Ontogenetic changes in habitat use by postlarvae and young juveniles of the blue crab

Changing habitat requirements are evident during the developmental cycles of many species. In this field investigation, we attempted to distinguish between depth (shallow vs deep), habitat structure (seagrass species), and study site as factors influencing the distribution and abundance of postlarvae and juvenile blue crabs Callinectes sapidus in the Chesapeake Bay. Deep (greater than or equal to 70 cm mean low water [MLW]) and shallow (less than or equal to 50 cm MLW) suction samples in monospecific Zostera marina and Ruppia maritima beds were taken in the York River, a tributary of the Chesapeake Bay. Our studies revealed ontogenetic changes in habitat use, which suggested that blue crabs are influenced differently by physical and biological factors even during the earliest life stages. Postlarvae through 3rd instar distributions were not related to seagrass species, but their densities increased with distance upriver (regression, p \u3c 0.004, n = 36 to 38, postlarvae: r(2) = 0.173, 1st instars: r(2) = 0.308, 2nd-3rd instars: r(2) = 0.231). This suggests that the smallest instar distributions are related to larval supply and physical forces, such as currents and winds, which determine water-column transport. In contrast, 4th and greater instars were significantly more abundant in Ruppia than in Zostera (ANOVA, df = 1, p \u3c 0.05), possibly because of the high shoot density of Ruppia beds. Habitat use by 4th and greater instars may be related to seasonal changes in seagrass shoot density. Water depth did not influence the distribution of any crab stage. We suggest that habitat selection and differential mortality among habitats influence larger instar distributions more strongly than they influence the distribution of postlarvae and the earliest instars of C. sapidus

Invloed op de fasering van de six sigma kritische succes factoren; een onderzoek naar de fasering van de six sigma kritische succes factoren bij de invoering van six sigma in een organisatie

De afgelopen jaren hebben onderzoekers (o.a. Lee 2002, Antony en Banuelas 2002, Antony 2004, Antony en Fergusson 2004, Antony en Kumar 2005) verschillende onderzoeken naar de bepaling van Six Sigma (6σ) kritische succes factoren (KSF-en) uitgevoerd. Deze onderzoeken hadden ten doel de bepaling van de 6σ KSF-en die tot een succesvolle invoering van 6σ in een organisatie leiden. Deze eerdere onderzoeken vormen de basis of het vertrekpunt om gerichter de toepassing van de 6σ KSF-en bij de invoering van 6σ in een organisatie nader te onderzoeken. Het operationaliseren of het toepassen van de 6σ KSF-en als instrumenten om het veranderingsproces tijdens de invoering van 6σ in een organisatie richting te geven, is een onderzoeksgebied dat nauwelijks empirisch is onderzocht. De focus van mijn afstudeeronderzoek richt zich ook op dit onderzoeksgebied. De centrale onderzoeksvraag bij mijn afstudeeronderzoek luidt: Welke kritische succes factoren zijn per invoeringsfase belangrijk of bepalend om een 6σ invoeringstraject in een organisatie succesvol af te ronden? De beantwoording van deze vraag is van belang voor de organisatie die de 6σ invoering efficiënt en effectief wil structureren en succesvol wil doorlopen. De centrale vraagstelling of er een relatie bestaat tussen de ‘Belangrijke 6σ KSF-en’ en ‘Succesvolle invoering van 6σ in een organisatie’, inclusief de invloed van de ‘6σ invoeringsfasen’ op deze relatie, is vertaald in de volgende hypothese: De impact van de 6σ KSF-en verschilt mogelijk per invoeringsfase. Mogelijkerwijs vertonen de verschillende invoeringsfasen een andere rangorde van belangrijke en minder belangrijke 6 6σ KSF-en. Om de onderzoeksvraag te beantwoorden heb ik de volgende onderzoeken verricht: 1. Een literatuuronderzoek. Het literatuuronderzoek levert een inventarisatie van de Six Sigma kritische succes factoren op en een rangschikking van de factoren die het meest belangrijk zijn bij de invoering van Six Sigma in een organisatie. 2. Een enquêteonderzoek en semi-gestructureerde interviews. Deze onderzoeken leveren uiteindelijk een rangschikking op van de Six Sigma kritische succes factoren die voor elke fase van de invoering belangrijk zijn. Uit het resultaat van mijn afstudeeronderzoek blijkt onder andere, dat de F ‘Leiderschap, betrokkenheid en participatie van het topmanagement’ de meest belangrijke en bepalende factor is. De respondenten van het enquêteonderzoek kenden aan deze KSF bij de succesvolle doorloop van de invoeringsfasen van 6σ in een organisatie de meeste waarde toe. Deze KSF krijgt bij alle invoeringsfasen de eerste plaats bij de rangschikking van de 6σ KSF-en op volgorde van belangrijkheid. Dit resultaat sluit aan op de empirie van het onderzoeksgebied. Mijn afstudeeronderzoek levert een bijdrage aan het wetenschappelijke onderzoek van de Six Sigma aanpak en de succesfactoren bij procesverbetering en de invoering van 6σ. Mijn afstudeeronderzoek levert een aanzet op om meer gericht onderzoek naar de 6σ succesfactoren te verrichten en het succes van Six sigma te definiëren

