Ecometric Modelling of Limb Proportions and Vegetation Index Among Non-Human Primates in South America

Ecometric modelling assesses how the functional morphology of ecogeographic communities relates to environmental variables. This improves understanding of how the interaction between organism and environment can result in morphological adaptation. This technique has mainly been used to model paleoenvironments, but has the capacity to aid conservation by quantifying how communities are structured through space and time. Here, we test the relationship between limb proportions and the habitat ecology of South American non-human primates. There is a significant but weak fit between limb proportions and habitat, consistent with the environment exerting weak selective pressure on limb proportions. In contrast, body size and phylogeny are strongly correlated with IMI. Together, these findings suggest that habitat was a selection pressure that shaped how New World monkeys' limb proportions evolved but this selection pressure was secondary to that of body size. Research into these functional relationships is important not only to improve scientific understanding of their evolutionary pathways but also in order to aid their protection by informing conservation practices. Ensuring these species have the capacity to move with their niche is an immediate concern, as they face mounting pressure due to deforestation of the Amazon basin

Researches on two diseases of economic plants caused by phytophthora species

I. A Disease of Atropa belladonna L. causing a Wilt and Root Rot.II. The WHITE TIP DISEASE of LEEKS caused by Phytophthora Porri nov.spec.Two diseases of economic plants which cause considerable less and the fungi which cause them are described.Atropa belladonna L. is attacked by a species of Phytophthora which causes a wilt and root rot. It is known only in Great Britain and Holland. The fungus was grown in artificial culture and its life history and vegetative characters are described. It differs from Phytophthora erythroseptioa in the pro- -duction of paragynous antheridia, in mixed fertilisa -tion, and in slight mycelial characters. The measurements are almost identical. It is considered to be a variety of Phytophthora erythroseptica and it full diagnosis, based on the original of Pethybridge is given.It is proved that it is really responsible for the disease by inoculation experiments. The best method of control was found to be Mercuric Chloride solution (1:1000). It was found to be capable of infecting potato plants and also capable of causing a rot of potato tubers, the pink flush being produced. The pink flush of infected potatoes is proved not to be a diagnostic characteristic of Phytophthora erythroseptica and a list is given of those species of Phytophthora that can also give a pink flush to infected tubers. The spread of the disease is discussed and it is considered that the conidia which are produced on the surface of the soil help in distributing the fungus by the emission of zoospores which swim in the water present, being carried further distances by draining water. The spread is slow and is connected with the absence of aerial fructifications on the shoot system which would be distributed by wind currents. The fungus has been proved to live saprophytically in the soil and forms its oospores there, which are able to resist the winter conditions. The spread is also considered to be helped by the distribution of infected debris and by contaminated soil on cultural implements and boots. Ho other natural host plant has been found.Climate is shown to have a relation to the disease both by its relation to the over-wintering, temperatures being too low for the survival of the fungus except by the oospores and by its relation to the progress of the disease, there being a connection between the summer temperatures and the temperatures at which the fungus grows best. For the fungus in culture the minimum, optimum, maximum and death point temperatures are 4.5°C., 23°C.,30°C. and below 40 C.A "White Tip" disease of leeks is described and the economic effect discussed. It is shown not to be a new disease but an old one which had been considered to be an abnormal manifestation of quite another disease, namely, Mildew caused by Beronspora Schleideni. It is not known except in Great Britain and the fungus is stated to be a new record of a Phytophthora species. The fungus has been isolated in pure culture, the procedure being fully described, as great difficulty was experienced. Its life history and cultural characters are described and its characteristics compared with other species. It is decided that it is a new species and is named Phytophthora Porri n. s p . , an English diagnosis being given. Repetitional diplanetism has been demonstrated in this fungus.The importance of the type of sexual organs is discussed and it is decided, for both diseases, that they are not a main diagnostic feature, but that they may be used as confirming evidence in decisions regarding the specificity or variety of a Phytophthora.The fungus was proved capable of living saprophytically in the soil, where oospores and conidia were produced. The progress and spread of the disease are discussed and infection from the soil via the roots or stems is not supported, but evidence is orought forward to support the theory of leaf infection as the first stage of the disease. Wind is put forward as a contributory agent in the spread of the disease. Climate is also related to the seasonal appearance and the earliest dates at which the disease appears seems to be connected with the difference in the incubation period caused by the different temperatures.Infection may be connected with natural mean temperatures approximating the temperature optimum for conidial production.Control measures have not been tested owing to the fungus having only been recently isolated and used in controlled experiments

