by overweight and/or higher placental weight.Clinical trial registrationhttps://clinicaltrials.gov/, identifier NCT03254329