Earth as a Hybrid Planet - The Anthropocene in an Evolutionary Astrobiological Context

We develop a classification scheme for the evolutionary state of planets based on the non-equilibrium thermodynamics of their coupled systems, including the presence of a biosphere and the possibility of what we call an agency-dominated biosphere (i.e. an energy-intensive technological species). The premise is that Earths entry into the Anthropocene represents what might be from an astrobiological perspective a predictable planetary transition. We explore this problem from the perspective of the solar system and exoplanet studies. Our classification discriminates planets by the forms of free energy generation driven from stellar forcing. We then explore how timescales for global evolutionary processes on Earth might be synchronized with ecological transformations driven by increases in energy harvesting and its consequences (which might have reached a turning point with global urbanization). Finally, we describe quantitatively the classification scheme based on the maintenance of chemical disequilibrium in the past and current Earth systems and on other worlds in the solar system. In this perspective, the beginning of the Anthropocene can be seen as the onset of the hybridization of the planet - a transitional stage from one class of planetary systems interaction to another. For Earth, this stage occurs as the effects of human civilization yield not just new evolutionary pressures, but new selected directions for novel planetary ecosystem functions and their capacity to generate disequilibrium and enhance planetary dissipation.Comment: Accepted for publication in the journal Anthropocen

Clinical profile of orofacial infections : an experience from two primary care dental practices

Objectives: Orofacial infections are common reasons for dental consultations worldwide. However, there is scarcity of data on clinico-epidemiological profiles reported from primary care dental practices. To address this issue, a study was done to characterize the clinical pattern, age groups affected and sex predilection of orofacial infections in the primary care dental practice. Study design: Clinical data was evaluated from random electronic files of patients for whom antimicrobials were prescribed at two Dental Practices in UK between January 2009 and December 2010. Results: 200 case records were studied. 104 (52%) cases were females. Mean age was 37.2 (+/-15.1) years. 107 (53.5%) cases belonged to age group 21-40 years. Posterior teeth were involved in 112 (56%) cases. Types of disease were as follows: dentoalveolar abscess 63(31.5%), pulpitis 27(13.5%), apical periodontitis 21(10.5%), pericoronitis 21(10.5%), dry socket 13(6.5%), periodontitis 9(4.5%) infected root stump 5(2.5%), facial swelling 5(2.5%) and infections unspecified 36(18%) cases. Conclusions: Orofacial infections affect both sexes equally. 21-40 years is the commonest age-group affected. Dentoalveolar abscess is the commonest infection followed by unspecified infections and pulpiti

Inmunidad pasiva en el control de la diarrea por coronavirus bovino en un rodeo lechero de Argentina

El coronavirus bovino (Bovine coronavirus, BCoV) es un enteropatógeno viral asociado a la diarrea neonatal del ternero. El objetivo del presente trabajo fue estudiar si los anticuerpos IgG1 anti-BCoV adquiridos pasivamente mediante el calostro modulan la infección por BCoV en terneros de un rodeo lechero de Argentina. Se monitorearon 30 terneros raza Holstein durante los primeros 60 días de vida. Estos animales fueron clasificados en dos grupos según sus niveles de IgG1 anti-BCoV maternales: grupo con transferencia de inmunidad pasiva aceptable (APT) y grupo con fallas en la transferencia pasiva (FPT). Este último grupo tenía un título de IgG1 significativamente menor comparado con el primer grupo (log10 1,98 vs. 3,38, respectivamente; p < 0,0001). La misma diferencia se observó cuando se compararon los niveles de proteínas séricas totales (p = 0,0081). Además, el 71% (5/7) de los terneros del grupo FPT mostró seroconversión de IgG1, mientras que el 29,4% (5/17) de los terneros del grupo APT la mostró. Con respecto a la circulación viral, se detectó BCoV en el 10% (3/30) de los terneros así como también seroconversión de IgG1 en el 42% del total de los animales, lo que evidencia que aproximadamente la mitad de los terneros se infectaron con BCoV. Este estudio mostró que los terneros con altos títulos de IgG1 específica (≥ 1.024) estuvieron mayormente protegidos contra la infección con BCoV, mientras que los animales con títulos bajos de IgG1 (< 1.024) estuvieron predispuestos a la infección. Esto confirma que los anticuerpos IgG1 calostrales son críticos para la prevención de la infección por este agente viral.Bovine coronavirus (BCoV) is a viral enteric pathogen associated with calf diarrhea worldwide being, in Argentina, mostly detected in dairy husbandry systems. The aim of the present work was to study if maternal IgG1 antibodies (Abs) to BCoV acquired by colostrum intake modulate the development of BCoV infection in calves reared in a dairy farm in Argentina. Thirty Holstein calves were monitored during their first 60 days of age. Animals were classified into two groups depending on their initial BCoV IgG1 Ab titers. The “failure of passive transfer” (FPT) group had significantly lower IgG1 Abs to BCoV than the “acceptable passive transfer” (APT) group of calves (log10 1.98 vs. 3.38 respectively) (p < 0.0001). These differences were also observed when the total protein levels in both groups were compared (p = 0.0081). Moreover, 71% (5/7) of calves from the FPT group showed IgG1 seroconversion to BCoV compared to 29.4% (5/17) of animals from the APT group. Regarding viral circulation, BCoV was detected in 10% (3/30) of all calves and BCoV IgG1 Ab seroconversion was detected in 42% of the total animals showing that almost half of the calves were infected with BCoV. In conclusion, calves with high titers of specific BCoV IgG1 (≥1024) were mostly protected against viral infection, while animals with low titers of IgG1 (<1024) were mostly infected with BCoV. IgG1 Abs from colostrum origin are critical for prevention of BCoV infection.Fil: Bok, Marina. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria. Centro de Investigación en Ciencias Veterinarias y Agronómicas; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Allassia, Martín. Universidad Nacional del Litoral. Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias; ArgentinaFil: Frank, Flavia. AproAgro S.A.; ArgentinaFil: Vega, Celina Guadalupe. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria. Centro de Investigación en Ciencias Veterinarias y Agronómicas; ArgentinaFil: Wigdorovitz, Andrés. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria. Centro de Investigación en Ciencias Veterinarias y Agronómicas; ArgentinaFil: Parreño, Gladys Viviana. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria. Centro de Investigación en Ciencias Veterinarias y Agronómicas; Argentin

