3,023 research outputs found
Uncrewed aircraft system spherical photography for the vertical characterization of canopy structural traits
The plant area index (PAI) is a structural trait that succinctly parametrizes the foliage distribution of a canopy and is usually estimated using indirect optical techniques such as digital hemispherical photography. Critically, on-the-ground photographic measurements forgo the vertical variation of canopy structure which regulates the local light environment. Hence new approaches are sought for vertical sampling of traits. We present an uncrewed aircraft system (UAS) spherical photographic method to obtain structural traits throughout the depth of tree canopies. Our method explained 89% of the variation in PAI when compared with ground-based hemispherical photography. When comparing UAS vertical trait profiles with airborne laser scanning data, we found highest agreement in an open birch (Betula pendula/pubescens) canopy. Minor disagreement was found in dense spruce (Picea abies) stands, especially in the lower canopy. Our new method enables easy estimation of the vertical dimension of canopy structural traits in previously inaccessible spaces. The method is affordable and safe and therefore readily usable by plant scientists.Peer reviewe
Searching for signatures of selection in Iberian honey bee (Apis mellifera iberiensis) using whole genome sequences
The Iberian Peninsula comprises a diverse set of habitats. It was an important glacial refugium
during the Pleistocene and has served as a bridge for populations migrating between Africa
and Europe, resulting in a complex mix of ancestry and diversity. The Iberian honey bee (A.
m. iberiensis) is no exception and has been the subject of numerous incongruent population
genetic surveys. Recent mtDNA and SNP analyses indicate a steep northeastern-southwestern
cline of African ancestry along the peninsula, which has been explained by selection.
Advances in DNA sequencing technology and computational tools provide unprecedented
opportunities to study demography, search for signatures of selection across the genome and
illuminate its role in shaping genomic diversity. We used Illumina technology to sequence the
whole genomes of 86 Iberian honeybees, collected across three longitudinal transects in the
Iberian Peninsula and spanning semi-arid climates in the southeastern peninsula to oceanic in
the North-West. The dataset was first analyzed for FST-outliers, CLR (composite-likelihood
ratio) and EHH (Extended Haplotype Homozygosity) methods were further deployed to
evaluate polymorphisms implicated in local adaptation and possibly in the response to human-
mediated environmental changes, including known and novel variants in genes related to
behavior, vision, xenobiotic detoxification and immune response.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
Closed String Tachyon Condensation on Twisted Circles
We study IIA/B string theory compactified on twisted circles. These models
possess closed string tachyons and reduce to type 0B/A theory in a special
limit. Using methods of gauged linear sigma models and mirror symmetry we
construct a conformal field theory which interpolates between these models and
flat space via an auxiliary Liouville direction. Interpreting motion in the
Liouville direction as renormalization group flow, we argue that the end point
of tachyon condensation in all these models (including 0B/A theory) is
supersymmetric type II theory. We also find a zero-slope limit of these models
which is best described in a T-dual picture as a type II NS-NS fluxbrane. In
this limit tachyon condensation is an interesting and well posed problem in
supergravity. We explicitly determine the tachyon as a fluctuation of
supergravity fields, and perform a rudimentary numerical analysis of the
relevant flows.Comment: 21 pages plus appendices (12 pages), harvmac, 1 fig, v2: minor
changes and references added, v3: minor changes version published in JHE
Searching for signatures of selection in the Iberian honey bee (Apis mellifera iberiensis) using allele-environment association approaches
In the current context of a global human-mediated environmental crisis, understanding which genes and
mechanisms are responsible for adaptation to different climates will enable predictions on how organisms will respond to a rapidly changing world. This is particularly important for the
honey bee, a key-stone species for ecosystem functioning and economy, which is facing increasing pressures from the effects of intensified land use, climate change, and the spread of pests and
pathogens. The aim of this work is searching for signatures of selection along the genome of 87 individuals using two different allele-environment association approaches.JC-G and DH are supported by Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (FCT) through the
scholarships SFRH/BD/68682/2010 and SFRH/BD/84195/2012, respectively. This research
was funded by FCT and COMPETE/QREN/EU through the project PTDC/BIABEC/
099640/2008 and BiodivERsA-FACCE2014-91. Bioinformatic analyses were performed
using resources at the Uppsala Multidisciplinary Center for Advanced Computational
Science (UPPMAX)info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
First observations of Weddell seals foraging in sponges in Erebus Bay, Antarctica