Gerasimov-Drell-Hearn Sum Rule and the Discrepancy between the New CLAS and SAPHIR Data

Contribution of the K^+\Lambda channel to the Gerasimov-Drell-Hearn (GDH) sum rule has been calculated by using the models that fit the recent SAPHIR or CLAS differential cross section data. It is shown that the two data sets yield quite different contributions. Contribution of this channel to the forward spin polarizability of the proton has been also calculated. It is also shown that the inclusion of the recent CLAS C_x and C_z data in the fitting data base does not significantly change the result of the present calculation. Results of the fit, however, reveal the role of the S_{11}(1650), P_{11}(1710), P_{13}(1720), and P_{13}(1900) resonances for the description of the C_x and C_z data. A brief discussion on the importance of these resonances is given. Measurements of the polarized total cross section \sigma_{TT'} by the CLAS, LEPS, and MAMI collaborations are expected to verify this finding.Comment: 15 pages, 8 figure

Evolution of correlated complexity in the radically different courtship signals of birds-of-paradise

This is the author accepted manuscript. The final version is available from Public Library of Science (PLoS) via the DOI in this record.Data accessibility: Data for primary analyses are included in S1 Data file.Ornaments used in courtship often vary wildly among species, reflecting the evolutionary interplay between mate preference functions and the constraints imposed by natural selection. Consequently, understanding the evolutionary dynamics responsible for ornament diversification has been a longstanding challenge in evolutionary biology. However, comparing radically different ornaments across species, as well as different classes of ornaments within species, is a profound challenge to understanding diversification of sexual signals. Using novel methods and a unique natural history dataset, we explore evolutionary patterns of ornament evolution in a group – the birds-of-paradise – exhibiting dramatic phenotypic diversification widely assumed to be driven by sexual selection. Rather than the trade-off between ornament types originally envisioned by Darwin and Wallace, we found positive correlations among cross-modal (visual/acoustic) signals indicating functional integration of ornamental traits into a composite unit – the courtship phenotype. Furthermore, given the broad theoretical and empirical support for the idea that systemic robustness – functional overlap and interdependency – promotes evolutionary innovation, we posit that birds-of-paradise have radiated extensively through ornamental phenotype space as a consequence of the robustness in the courtship phenotype that we document at a phylogenetic scale. We suggest that the degree of robustness in courtship phenotypes among taxa can provide new insights into the relative influence of sexual and natural selection on phenotypic radiations

Bats Use Magnetite to Detect the Earth's Magnetic Field

While the role of magnetic cues for compass orientation has been confirmed in numerous animals, the mechanism of detection is still debated. Two hypotheses have been proposed, one based on a light dependent mechanism, apparently used by birds and another based on a “compass organelle” containing the iron oxide particles magnetite (Fe3O4). Bats have recently been shown to use magnetic cues for compass orientation but the method by which they detect the Earth's magnetic field remains unknown. Here we use the classic “Kalmijn-Blakemore” pulse re-magnetization experiment, whereby the polarity of cellular magnetite is reversed. The results demonstrate that the big brown bat Eptesicus fuscus uses single domain magnetite to detect the Earths magnetic field and the response indicates a polarity based receptor. Polarity detection is a prerequisite for the use of magnetite as a compass and suggests that big brown bats use magnetite to detect the magnetic field as a compass. Our results indicate the possibility that sensory cells in bats contain freely rotating magnetite particles, which appears not to be the case in birds. It is crucial that the ultrastructure of the magnetite containing magnetoreceptors is described for our understanding of magnetoreception in animals

