The burrowing beetles of the genus Mycotrupes (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Geotrupinae)

http://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/56329/1/MP084.pd

Inverted Echo Sounder Telemetry System Report

From August 1989 until August 1990, a simple acoustic telemetry system was used for obtaining real-time data from 5 Inverted Echo Sounders (IESs) deployed in the SYNOP inlet array in the Gulf Stream east of Cape Hatteras. Every 24 hours, each IES calculated a representative travel time from a set of 48 measurements (τ), and telemetered that value to a listening station on Bermuda. From the received data, a daily time series of the depth of the 12oC isotherm (our proxy for main thermocline depth) over each IES was calculated. The position of the Gulf Stream North Wall through the IES array was calculated on a daily basis from the thermocline depth information at each IES site. The telemetry system is based on encoding data as a time delayed broadcast acoustic signal: the delay of the time of broadcast of the signal, with with respect to a reference time, is proportional to the data value. The changes in delay time, from one broadcast signal to the next, are recorded at a remote receiving station. The IESs were recovered in August 1990, with the exception of the one at site B2. The telemetered data from the IES at site B2 was, however received at Bermuda. The RMS agreement between thermocline depths, as calculated from the data on tape from the recovered IESs and as calculated from the received telemetry data, is 20 m. This compares favorably with the 19 m uncertainty in calibrating the τs as a measure of the thermocline depth. The RMS agreement between the position of the Gulf Stream path through the IESs as calculated from the tape data and the telemetry data is 5 km. This telemetry system is not IES specific. It could be used with other appropriately modified oceanographic instruments, such as current meters and pressure sensors

Were Multiple Stressors a \u27Perfect Storm\u27 for Northern Gulf of Mexico Bottlenose Dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) in 2011?

An unusual number of near term and neonatal bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) mortalities occurred in the northern Gulf of Mexico (nGOM) in 2011, during the first calving season after two well documented environmental perturbations; sustained cold weather in 2010 and the Deepwater Horizon oil spill (DWHOS). Preceding the stranding event, large volumes of cold freshwater entered the nGOM due to unusually large snowmelt on the adjacent watershed, providing a third potential stressor. We consider the possibility that this extreme cold and freshwater event contributed to the pattern of perinatal dolphin strandings along the nGOM coast. During the 4-month period starting January 2011, 186 bottlenose dolphins, including 46% perinatal calves (nearly double the percentage for the same time period from 2003-2010) washed ashore from Louisiana to western Florida. Comparison of the frequency distribution of strandings to flow rates and water temperature at a monitoring buoy outside Mobile Bay, Alabama (the 4th largest freshwater drainage in the U. S.) and along the nGOM coast showed that dolphin strandings peaked in Julian weeks 5, 8, and 12 (February and March), following water temperature minima by 2-3 weeks. If dolphin condition was already poor due to depleted food resources, bacterial infection, or other factors, it is plausible that the spring freshet contributed to the timing and location of the unique stranding event in early 2011. These data provide strong observational evidence to assess links between the timing of the DWHOS, other local environmental stressors, and mortality of a top local predator. Targeted analyses of tissues from stranded dolphins will be essential to define a cause of death, and our findings highlight the importance of considering environmental data along with biological samples to interpret stranding patterns during and after an unusual mortality event

Symbolic Manipulators Affect Mathematical Mindsets

Symbolic calculators like Mathematica are becoming more commonplace among upper level physics students. The presence of such a powerful calculator can couple strongly to the type of mathematical reasoning students employ. It does not merely offer a convenient way to perform the computations students would have otherwise wanted to do by hand. This paper presents examples from the work of upper level physics majors where Mathematica plays an active role in focusing and sustaining their thought around calculation. These students still engage in powerful mathematical reasoning while they calculate but struggle because of the narrowed breadth of their thinking. Their reasoning is drawn into local attractors where they look to calculation schemes to resolve questions instead of, for example, mapping the mathematics to the physical system at hand. We model the influence of Mathematica as an integral part of the constant feedback that occurs in how students frame, and hence focus, their work

Insect Species on Vegetation of the White Oak Lake Bed, Oak Ridge, Tennessee

White Oak Lake, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, received lowlevel radioactive wastes from Oak Ridge National Laboratory for 12 years prior to draining in 1955. Studies on the insects inhabiting the vegetation on White Oak Lake bed revealed 401 species present during 1956 and 1957. Most numerous were members of the insect Orders Hymenoptera, Diptera, and Coleoptera. In the summer of 1956, the first summer following draining of the lake, there were relatively fewer species of insects represented by large numbers of individuals. In 1957, there were relatively more species of insects but fewer individuals were present. By the end of the summer of 1957, only two years after the lake was drained, the vegetation supported a rich and varied insect fauna. (C.H.

