741 research outputs found
Stable individual variation in ventral spotting patterns in Phyllomedusa trinitatis (Anura: Phyllomedusidae) and other Phyllomedusa species: a minimally invasive method for recognizing individuals
Variação individual estĂĄvel no padrĂŁo de manchas ventrais em Phyllomedusa trinitatis (Anura: Phyllomedusidae) e em outras espĂ©cies de Phyllomedusa: um mĂ©todo minimamente invasivo para o reconhecimento de indivĂduos. Descrevemos aqui um padrĂŁo distintivo de âilhasâ e pontos brancos individualmente variĂĄveis nas superfĂcies ventrais das regiĂ”es da garganta e do antebraço de machos e fĂȘmeas de Phyllomedusa trinitatis. Crucialmente, a partir de indivĂduos criados em cativeiro relatamos que esses padrĂ”es sĂŁo ontogeneticamente estĂĄveis. Usamos esses padrĂ”es para reconhecer pererecas individuais em populaçÔes de 60 ou mais indivĂduos. O exame das superfĂcies ventrais de outras espĂ©cies de Phyllomedusa em espĂ©cimes de museus e de relatos publicados sugere que o uso desses padrĂ”es fornece um mĂ©todo de reconhecimento minimamente invasivo e geralmente Ăștil nesse gĂȘnero. Descobrimos que espĂ©cies anteriormente classifcadas como Phyllomedusa, mas agora consideradas pertencentes a diferentes gĂȘneros, nĂŁo possuem esses padrĂ”es.Stable individual variation in ventral spotting patterns in Phyllomedusa trinitatis (Anura: Phyllomedusidae) and other Phyllomedusa species: a minimally invasive method for recognizing individuals. We describe a distinctive pattern of individually variable white âislandsâ and dots on the ventral surfaces of the throat and forearm regions of male and female Phyllomedusa trinitatis. Crucially, we report from captive-reared individuals that these patterns are ontogenetically stable. We have used these patterns to recognize individual frogs in populations of 60 and more. Examination of the ventral surfaces of other Phyllomedusa species in museum specimens and from published accounts suggests that use of these patterns provides a generally useful, minimally invasive recognition method in this genus. We fnd that species previously classed as Phyllomedusa but now regarded as belonging to different genera lack these patterns
Optimizing wetland restoration to improve water quality at a regional scale
Published by IOP Publishing Ltd. Excessive phosphorus (P) export to aquatic ecosystems can lead to impaired water quality. There is a growing interest among watershed managers in using restored wetlands to retain P from agricultural landscapes and improve water quality. We develop a novel framework for prioritizing wetland restoration at a regional scale. The framework uses an ecosystem service model and an optimization algorithm that maximizes P reduction for given levels of restoration cost. Applying our framework in the Lake Champlain Basin, we find that wetland restoration can reduce P export by 2.6% for a budget of 200 M. Sensitivity analysis shows that using finer spatial resolution data for P sources results in twice the P reduction benefits at a similar cost by capturing hot-spots on the landscape. We identify 890 wetlands that occur in more than 75% of all optimal scenarios and represent priorities for restoration. Most of these wetlands are smaller than 7 ha with contributing area less than 100 ha and are located within 200 m of streams. Our approach provides a simple yet robust tool for targeting restoration efforts at regional scales and is readily adaptable to other restoration strategies
Breeding site attendance and breeding success in Phyllomedusa trinitatis (Anura:âPhyllomedusidae)
Using a natural marker, we documented breeding site attendance patterns by males and females of the Trinidad Leaf Frog, Phyllomedusa trinitatis. We followed attendance at a cluster of three isolated ponds over 53 and 56 consecutive nights in 2016 and 2019 respectively. Most females attended only once, but for those that attended more than once we calculated an inter-nesting interval (mean 27.6 days, Nâ=â7). Males showed high pond fidelity, but some did attend at two of the ponds, always with a strong preference for one of them. Males showed three attendance patterns. A few attended on multiple consecutive nights (maximum, 19 nights); more were sporadic (one attended seven times over 46 nights with gaps of 15 and 19 days in the sequence); some attended only once (2016:â12, 2019:â15), but most were found to be present on multiple nights (2016:â38, 2019:â32). Our analysis suggested that these latter frogs were either newly recruited individuals or had been predated during the study. Our data show that rainfall has some influence on attendance. We found no relationship between male body condition and attendance pattern. In addition, there was no evidence that a particular male attendance pattern was optimal for breeding success
Acromegaly, Mr Punch and caricature.