Junius and Joseph: Presidential Politics and the Assassination of the First Mormon Prophet

""Junius and Joseph examines Joseph Smith's nearly forgotten [1844] presidential bid, the events leading up to his assassination on June 27, 1844, and the tangled aftermath of the tragic incident. It... establishes that Joseph Smith's murder, rather than being the deadly outcome of a spontaneous mob uprising, was in fact a carefully planned military-style execution. It is now possible to identify many of the key individuals engaged in planning his assassination as well as those who took part in the assault on Carthage jail. And furthermore, this study presents incontrovertible evidence that the effort to remove the Mormon leader from power and influence extended well beyond Hancock County [Illinois] (and included prominent Whig politicians as well as the Democratic governor of the state), thereby transforming his death from an impulsive act by local vigilantes into a political assassination sanctioned by some of the most powerful men in Illinois. The circumstances surrounding Joseph Smith's death also serve to highlight the often unrecognized truth that a full understanding of early Mormon history can be gained only when considered in the context of events taking place in American society as a whole."" Beginning with this provocative thesis from the introduction, Wicks and Foister engage in a thorough reexamination of Joseph Smith's 1844 presidential candidacy, its political context and implications, and its probable connection to his murder. While their work asserts controversial conclusions about what and who were behind that murder, its import extends further since it provides unprecedented, detailed portraits of political Mormonism, politics in 1844 Illinois and the Midwest, the web of connections and personalities that linked the two, and the events of June 27. ---Book Review can be found in: The Western Historical Quarterly Winter 2006, by: Stephen C. Taysom

Junius and Joseph: Presidential Politics and the Assassination of the First Mormon Prophet

Junius and Joseph examines Joseph Smith\u27s nearly forgotten [1844] presidential bid, the events leading up to his assassination on June 27, 1844, and the tangled aftermath of the tragic incident. It... establishes that Joseph Smith\u27s murder, rather than being the deadly outcome of a spontaneous mob uprising, was in fact a carefully planned military-style execution. It is now possible to identify many of the key individuals engaged in planning his assassination as well as those who took part in the assault on Carthage jail. And furthermore, this study presents incontrovertible evidence that the effort to remove the Mormon leader from power and influence extended well beyond Hancock County [Illinois] (and included prominent Whig politicians as well as the Democratic governor of the state), thereby transforming his death from an impulsive act by local vigilantes into a political assassination sanctioned by some of the most powerful men in Illinois. The circumstances surrounding Joseph Smith\u27s death also serve to highlight the often unrecognized truth that a full understanding of early Mormon history can be gained only when considered in the context of events taking place in American society as a whole. Beginning with this provocative thesis from the introduction, Wicks and Foister engage in a thorough reexamination of Joseph Smith\u27s 1844 presidential candidacy, its political context and implications, and its probable connection to his murder. While their work asserts controversial conclusions about what and who were behind that murder, its import extends further since it provides unprecedented, detailed portraits of political Mormonism, politics in 1844 Illinois and the Midwest, the web of connections and personalities that linked the two, and the events of June 27. ---Book Review can be found in: The Western Historical Quarterly Winter 2006, by: Stephen C. Taysom.https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/usupress_pubs/1041/thumbnail.jp

