220 research outputs found
Biostratigraphy of Middle and Late Pennsylvanian (Desmoinesian-Virgilian) ammonoids
New stratigraphic ranges for genera of Desmoinesian-Virgilian ammonoids are presented, based on analysis of 40,000 specimens collected from over 70 ammonoid-bearing horizons that represent at least 40 successive stratigraphic levels in the North American midcontinent. These range revisions indicate that current generic-level ammonoid zonations are inadequate, especially for correlation of Pennsylvanian series and stage boundaries. Six high-confidence, largely generic-level first-occurrence zones are proposed for the Desmoinesian through Virgilian stages: Wellerites Zone, Eothalassoceras Zone, Pennoceras Zone, Preshumardites Zone, Pseudaktubites Zone, and Shumardites Zone. Fifteen zones of lesser confidence for correlation are also suggested.
The Shumarditidae Plummer & Scott, 1937, is emended to include Preshumardites Plummer & Scott, 1937, Pseudaktubites gen. nov. (type species, Preshumardites stainbrooki Plummer & Scott, 1937), and Shumardites Smith, 1903. Early Permian (Sakmarian) species previously assigned to Preshumardites are reassigned to Andrianovia gen. nov. (type species ?Preshumardites sakmarae Ruzhencev, 1938). Aktubites Ruzhencev, 1955, Eoshumardites Popov, 1960, and Parashumardites Ruzhencev, 1939, previously included in the Shumarditidae, are assigned to the new family Parashumarditidae. Eovidrioceras inexpectans gen. nov., sp. nov. is included and is interpreted as the ancestor of the cyclobacean family Vidrioceratidae Plummer & Scott, 1937.
The base of the revised Wellerites Zone, defined by the first occurrence of the nominate genus, approximates but does not coincide with the Atokan-Desmoinesian boundary. Recorrelation of the stratigraphic level of the Collinsville, Oklahoma, ammonoid locality from the "Seminole Formation" (basal Missourian) to the Holdenville Formation (upper Desmoinesian), based on lithostratigraphic evidence, effectively places the first occurrence of Eothalassoceras in the upper Desmoinesian. Because Wellerites apparently became extinct before the end of the Desmoinesian, the revised Eothalassoceras Zone is used to represent the upper Desmoinesian.
The Middle-Upper Pennsylvanian boundary (Desmoinesian-Missourian boundary) can be recognized by the appearance of Pennoceras, which defines the base of the new Pennoceras Zone. The Pennoceras Zone is an excellent indicator of lower Missourian strata in the northern midcontinent, north-central Texas, the Marathon Uplift, and the Appalachian Basin. The new Preshumardites Zone occupies most of the upper part of the Missourian Stage.
The appearance of the ancestral shumarditid Pseudaktubites, which defines the base of the new Pseudaktubites Zone, occurs one cycle below the Missourian-Virgilian boundary, which is currently recognized at the top of the South Bend Limestone Member in eastern Kansas. No recognizable biostratigraphic event coincides with the South Bend Member, thereby resulting in an uncorrelatable chronostratigraphic boundary. The largest changeover in ammonoid faunas takes place at the base of strata containing the upper part of the Pseudaktubites Zone (Pseudaktubites stainbrooki Subzone). The base of the Pseudaktubites stainbrooki Subzone is stratigraphically near the original Missourian-Virgilian boundary. It is recommended that the stratigraphic level containing the base of the Pseudaktubites stainbrooki Subzone be adopted as the official base of the Virgilian Stage. Recognition of the upper subzone of the Pseudaktubites Zone (Pseudaktubites stainbrooki Subzone) within the Colony Creek Shale Member in north-central Texas places the base of the Virgilian within the upper part of the Canyon Group and substantially below the current position at the Canyon-Cisco group boundary. Shumardites, a taxon previously used to mark the base of the Virgilian Stage, appears in early middle Virgilian strata; consequently, the revised Shumardites Zone represents the middle-upper Virgilian interval
Biostratigraphy of Middle and Late Pennsylvanian (Desmoinesian-Virgilian) ammonoids
New stratigraphic ranges for genera of Desmoinesian-Virgilian ammonoids are presented, based on analysis of 40,000 specimens collected from over 70 ammonoid-bearing horizons that represent at least 40 successive stratigraphic levels in the North American midcontinent. These range revisions indicate that current generic-level ammonoid zonations are inadequate, especially for correlation of Pennsylvanian series and stage boundaries. Six high-confidence, largely generic-level first-occurrence zones are proposed for the Desmoinesian through Virgilian stages: Wellerites Zone, Eothalassoceras Zone, Pennoceras Zone, Preshumardites Zone, Pseudaktubites Zone, and Shumardites Zone. Fifteen zones of lesser confidence for correlation are also suggested.