BDI-Mittelstandspanel 2010: Ergebnisse der Mittelstandsbefragung aus Frühjahr und Herbst 2010

Mit dem vorliegenden Bericht werden die Ergebnisse der elften und zwölften Befragungswelle aus dem Frühjahr bzw. Herbst 2010 als Sammelband dargestellt. Alle weiteren Ergebnisse des BDI-Mittelstandspanels sind auf der Homepage des IfM Bonn dokumentiert. An der elften Befragungswelle zwischen dem 23. Februar und dem 31. Mai 2010 beteiligten sich knapp 1.350 Unternehmen. Vor dem Hintergrund des beginnenden Aufschwungs standen die Entwicklung der deutschen Industrieunternehmen im Jahr 2009 sowie ihre Erwartungen für 2010 im Zentrum der Frühjahrsbefragung. Das Augenmerk lag auf den zentralen Kennzahlen zu Umsatz und Beschäftigung, der Entwicklung von Rendite und Investitionen. Unter dem Eindruck der konjunkturellen Lage wurden die Unternehmen zudem zu ihrer Finanzierungssituation und den Veränderungen der Finanzierungsbedingungen befragt. Im Hinblick auf die zukünftige Wettbewerbsfähigkeit der Industrie wurden deren Innovationsaktivitäten untersucht, Innovationshemmnisse identifiziert und die Wirkung steuerlicher Innovationsanreize erfragt. Neben der Beurteilung der wirtschaftspolitischen Rahmenbedingungen wurden auf der Grundlage der Erhebungsergebnisse Empfehlungen zur Konsolidierung des Bundeshaushalts und zur zeitlichen und fiskalpolitischen Umsetzung der geplanten Einkommensteuerreform gegeben. Ein Schwerpunkt der zwölften Befragungswelle im Herbst 2010 bildete die Beurteilung der wirtschaftspolitischen Rahmenbedingungen der deutschen Industrieunternehmen vor dem Hintergrund der angespannten Lage der Staatsfinanzen. Eingebettet in die obligatorische Beurteilung der eigenen Wirtschaftslage, lag das Augenmerk außerdem auf der Finanzierungssituation des industriellen Mittelstands. Vor dem Hintergrund des sich verstetigenden Aufschwung wurden zudem die Internationalisierungsaktivitäten der deutschen Industrie untersucht, Hemmnisse für ein Engagement im Ausland identifiziert und die Inanspruchnahme staatlicher Außenwirtschaftsfördermaßnahmen erfragt. Weitere Themenschwerpunkte bildete der Führungs- und Fachkräftebedarf des industriellen Mittelstands sowie die Möglichkeiten, einem im Zuge des Aufschwungs drohenden Fachkräftemangel auf Unternehmensebene und gesamtwirtschaftlich zu begegnen. Zwischen dem 24. August und dem 5. November 2010 beteiligten sich fast 1.250 Unternehmen an der Erhebung. --

L1 variation and L2 acquisition: L1 German /eː/-/ɛː/ overlap and its effect on the acquisition of L2 English /ɛ/-/æ/

A person’s first language (L1) affects the way they acquire speech in a second language (L2). However, we know relatively little about the role different varieties of the L1 play in the acquisition of L2 speech. This study focuses on German (L1) learners of English (L2) and asks whether the degree to which German speakers distinguish between the two vowels /eː/ and /ɛː/ in their L1 has an impact on how well these individuals identify /æ/ and discriminate between the two English vowels /ɛ/ and /æ/. These two English vowels differ in both vowel quality and duration (/æ/ is longer than /ɛ/). We report on an identification and a discrimination experiment. In the first study, participants heard a sound file and were asked to indicate whether they heard “pen” or “pan” (or “pedal” or “paddle”). The stimuli differed from each other in terms of both vowel quality (11 steps on a spectral continuum from an extreme /æ/ to an extreme /ɛ/) and duration (short, middle, long). In the second study, participants had to signal whether two sound files they were exposed to differed from each other. We modeled the percentage of /æ/ (“pan,” “paddle”) selection (identification task only, binomial logistic regression), accuracy (discrimination task only, binomial logistic regression), and reaction time (identification and discrimination tasks, linear mixed effects models) by implementing the German Pillai score as a measure of vowel overlap in our analysis. Each participant has an individual Pillai score, which ranges from 0 (= merger of L1 German /eː/ and /ɛː/) to 1 (=maintenance of the contrast between L1 German /eː/ and /ɛː/) and had been established, prior to the perception experiments reported here, in a production study. Although the findings from the discrimination study remain inconclusive, the results from the identification test support the hypothesis that maintaining the vowel contrast in the L1 German leads to a more native-like identification of /æ/ in L2 English. We conclude that sociolinguistic variation in someone’s L1 can affect L2 acquisition