Sequence specific fluorescence detection of double strand DNA

Methods for the fluorescent detection of specific sequences of double strand DNA in homogeneous solution may be useful in the field of human genetics. A series of hairpin polyamides with tetramethyl rhodamine (TMR) attached to an internal pyrrole ring were synthesized, and the fluorescence properties of the polyamide-fluorophore conjugates in the presence and absence of duplex DNA were examined. We observe weak TMR fluorescence in the absence of DNA. Addition of ≥ 1:1 match DNA affords a significant fluorescence increase over equimolar mismatch DNA for each polyamide-TMR conjugate. Polyamide-fluorophore conjugates offer a new class of sensors for the detection of specific DNA sequences without the need for denaturation. The polyamide-dye fluorescence-based method can be used to screen in parallel the interactions between aromatic ring pairs and the minor groove of DNA even when the binding site contains a non-Watson-Crick DNA base pair. A ranking of the specificity of three polyamide ring pairs-Py/Py, Im/Py, and Im/Im-was established for all 16 possible base pairs of A, T, G, and C in the minor groove. We find that Im/Im is an energetically favorable ring pair for minor groove recognition of the T·G base pair

A Critical Analysis of the Theoretical Basis of Ultrasonic Scattering Measurements

There are three elements involved in the backscattering from inhomogeneous media; the scattering properties of a single particle or scattering element, the scattering associated with a group of such particles and the relationship of the scattered wave to the measured signal. Ideally it should be possible to obtain information about the material microstructure from ultrasonic backscattering measurements. However, a number of assumptions and approximations must be made before the problem becomes tractable, and it is the purpose of the present investigation to compare the various approaches available in the literature in an attempt to quantify the errors involved with some of these approximations

Medical training simulation for central venous catheterization

Our Creative Inquiry, in collaboration with clinicians, local hospitals, and MBA students, has involved the development, testing, and commercialization of a central venous catheterization training simulator. Medical training simulators are important tools for educating physicians without needing to practice on patients. Central venous catheterization (CVC) is the insertion of a catheter into a sizable vein in order to deliver a large influx of drugs to the heart. The risky nature of the procedure comes from the proximity of the vein to the heart, lungs, and major arteries. Many complications can arise, often the cause of expensive and ineffective training methods. We have created an affordable simulator with features that address the limitations of current simulators, including a fully rotatable head, proper anatomical landmarks, and ultrasoundability. Our patent-pending design is currently being prepared for manufacturing and marketing in hopes of increasing the safety of CVC procedures

Changes in tail posture detected by a 3D machine vision system are associated with injury from damaging behaviours and ill health on commercial pig farms

To establish whether pig tail posture is affected by injuries and ill health, a machine vision system using 3D cameras to measure tail angle was used. Camera data from 1692 pigs in 41 production batches of 42.4 (±16.6) days in length over 17 months at seven diverse grower/finisher commercial pig farms, was validated by visiting farms every 14(±10) days to score injury and ill health. Linear modelling of tail posture found considerable farm and batch effects. The percentage of tails held low (0°) or mid (1–45°) decreased over time from 54.9% and 23.8% respectively by -0.16 and -0.05%/day, while tails high (45–90°) increased from 21.5% by 0.20%/day. Although 22% of scored pigs had scratched tails, severe tail biting was rare; only 6% had tail wounds and 5% partial tail loss. Adding tail injury to models showed associations with tail posture: overall tail injury, worsening tail injury, and tail loss were associated with more pigs detected with low tail posture and fewer with high tails. Minor tail injuries and tail swelling were also associated with altered tail posture. Unexpectedly, other health and injury scores had a larger effect on tail posture- more low tails were observed when a greater proportion of pigs in a pen were scored with lameness or lesions caused by social aggression. Ear injuries were linked with reduced high tails. These findings are consistent with the idea that low tail posture could be a general indicator of poor welfare. However, effects of flank biting and ocular discharge on tail posture were not consistent with this. Our results show for the first time that perturbations in the normal time trends of tail posture are associated with tail biting and other signs of adverse health/welfare at diverse commercial farms, forming the basis for a decision support system