The Shumarditidae Plummer & Scott, 1937, is emended to include Preshumardites Plummer & Scott, 1937, Pseudaktubites gen. nov. (type species, Preshumardites stainbrooki Plummer & Scott, 1937), and Shumardites Smith, 1903. Early Permian (Sakmarian) species previously assigned to Preshumardites are reassigned to Andrianovia gen. nov. (type species ?Preshumardites sakmarae Ruzhencev, 1938). Aktubites Ruzhencev, 1955, Eoshumardites Popov, 1960, and Parashumardites Ruzhencev, 1939, previously included in the Shumarditidae, are assigned to the new family Parashumarditidae. Eovidrioceras inexpectans gen. nov., sp. nov. is included and is interpreted as the ancestor of the cyclobacean family Vidrioceratidae Plummer & Scott, 1937.
The base of the revised Wellerites Zone, defined by the first occurrence of the nominate genus, approximates but does not coincide with the Atokan-Desmoinesian boundary. Recorrelation of the stratigraphic level of the Collinsville, Oklahoma, ammonoid locality from the "Seminole Formation" (basal Missourian) to the Holdenville Formation (upper Desmoinesian), based on lithostratigraphic evidence, effectively places the first occurrence of Eothalassoceras in the upper Desmoinesian. Because Wellerites apparently became extinct before the end of the Desmoinesian, the revised Eothalassoceras Zone is used to represent the upper Desmoinesian.
The Middle-Upper Pennsylvanian boundary (Desmoinesian-Missourian boundary) can be recognized by the appearance of Pennoceras, which defines the base of the new Pennoceras Zone. The Pennoceras Zone is an excellent indicator of lower Missourian strata in the northern midcontinent, north-central Texas, the Marathon Uplift, and the Appalachian Basin. The new Preshumardites Zone occupies most of the upper part of the Missourian Stage.
The appearance of the ancestral shumarditid Pseudaktubites, which defines the base of the new Pseudaktubites Zone, occurs one cycle below the Missourian-Virgilian boundary, which is currently recognized at the top of the South Bend Limestone Member in eastern Kansas. No recognizable biostratigraphic event coincides with the South Bend Member, thereby resulting in an uncorrelatable chronostratigraphic boundary. The largest changeover in ammonoid faunas takes place at the base of strata containing the upper part of the Pseudaktubites Zone (Pseudaktubites stainbrooki Subzone). The base of the Pseudaktubites stainbrooki Subzone is stratigraphically near the original Missourian-Virgilian boundary. It is recommended that the stratigraphic level containing the base of the Pseudaktubites stainbrooki Subzone be adopted as the official base of the Virgilian Stage. Recognition of the upper subzone of the Pseudaktubites Zone (Pseudaktubites stainbrooki Subzone) within the Colony Creek Shale Member in north-central Texas places the base of the Virgilian within the upper part of the Canyon Group and substantially below the current position at the Canyon-Cisco group boundary. Shumardites, a taxon previously used to mark the base of the Virgilian Stage, appears in early middle Virgilian strata; consequently, the revised Shumardites Zone represents the middle-upper Virgilian interval
Differential expression of microRNA-206 and its target genes in pre-eclampsia
Objectives: Pre-eclampsia is a multi-system disease that significantly contributes to maternal and fetal morbidity and mortality. In this study, we used a non-biased microarray approach to identify novel circulating miRNAs in maternal plasma that may be associated with pre-eclampsia.
Methods: Plasma samples were obtained at 16 and 28 weeks of gestation from 18 women who later developed pre-eclampsia (cases) and 18 matched women with normotensive pregnancies (controls). We studied miRNA expression profiles in plasma and subsequently confirmed miRNA and target gene expression in placenta samples. Placental samples were obtained from an independent cohort of 19 women with pre-eclampsia matched with 19 women with normotensive pregnancies.