The origin of Mr Punch from the Italian Pulcinella of the Commedia dell'arte is well known but his feature, large hooked nose, protruding chin, kyphosis and sternal protrusion all in an exaggerated form also suggest the caricature of an acromegalic. This paper looks at the physical characteristics of acromegaly, the origin of Mr Punch and the development of caricature linking them together in the acromegalic caricature that now has a life of its own
Legitimacy gaps, taxpayer conflict, and the politics of austerity in the UK
Following the 2008 financial crisis, fiscal deficit reduction has become the name of the game for many Western states. This article uses focus group data to explore the legitimation of austerity in the United Kingdom. It is argued that fiscal consolidation speaks to real concerns citizens have over unfair redistribution to supposed âundeservingâ groups. The undeserving rich and poor are stigmatised during times of austerity since they are assumed to take more than they give from the public purseâleaving taxpayers, the assumption goes, to pick up the bill. By speaking to this legitimacy gap between prudent normative expectations and the lived experiences of state profligacy, fiscal consolidation can appear to speak to the interests of âthe taxpayerââa group conceptualised as a sense of group position that arises from collective sense-making rather than a pre-given constituency
The Emergence of Population Health in US Academic Medicine
Importance In response to rapidly growing interest in population health, academic medical centers are launching department-level initiatives that focus on this evolving discipline. This trend, with its potential to extend the scope of academic medicine, has not been well characterized.
Objective To describe the emergence of departments of population health at academic medical centers in the United States, including shared areas of focus, opportunities, and challenges.
Design, Setting, and Participants This qualitative study was based on a structured in-person convening of a working group of chairs of population healthâoriented departments on November 13 and 14, 2017, complemented by a survey of core characteristics of these and additional departments identified through web-based review of US academic medical centers. United States medical school departments with the word population in their name were included. Centers, institutes, and schools were not included.
Main Outcomes and Measures Departments were characterized by year of origin, areas of focus, organizational structure, faculty size, teaching programs, and service engagement. Opportunities and challenges faced by these emerging departments were grouped thematically and described.
Results Eight of 9 population healthâoriented departments in the working group were launched in the last 6 years. The 9 departments had 5 to 97 full-time faculty. Despite varied organizational structures, all addressed essential areas of focus spanning the missions of research, education, and service. Departments varied significantly in their relationships with the delivery of clinical care, but all engaged in practice-based and/or community collaboration. Common attributes include core attention to population healthâoriented research methods across disciplines, emphasis on applied research in frontline settings, strong commitment to partnership, interest in engaging other sectors, and focus on improving health equity. Tensions included defining boundaries with other academic units with overlapping areas of focus, identifying sources of sustainable extramural funding, and facilitating the interface between research and health system operations.
Conclusions and Relevance Departments addressing population health are emerging rapidly in academic medical centers. In supporting this new framing, academic medicine affirms and strengthens its commitment to advancing population health and health equity, to improving the quality and effectiveness of care, and to upholding the social mission of medicine
Derivatives for smooth representations of GL(n,R) and GL(n,C)
The notion of derivatives for smooth representations of GL(n) in the p-adic
case was defined by J. Bernstein and A. Zelevinsky. In the archimedean case, an
analog of the highest derivative was defined for irreducible unitary
representations by S. Sahi and called the "adduced" representation. In this
paper we define derivatives of all order for smooth admissible Frechet
representations (of moderate growth). The archimedean case is more problematic
than the p-adic case; for example arbitrary derivatives need not be admissible.
However, the highest derivative continues being admissible, and for irreducible
unitarizable representations coincides with the space of smooth vectors of the
adduced representation. In [AGS] we prove exactness of the highest derivative
functor, and compute highest derivatives of all monomial representations.
We prove exactness of the highest derivative functor, and compute highest
derivatives of all monomial representations. We apply those results to finish
the computation of adduced representations for all irreducible unitary
representations and to prove uniqueness of degenerate Whittaker models for
unitary representations, thus completing the results of [Sah89, Sah90, SaSt90,
GS12].Comment: First version of this preprint was split into 2. The proofs of two
theorems which are technically involved in analytic difficulties were
separated into "Twisted homology for the mirabolic nilradical" preprint. All
the rest stayed in v2 of this preprint. v3: version to appear in the Israel
Journal of Mathematic
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Insurance Churning Rates For Low-Income Adults Under Health Reform: Lower Than Expected But Still Harmful For Many
Changes in insurance coverage over time, or âchurning,â may have adverse consequences, but there has been little evidence on churning since implementation of the major coverage expansions in the Affordable Care Act (ACA) in 2014. We explored the frequency and implications of churning through surveying 3,011 low-income adults in Kentucky, which used a traditional expansion of Medicaid; Arkansas, which chose a âprivate optionâ expansion that enrolled beneficiaries in private Marketplace plans; and Texas, which opted not to expand. We also compared 2015 churning rates in these states to survey data from 2013, before the coverage expansions. Nearly 25 percent of respondents in 2015 changed coverage during the previous twelve monthsâa rate lower than some previous predictions. We did not find significantly different churning rates in the three states over time. Common causes of churning were job-related changes and loss of eligibility for Medicaid or Marketplace subsidies. Churning was associated with disruptions in physician care and medication adherence, increased emergency department use, and worsening self-reported quality of care and health status. Even churning without gaps in coverage had negative effects. Churning remains a challenge for many Americans, and policies are needed to reduce its frequency and mitigate its negative impacts
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