Attaching cameras to marine mammals allows for first-hand observation of underwater behaviours that may otherwise go unseen. While studying the foraging behaviour of 26 lactating Weddell seals (Leptonychotes weddellii) in Erebus Bay during the austral spring of 2018 and 2019, we witnessed three adults and one pup investigating the cavities of Rossellidae glass sponges, with one seal visibly chewing when she removed her head from the sponge. To our knowledge, this is the first report of such behaviour. While the prey item was not identifiable, some Trematomus fish (a known Weddell seal prey) use glass sponges for shelter and in which to lay their eggs. Three of the four sponge foraging observations occurred around 13:00 (NZDT). Two of the three sponge foraging adults had higher-than-average reproductive rates, and the greatest number of previous pups of any seal in our study population, each having ten pups in 12 years. This is far higher than the study population average of three previous pups (± 2.6 SD). This novel foraging strategy may have evolved in response to changes in prey availability, and could offer an evolutionary advantage to some individuals that exploit prey resources that others may not. Our observations offer new insight into the foraging behaviours of one of the world’s most studied marine mammals. Further research on the social aspects of Weddell seal behaviour may increase our understanding of the extent and mechanisms of behavioural transfer between conspecifics. Research into the specific foraging behaviour of especially successful or experienced breeders is also warranted
The determinants of election to the United Nations Security Council
This is the author's accepted manuscript. The final publication is available at Springer via http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11127-013-0096-4.The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) is the foremost international body responsible for the maintenance of international peace and security. Members vote on issues of global importance and consequently receive perks—election to the UNSC predicts, for instance, World Bank and IMF loans. But who gets elected to the UNSC? Addressing this question empirically is not straightforward as it requires a model that allows for discrete choices at the regional and international levels; the former nominates candidates while the latter ratifies them. Using an original multiple discrete choice model to analyze a dataset of 180 elections from 1970 to 2005, we find that UNSC election appears to derive from a compromise between the demands of populous countries to win election more frequently and a norm of giving each country its turn. We also find evidence that richer countries from the developing world win election more often, while involvement in warfare lowers election probability. By contrast, development aid does not predict election
Adaptação local na abelha ibérica
Perceber a base genética do processo de adaptação permite uma previsão de como os organismos poderão responder a mudanças ambientais. A sequenciação de genomas a baixo custo, juntamente com os avanços das ferramentas estatÃsticas e computacionais possibilitam a compreensão da base genética da adaptação. O objectivo deste trabalho é o estudo da adaptação local da abelha ibérica, tendo como base algoritmos que permitem a incorporação de dados genéticos e ambientais. A PenÃnsula Ibérica constituiu um local de interesse para este tipo de estudos por ser constituÃda por uma diversidade climática como Mediterrânico e Atlântico. Foram sequenciados 86 genomas de indivÃduos distribuÃdos em 3 transectos (Atlântico, Central e Mediterrâneo) de forma a representar a diversidade climática existente na PenÃnsula Ibérica. Em cada ponto de amostragem os dados de latitude e longitude foram recolhidos e variáveis ambientais foram retiradas das bases de dados WorldClim e Climatic Research Unit. Os métodos LFMM e Samβada, que integram informação genética e ambiental foram utilizados para procurar sinais de selecção. A vantagem destes métodos é que se pode perceber quais as variáveis ambientais que exercem uma pressão selectiva e que genes estão associados a cada variável. No total foram identificados 1289449 SNPs, dos quais 2193 mostraram estar significativamente associados com variáveis ambientais. Estes estão localizados em 826 genes. No conjunto das variáveis ambientais utilizadas, a longitude, latitude e precipitação apresentaram um maior num de SNPs associados. Foram encontrados genes com diversas funções, por exemplo quatro genes parecem relacionados com o desenvolvimento do sistema imunitário e este encontram associados à longitude, para a latitude proteÃnas de ligação parecem ser predominantes, já na precipitação aparecem genes relacionados com a morfogénese, actividade transportadora transmembranar e actividade olfactória. Este estudo representa primeira tentativa de compreender a base genética da adaptação local a partir de genomas completos.Agradecemos aos numerosos apicultores e técnicos de associações e também a A. Pajuelo, Andreia Brandão, Inês Moura, Margarida Neto, Irene Munoz, Pilar de la Rua, João C. Azevedo, e João Paulo Castro pela colaboração na amostragem. DH e JCG são financiados pela FCT através das bolsas de doutoramento SFRH/BD/84195/2012 e SFRH/BD/68682/2010, respetivamente. Este estudo foi financiado pelo projeto PTDC/BIA-BEC/099640/2008 (Fundação Ciência e Tecnologia, FCT, e COMPETE/QREN/EU). Cátia Neves é financiada através do concurso conjunto 2013-2014 BiodivErsA/FACCE-JPI, com a Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia como financiador nacional.