Results: From the microarray, we identified 1 miRNA that was significantly differentially expressed between cases and controls at 16 weeks of gestation and 6 miRNAs that were significantly differentially expressed at 28 weeks. Following qPCR validation only one, miR-206, was found to be significantly increased in 28 week samples in women who later developed pre-eclampsia (1.4 fold change ± 0.2). The trend for increase in miR-206 expression was mirrored within placental tissue from women with pre-eclampsia. In parallel, IGF-1, a target gene of miR-206, was also found to be down-regulated (0.41 ± 0.04) in placental tissue from women with pre-eclampsia. miR-206 expression was also detectable in myometrium tissue and trophoblast cell lines.
Conclusions: Our pilot study has identified miRNA-206 as a novel factor up-regulated in pre-eclampsia within the maternal circulation and in placental tissue
How should we measure psychological resilience in sport performers?
Psychological resilience is important in sport because athletes must constantly withstand a wide range of pressures to attain and sustain high performance. To advance psychologists’ understanding of this area, there exists an urgent need to develop a sport-specific measure of resilience. The purpose of this paper is to review psychometric issues in resilience research and to discuss the implications for sport psychology. Drawing on the wider general psychology literature to inform the discussion, the narrative is divided into three main sections relating to resilience and its assessment: adversity, positive adaptation, and protective factors. The first section reviews the different ways that adversity has been measured and considers the potential problems of using items with varying degrees of controllability and risk. The second section discusses the different approaches to assessing positive adaptation and examines the issue of circularity pervasive in resilience research. The final section explores the various issues related to the assessment of protective factors drawing directly from current measures of resilience in other psychology sub-disciplines. The commentary concludes with key recommendations for sport psychology researchers seeking to develop a measure of psychological resilience in athletes
1994 CSRS Research Reports/1994 Blueberry Tax Reports
The 1994 edition of the CSRS Research Reports/Blueberry Tax Reports was prepared for the Maine Wild Blueberry Commission and the University of Maine Wild Blueberry Advisory Committee by researchers at the University of Maine, Orono. Projects in this report include:
CSRS Research Reports
1. Potential Uses for Green and Red Cull Blueberries
2. Preventing the Bleeding of Blueberry Fruit in Bakery Products
3. The Effect of Fertilization and Irrigation on Blueberry Fruit Quality
4. Determination of Pesticide Residue Levels in Freshly Harvested and Processed Lowbush Blueberries
5. The Effect of Mechanical Harvesting on Blueberry Fruit Quality
6. Removing Water from Blueberries Before Freezing
7. Application of Heat as a Method of Controlling Secondary Pest Insects in Lowbush Blueberries
8. Evaluation of Effectiveness of Eumenid Wasps for Biocontrol of Blueberry Pests
9. Pollination Ecology of Lowbush Blueberry in Maine
10. Fungicide Treatment for Control of Monilinia Blight
11. Field Sanitation for Control of Monilinia Blight
12. Cold-hardiness of Native Lowbush Blueberry
13. Phosphorus Dose/Response Curve
14. Multiple Cropping of Wild Blueberry Stands
15. Effect of Soil pH on Nutrient Uptake
16. Effect of Boron and Calcium on Lowbush Blueberry Fruit Set and Yield
17. Effect of Time of Fall Pruning on Growth and Productivity of Lowbush Blueberries
18. A Reinvestigation of the Economics of Mechanical Harvesting
19. Thresholds of Mechanical and Chemical Weed Controls in Wild Blueberries
20. Evaluation of Pressurized Rope Wick Master Wiper for Treating Weeds Growing Above Lowbush Blueberries
21. Evaluation of Infrared Burner for Selective Weed Control
Blueberry Tax Reports
22. Control of Blueberry Pest Insects
23. Biology and Action Thresholds of Secondary Blueberry Pest Insects
24. Pollination Ecology of Low bush Blueberry in Maine
25. Nitrogen-Phosphorus Study
26. Evaluation of Pronone 10G for Control of Weeds in Lowbush Blueberries
27. Evaluation of Tribenuron Methyl for Bunchberry Control
28. Evaluation of Pendimethalin for Control of Annual Grasses in Lowbush Blueberries
29. Evaluation of Time of Application of Clopyralid for Control of Vetch, and Effect on Flowering of Lowbush Blueberries
30. Hexazinone Ground Water survey
31. Blueberry Extension Program Base
32. Blueberry ICM Program for Hancock Count
1993-94 Progress Report
The 1993 edition of the Progress Reports was prepared for the Maine Wild Blueberry Commission and the University of Maine Wild Blueberry Advisory Committee by researchers at the University of Maine, Orono. Projects in this report include:
1. Effects of irrigation on lowbush blueberry yield and quality
2. The Economics of investigating irrigation for lowbush blueberries
3. Phosphorus dose/response curve
4. Winter injury protection by potassium
5. Multiple cropping of wild stands
6. Effect of Boron and Calcium on lowbush blueberry fruit set and yield
7. Comparison of N, NP, and NPK fertilizers to correct nitrogen and phosphorus deficiency
8. Determination of pesticide residue levels in freshly harvested and processed lowbush blueberries
