Exploring the importance of sulfate transporters and ATP sulphurylases for selenium hyperaccumulation\u2014a comparison of Stanleya pinnata and Brassica juncea (Brassicaceae)

Selenium (Se) hyperaccumulation, the capacity of some species to concentrate Se to levels upwards of 0.1% of dry weight, is an intriguing phenomenon that is only partially understood. Questions that remain to be answered are: do hyperaccumulators have one or more Se-specific transporters? How are these regulated by Se and sulfur (S)? In this study, hyperaccumulator Stanleya pinnata was compared with related non-hyperaccumulator Brassica juncea with respect to S-dependent selenate uptake and translocation, as well as for the expression levels of three sulfate/selenate transporters (Sultr) and three ATP sulphurylases (APS). Selenium accumulation went down ~10-fold with increasing sulfate supply in B. juncea, while S. pinnata only had a 2\u20133-fold difference in Se uptake between the highest (5 mM) and lowest sulfate (0 mM) treatments. The Se/S ratio was generally higher in the hyperaccumulator than the non-hyperaccumulator, and while tissue Se/S ratio in B. juncea largely reflected the ratio in the growth medium, S. pinnata enriched itself up to 5-fold with Se relative to S. The transcript levels of Sultr1;2 and 2;1 and APS1, 2, and 4 were generally much higher in S. pinnata than B. juncea, and the species showed differential transcript responses to S and Se supply. These results indicate that S. pinnata has at least one transporter with significant selenate specificity over sulfate. Also, the hyperaccumulator has elevated expression levels of several sulfate/selenate transporters and APS enzymes, which likely contribute to the Se hyperaccumulation and hypertolerance phenotype

IRAS observations of AGN candidates at low flux levels

IRAS additional observations were used to obtain a sample of point sources at much fainter flux levels than hitherto available through the IRAS Point Source Catalogue. This sample is being used to compile an incomplete but representative catalogue of faint IRAS candidate Active Galactic Nuclei (AGNs) and to study the evolution of the infrared bright galaxies. Ground based follow up observations (optical spectroscopy) are mainly hampered by identification confusion

The significance of insecure attachment and disorganization in the development of children's externalizing behavior: A meta-analytic study

This study addresses the extent to which insecure and disorganized attachments increase risk for externalizing problems using meta-analysis. From 69 samples (N = 5,947), the association between insecurity and externalizing problems was significant, d = 0.31 (95% CI: 0.23, 0.40). Larger effects were found for boys (d = 0.35), clinical samples (d = 0.49), and from observation-based outcome assessments (d = 0.58). Larger effects were found for attachment assessments other than the Strange Situation. Overall, disorganized children appeared at elevated risk (d = 0.34, 95% CI: 0.18, 0.50), with weaker effects for avoidance (d = 0.12, 95% CI: 0.03, 0.21) and resistance (d = 0.11, 95% CI: −0.04, 0.26). The results are discussed in terms of the potential significance of attachment for mental health

Model Resolusi Konflik Lahan di Kesatuan Pemangkuan Hutan Produksi Model Banjar

Pembentukan Kesatuan Pengelolaan Hutan (KPH) merupakan solusi pembenahan kelembagaan kehutanan supaya prinsip-prinsip teknis pengelolaan hutan dapat dijalankan, namun pembangunannya masih menghadapi permasalahan. Salah satu kendala yang dihadapi adanya konflik hak atas lahan (land tenure). Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk menganalisis konflik lahan dan model institusi untuk penyelesaian (resolusi) konflik lahan di KPHP Model Banjar, Provinsi Kalimantan Selatan; lima desa sebagai contoh dan responden terdiri dari masyarakat lokal yang memiliki pengaruh terhadap pengelolaan KPHP. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa kawasan KPHP Model Banjar secara de jure merupakan milik negara, namun terdapat desa di dalam kawasan yang belum dilakukan enclave. Hal ini menyebabkan status state property yang memiliki akses tertutup secara de jure berubah menjadi akses terbuka secara de facto. Kondisi ini menimbulkan opportunity sets untuk ikut mengambil sumber daya lahan tersebut. Masalah yang timbul dalam konflik lahan di KPHP Model Banjar merupakan konflik struktural, yakni aktor yang terlibat tidak berada pada tataran yang sama. Resolusi konflik yang ditawarkan adalah membangun upaya mengubah konflik menjadi kemitraan yang sejajar, dengan langkah-langkah sebagai berikut: 1) Membangun kepercayaan, 2) Mengembangkan Forum Kehutanan Antar Desa (FKAD), 3) Menyiapkan tim ahli, 4) Komunikasi yang efektif dan 5) Regulasi yang disepakati bersam

Influence of music therapy on coping skills and anger management in forensic psychiatric patients: An exploratory study

The effect of music therapy on anger management and coping skills is an innovative subject in the field of forensic psychiatry. This study explores the following research question: Can music therapy treatment contribute to positive changes in coping skills, anger management, and dysfunctional behavior of forensic psychiatric patients? To investigate this question, first a literature review is offered on music therapy and anger management in forensic psychiatry. Then, an explorative study is presented. In the study, a pre- and post-test design was used with a random assignment of patients to either treatment or control condition. Fourteen participants’ complete datasets were collected. All participants received “treatment as usual.” Nine of the participants received a standardized, music therapy anger management program; the five controls received, unplanned, an aggression management program. Results suggested that anger management skills improved for all participants. The improvement of positive coping skills and diminishing of avoidance as a coping skill were measured to show greater changes in music therapy participants. When controlling for the exact number of treatment hours, the outcomes suggested that music therapy might accelerate the process of behavioral changes

Trees and Regeneration in Rubber Agroforests and Other Forest-derived Vegetation in Jambi (Sumatra, Indonesia)

The rubber agroforests (RAF) of Indonesia provide a dynamic interface between natural processes of forest regeneration and human's management targeting the harvesting of latex with minimum investment of time and financial resources. The composition and species richness of higher plants across an intensification gradient from forest to monocultures of tree crops have been investigated in six land use types (viz. secondary forest, RAF, rubber monoculture, oil palm plantation, cassava field and Imperata grassland) in Bungo, Jambi Province, Indonesia. We emphasize comparison of four different strata (understory, seedling, sapling and tree) of vegetation between forest and RAF, with specific interest in plant dependence on ectomycorrhiza fungi. Species richness and species accumulation curves for seedling and sapling stages were similar between forest and RAF, but in the tree stratum (trees > 10 cm dbh) selective thinning by farmers was evident in a reduction of species diversity and an increase in the proportion of trees with edible parts. Very few trees dependent on ectomycorrhiza fungi were encountered in the RAF. However, the relative distribution of early and late successional species as evident from the wood density distribution showed no difference between RAF and forest