As analises bioinformáticas foram efetuadas usando os recursos do "Uppsala Multidisciplinary Center for Advanced Computational Science (UPPMAX)", Universidade de Uppsala, Suécia.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
Variants of the serotonin transporter gene and NEO-PI-R Neuroticism: No association in the BLSA and SardiNIA samples
The polymorphism in the serotonin transporter gene promoter region (5-HTTLPR) is by far the most studied variant hypothesized to influence Neuroticism-related personality traits. The results of previous studies have been mixed and appear moderated by the personality questionnaire used. Studies that used the TCI to assess Harm Avoidance or the EPQ to assess Neuroticism have found no association with the 5-HTTLPR. However, studies that used the NEO-PI-R or related instruments (NEO-PI, NEO-FFI) to measure Neuroticism have found some evidence of association. This study examines the association of variants in the serotonin transporter gene in a sample from a genetically isolated population within Sardinia (Italy) that is several times larger than previous samples that used the NEO-PI-R (N = 3,913). The association was also tested in a sample (N = 548) from the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging (BLSA), in which repeated NEO-PI-R assessments were obtained. In the SardiNIA sample, we found no significant association of the 5-HTTLPR genotypes with Neuroticism or its facets (Anxiety, Angry-Hostility, Depression, Self-Consciousness, Impulsiveness, and Vulnerability). In the BLSA sample, we found lower scores on Neuroticism traits for the heterozygous group, which is inconsistent with previous studies. We also examined eight SNPs in the SardiNIA (N = 3,972) and nine SNPs in the BLSA (N = 1,182) that map within or near the serotonin transporter gene (SLC6A4), and found no association. Along with other large studies that used different phenotypic measures and found no association, this study substantially increases the evidence against a link between 5-HTT variants and Neuroticism-related traits. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/64573/1/30932_ftp.pd
Multimethod Process Evaluation of a Community Paramedic Delivered Care Transitions Intervention for Older Emergency Department Patients
OBJECTIVE: We assessed fidelity of delivery and participant engagement in the implementation of a community paramedic coach-led Care Transitions Intervention (CTI) program adapted for use following emergency department (ED) visits.
METHODS: The adapted CTI for ED-to-home transitions was implemented at three university-affiliated hospitals in two cities from 2016 to 2019. Participants were aged ≥60 years old and discharged from the ED within 24 hours of arrival. In the current analysis, participants had to have received the CTI. Community paramedic coaches collected data on program delivery and participant characteristics at each transition contact via inventories and assessments. Participants provided commentary on the acceptability of the adapted CTI. Using a multimethod approach, the CTI implementation was assessed quantitatively for site- and coach-level differences. Qualitatively, barriers to implementation and participant satisfaction with the CTI were thematically analyzed.
RESULTS: Of the 863 patient participants, 726 (84.1%) completed their home visits. Cancellations were usually patient-generated (94.9%). Most planned follow-up visits were successfully completed (94.6%). Content on the planning for red flags and post-discharge goal setting was discussed with high rates of fidelity overall (95% and greater), while content on outpatient follow-up was lower overall (75%). Differences in service delivery between the two sites existed for the in-person visit and the first phone follow-up, but the differences narrowed as the study progressed. Participants showed a 24.6% increase in patient activation (i.e., behavioral adoption) over the 30-day study period (
CONCLUSIONS: Community paramedic coaches delivered the adapted CTI with high fidelity across geographically distant sites and successfully facilitated participant engagement, highlighting community paramedics as an effective resource for implementing such patient-centered interventions
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