9. Effects of calcium salts and citric acid on the quality of canned lowbush blueberries
10. Investigation of preprocess changes (chemical, microbiological, and/or physical) that can lead to the development of a simple and inexpensive method to measure preprocess berry spoilage
11. The effect of fertilization and irrigation in blueberry fruit quality
12. Pollination Ecology of lowbush blueberry in Maine
13. Current importance of insects in lowbush blueberry fields
14. Application of heat as a method of controlling secondary pest insects on lowbush blueberry: a feasibility study
15. Control of blueberry maggot
16. Control of secondary blueberry pest insects
17. Biology and action thresholds of secondary blueberry pest insects
18. Cold-hardiness of native lowbush blueberry
19. Design, fabrication, and testing of an experimental sterilizer for blueberry fields
20. Canned Product Quality--Heat-resistant molds
21. Sanitation for disease control
22. Evaluation of Velpar® impregnated DAP and Pronone® for weed control
23. Evaluation of postemergence applications of tribenuron methyl for bunchberry control
24. Evaluation of postemergence applications of a tank mix of tribenuron methyl and hexazinone for bunchberry control
25. Thresholds of dogbane and bracken fem by mechanical and chemical control in lowbush blueberry fields
26. Effect of time of application of clopyralid for control of vetch and effect on flowering in lowbush blueberries
27. Effect of time of fall pruning on growth and productivity of blueberries and evaluation of infrared burner to prune blueberries
28. Evaluation of infrared burner for selective seedling weed control
29. Evaluation of pressurized rope wick Wick Master wiper for treating weeds growing above lowbush blueberries
30. Blueberry Extension Education Program Base
31. Blueberry ICM program for Hancock County
32. Composting blueberry processing waste
33. Hexazinone ground water survey
34. Investigations of Lowbush Blueberry Fruit bud Cold-hardiness
35. Design, Fabrication, and Testing of an Experimental Sterilizer for Blueberry Field
1996 Wild Blueberry CSREES Progress Reports/1996 Wild Blueberry Tax Reports
The 1996 edition of the Wild Blueberry CSREES Progress Reports/Wild Blueberry Tax Reports was prepared for the Maine Wild Blueberry Commission and the University of Maine Wild Blueberry Advisory Committee by researchers at the University of Maine, Orono. Projects in this report include:
Wild Blueberry CSREES Progress Reports:
1. Factors affecting the quality of Individually Quick Frozen (IQF) wild blueberries
2. Factors affecting the physical and chemical properties of IQF wild blueberries
3. Preventing the bleeding of blueberry fruit in bakery products
4. Amylase test development
5. Determination of pesticide residue levels in freshly harvested and processed wild blueberries
6. Sustainable pollination of wild blueberry
7. Potential for biological control of insect pests of wild blueberry
8. Effect of desiccation on wild blueberry winter survival and cold temperature tolerance
9. Population variation in low-temperature tolerance of wild blueberry
10. Influence of flower delaying sprays on seasonal variation of low temperature tolerance in wild blueberry
11. Effect of various levels of disbudding on yield of wild blueberry
12. Effect of boron and the polyamine putrescine on wild blueberry fruit set and yield
13. Effect of soil pH on nutrient uptake
14. Phosphorus uptake
15. Correcting boron deficiency
16. Hexazinone groundwater survey
17. Effect of time of fall pruning on growth and productivity of wild blueberries
18. Evaluation of Pronone® spot treatments for control of St. Johnswort, dogbane, bracken fern, witch grass/fall panicum and bunchberry
19. Effect of hexazinone formulation on movement through the soil profile
20. Effect of plant source and density on spread of wild blueberry
Wild Blueberry Tax Reports:
21. Control of wild blueberry diseases
22. Control of wild blueberry pest insects
23. Biology and action thresholds of secondary blueberry pest insects
24. Phosphorus/nitrogen fertilizer ratio
25. Effect of surfactant and ammonium sulfate on glyphosate activity
26. Blueberry Extension Education Program Bas
Job design, employment practices and well-being: a systematic review of intervention studies
There is inconsistent evidence that deliberate attempts to improve job design realise improvements in well-being. We investigated the role of other employment practices, either as instruments for job redesign or as instruments that augment job redesign. Our primary outcome was well-being. Where studies also assessed performance, we considered performance as an outcome. We reviewed 33 intervention studies. We found that well-being and performance may be improved by: training workers to improve their own jobs; training coupled with job redesign; and system wide approaches that simultaneously enhance job design and a range of other employment practices. We found insufficient evidence to make any firm conclusions concerning the effects of training managers in job redesign and that participatory approaches to improving job design have mixed effects. Successful implementation of interventions was associated with worker involvement and engagement with interventions, managerial commitment to interventions and integration of interventions with other organisational systems.