Mitochondrial Ca²⁺ Uniporter haploinsufficiency enhances long-term potentiation at hippocampal mossy fibre synapses

Long-term changes in synaptic strength form the basis of learning and memory. These changes rely upon energy demanding mechanisms which are regulated by local Ca2+ signaling. Mitochondria are optimised for providing energy and buffering Ca2+. However, our understanding of the role of mitochondria in regulating synaptic plasticity is incomplete. Here we have used optical and electrophysiological techniques in cultured hippocampal neurons and ex vivo hippocampal slices from mice with haploinsufficiency of the mitochondrial Ca2+ uniporter (MCU+/-) to address whether reducing mitochondrial Ca2+ uptake alters synaptic transmission and plasticity. We found that cultured MCU+/- hippocampal neurons have impaired Ca2+ clearance, and consequently enhanced synaptic vesicle fusion at presynapses occupied by mitochondria. Furthermore, long-term potentiation (LTP) at mossy fibre (MF) synapses, a process which is dependent on presynaptic Ca2+ accumulation, is enhanced in MCU+/- slices. Our results reveal a previously unrecognized role for mitochondria in regulating presynaptic plasticity of a major excitatory pathway involved in learning and memory

How do women prepare for pregnancy? Preconception experiences of women attending antenatal services and views of health professionals

Copyright: © 2014 Stephenson et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.Main objective - To determine the extent to which women plan and prepare for pregnancy. Methods - Cross-sectional questionnaire survey of pregnant women attending three maternity services in London about knowledge and uptake of preconception care; including a robust measure of pregnancy planning, and phone interviews with a range of health care professionals. Main results - We recruited 1173/1288 (90%) women, median age of 32 years. 73% had clearly planned their pregnancy, 24% were ambivalent and only 3% of pregnancies were unplanned. 51% of all women and 63% of those with a planned pregnancy took folic acid before pregnancy. 21% of all women reported smoking and 61% reported drinking alcohol in the 3 months before pregnancy; 48% of smokers and 41% of drinkers reduced or stopped before pregnancy. The 51% of all women who reported advice from a health professional before becoming pregnant were more likely to adopt healthier behaviours before pregnancy [adjusted odds ratios for greatest health professional input compared with none were 2.34 (95% confidence interval 1.54–3.54) for taking folic acid and 2.18 (95% CI 1.42–3.36) for adopting a healthier diet before pregnancy]. Interviews with 20 health professionals indicated low awareness of preconception health issues, missed opportunities and confusion about responsibility for delivery of preconception care. Significance of the findings - Despite a high level of pregnancy planning, awareness of preconception health among women and health professionals is low, and responsibility for providing preconception care is unclear. However, many women are motivated to adopt healthier behaviours in the preconception period, as indicated by halving of reported smoking rates in this study. The link between health professional input and healthy behaviour change before pregnancy is a new finding that should invigorate strategies to improve awareness and uptake of pre-pregnancy health care, and bring wider benefits for public health.Department of Healt

CAN CLIMATE KNOWLEDGE LEAD TO BETTER RURAL POLICIES AND RISK MANAGEMENT PRACTICES?

In many parts of the world, climate is one of the biggest risk factors impacting on agricultural systems performance and management. Climate variability (CV) and climate change (CC) contributes to the vulnerability of individuals, businesses, communities and regions. Extreme climate events such as severe droughts, floods, cyclones or temperature shocks often strongly impede sustainable agricultural development. Targeted and appropriately conceptualised climate knowledge (including seasonal climate forecasting and scenario analyses) can increase overall preparedness and lead to better social, economic and environmental outcomes. Climate variability occurs over a wide range of temporal scales. Our increasing understanding of the underlaying mechanisms means that some of that variability is now predictable. Research efforts are directed towards investigating phenomena such as the Madden-Julian Oscillation (MJO; 30-60 days), ENSO related variability (2.5 - 8 years), decadal and multidecadal climate variability and climate change