Design of an Integrated Cotton Picking System for Small-Scale Indian Agriculture

India, the world's largest producer of cotton, contains more than 4 million cotton farms that are less than 5 acres. These farms are incapable of large-scale mechanization due to small farm size and irregular farm shape. A previous team developed a handheld, roller-based picking device that demonstrated increased performance over similar products. However, a significant improvement in productivity requires increasing picking speed through mechanization as well as increasing worker cotton carrying capacity. We present a system that utilizes the roller-based picking device in tandem with a compressive storage bag and an efficient carrier. Through modeling and initial testing, the system demonstrates a two times (2X) improvement in worker productivity over current methods. This paper characterizes the cotton picking process, details the modules of the integrated system, and suggests further procedural improvements for greater increases in worker productivity

Impact of the Diamond Light Source on research in Earth and environmental sciences: current work and future perspectives.

Diamond Light Source Ltd celebrated its 10th anniversary as a company in December 2012 and has now accepted user experiments for over 5 years. This paper describes the current facilities available at Diamond and future developments that enhance its capacities with respect to the Earth and environmental sciences. A review of relevant research conducted at Diamond thus far is provided. This highlights how synchrotron-based studies have brought about important advances in our understanding of the fundamental parameters controlling highly complex mineral–fluid–microbe interface reactions in the natural environment. This new knowledge not only enhances our understanding of global biogeochemical processes, but also provides the opportunity for interventions to be designed for environmental remediation and beneficial use

Structural analysis and corrosion studies on an ISO 5832-9 biomedical alloy with TiO2 sol–gel layers

The aim of this study was to demonstrate the relationship between the structural and corrosion properties of an ISO 5832-9 biomedical alloy modified with titanium dioxide (TiO2) layers. These layers were obtained via the sol–gel method by acid-catalyzed hydrolysis of titanium isopropoxide in isopropanol solution. To obtain TiO2 layers with different structural properties, the coated samples were annealed at temperatures of 200, 300, 400, 450, 500, 600 and 800 C for 2 h. For all the prepared samples, accelerated corrosion measurements were performed in Tyrode’s physiological solution using electrochemical methods. The most important corrosion parameters were determined: corrosion potential, polarization resistance, corrosion rate, breakdown and repassivation potentials. Corrosion damage was analyzed using scanning electron microscopy. Structural analysis was carried out for selected TiO2 coatings annealed at 200, 400, 600 and 800 C. In addition, the morphology, chemical composition, crystallinity, thickness and density of the deposited TiO2 layers were determined using suitable electron and X-ray measurement methods. It was shown that the structure and character of interactions between substrate and deposited TiO2 layers depended on annealing temperature. All the obtained TiO2 coatings exhibit anticorrosion properties, but these properties are related to the crystalline structure and character of substrate–layer interaction. From the point of view of corrosion, the best TiO2 sol–gel coatings for stainless steel intended for biomedical applications seem to be those obtained at 400 C.This study was supported by Grant No. N N507 501339 of the National Science Centre. The authors wish to express their thanks to J. Borowski (MEDGAL, Poland) for the Rex 734 alloy

The Rewiring of Ubiquitination Targets in a Pathogenic Yeast Promotes Metabolic Flexibility, Host Colonization and Virulence

Funding: This work was funded by the European Research Council [http://erc.europa.eu/], AJPB (STRIFE Advanced Grant; C-2009-AdG-249793). The work was also supported by: the Wellcome Trust [www.wellcome.ac.uk], AJPB (080088, 097377); the UK Biotechnology and Biological Research Council [www.bbsrc.ac.uk], AJPB (BB/F00513X/1, BB/K017365/1); the CNPq-Brazil [http://cnpq.br], GMA (Science without Borders fellowship 202976/2014-9); and the National Centre for the Replacement, Refinement and Reduction of Animals in Research [www.nc3rs.org.uk], DMM (NC/K000306/1). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript. Acknowledgments We thank Dr. Elizabeth Johnson (Mycology Reference Laboratory, Bristol) for providing strains, and the Aberdeen Proteomics facility for the biotyping of S. cerevisiae clinical isolates, and to Euroscarf for providing S. cerevisiae strains and plasmids. We are grateful to our Microscopy Facility in the Institute of Medical Sciences for their expert help with the electron microscopy, and to our friends in the Aberdeen Fungal Group for insightful discussions.Peer reviewedPublisher PD