Practitioner Summary: Improvements in well-being and performance may be associated with system-wide approaches that simultaneously enhance job design, introduce a range of other employment practices and focus on worker welfare. Training may have a role in initiating job redesign or augmenting the effects of job design on well-being
1992 Blueberry Research Progress Reports
The 1992 Blueberry Research Progress Reports pertain to and report on research conducted in 1991, and were prepared for the Maine Wild Blueberry Commission and the University of Maine Wild Blueberry Advisory Committee by researchers at the University of Maine, Orono. Projects in this report include:
1992 CSRS Progress Reports:
1. Investigation of Groundwater Resources
2. Sprinkler Irrigation
3. Investigation of Preprocess Changes Leading to Berry Spoilage
4. Effect of Fertilization and Irrigation on Blueberry Quality
5. Effects of Calcium Salts and Citric Acid on Quality of Canned Lowbush Blueberries
6. Pollination of Lowbush Blueberry by Native Bees
7. Application of Heat for Controlling Insects
8. Investigations of Lowbush Blueberry Fruit Bud Cold-Hardiness
9. Steam Sterilization in Lowbush Blueberry Fields
10. Heat-Tolerant Molds
11. Vacuum Sanitation for Disease Control
12. Evaluation of Infrared Burner for Weed Control
13. Evaluation and Modification of Commercial Herbicide Wipers
14. Evaluation of Remote Sensing to Estimate Plant Cover in Lowbush Blueberry Fields
15. Comparison of Three Mechanical Blueberry Harvesters vs. Hand Raking
Advisory Committee Research Reports:
16. Biology and action thresholds of secondary blueberry insects
17. Control of secondary blueberry pests
18. Control of blueberry maggot
19. Effects of calcium salts and citric acid on the quality of canned lowbush blueberries
20. The effects of postharvest handling on the dietary fiber and ellagic acid content of lowbush blueberries
21. Investigation of preprocessing changes that could lead to development of simple and inexpensive method to measure preprocessing berry spoilage
22. Determination of pesticide residue levels in fresh and processed lowbush blueberries
23. Vacuum sanitation for disease control
24. Heat-tolerant molds
25. Seedling pruning study
26. Effect of time and rate of application of Clopyralid for control of Vetch in lowbush blueberries
27. Evaluation and modification of commercial herbicide wipers
28. Effect of time of application and formulation of Hexazinone (Velpar) on Blueberry and Bunchberry
29. Evaluation of postemergence applications of Tribenuron Methyl for Bunchberry control
30. Thresholds of Dogbane and Bracken Fern by mechanical and chemical control in lowbush blueberry fields
31. Evaluation of the suitability of remote sensing to evaluate plant cover in lowbush blueberry fields
32. Evalution of infrared burner for weed control
33. Effect of time of fall pruning on growth and productivity of blueberry and evaluation of infrared burner to prune blueberries
34. Effect of Boron on lowbush blueberry fruit set and yield
35. Winter injury protection by potassium
36. Multiple cropping of wild stands
37. Nitrogen-Phosphorus study
38. Phosphorus dose/response curve
39. Investigations of lowbush blueberry fruit bud cold-hardines
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