A Mixed-Methods Investigation of Community Attachment in Rural Romania

This article explores the intricacies of community attachment using a multidimensional construct; attachment to the social and natural environment. A central focus is to assess whether attachment to the social and natural environment are distinctively predicted by length of residence, social interaction, and sociodemographic characteristics. Furthermore, this work elaborates on current understandings of community attachment by qualitatively exploring feelings of attachment toward the place of residence. All are explored in the context of rural Romania and communities managing the natural resources available to them. The results show the effect of several independent variables on attachment to social and natural environments. Residency was a stronger predictor of attachment to the social environment, while social interaction was a stronger predictor of attachment to the natural environment. Residents’ narratives underscored the importance, and interconnection, of the social and natural environment in defining feelings of local attachment. We conclude that community attachment is grounded in different facets of the locale that each play unique roles in shaping citizen perceptions

Research Center for Quantitative Renal Imaging

poster abstractMission: The mission of the Research Center for Quantitative Renal Imaging is to provide a focused research environment and resource for the development, implementation, and dissemination of innovative, quantitative imaging methods designed to assess the status of and mechanisms associated with acute and chronic kidney disease and evaluate efficacy of therapeutic interventions. Nature of the Center: This Research Center provides a formal mechanism to link research programs focused on understanding the fundamental mechanisms associated with kidney diseases with those associated with the development of advanced imaging methods and quantitative analyses into a focused effort dedicated toward the development and implementation of quantitative renal imaging methods. Goals of the IUPUI Research Center for Quantitative Renal Imaging: Identify, develop, and implement innovative imaging methods that provide quantitative imaging biomarkers for assessing and inter-relating renal structure, function, hemodynamics and underlying tissue micro-environmental factors contributing to kidney disease. Establish an environment that facilitates and encourages interdisciplinary collaborations among investigators and offers research support to investigators focused on developing and utilizing innovative quantitative imaging methods in support of kidney disease research. Provide a resource to inform the greater research and healthcare communities of advances in quantitative renal imaging and its potential for enhanced patient management and care. Offer an imaging research resource to companies engaged in product development associated with the diagnosis and treatment of kidney diseases. Further Information: For further information regarding the IUPUI Research Center for Quantitative RenalImaging and its funding programs please visit http://www.renalimaging.iupui.edu/ or contact the Center at [email protected]. Acknowledgments: The IUPUI Research Center for Quantitative Renal Imaging is supported by contributions from the IUPUI Signature Center Initiative, the Department of Radiology & Imaging Sciences; the Division of Nephrology, the IUPUI School of Science, the IUPUI School of Engineering & Technology, and the Indiana Clinical and Translational Sciences Institute (CTSI)

A Search for Planets Transiting the M Dwarf Debris Disk Host, AU Microscopii

We present high cadence, high precision multi-band photometry of the young, M1Ve, debris disk star, AU Microscopii. The data were obtained in three continuum filters spanning a wavelength range from 4500\AA to 6600\AA, plus H$\alpha$, over 28 nights in 2005. The lightcurves show intrinsic stellar variability due to starspots with an amplitude in the blue band of 0.051 magnitudes and a period of 4.847 days. In addition, three large flares were detected in the data which all occur near the minimum brightness of the star. We remove the intrinsic stellar variability and combine the lightcurves of all the filters in order to search for transits by possible planetary companions orbiting in the plane of the nearly edge-on debris disk. The combined final lightcurve has a sampling of 0.35 minutes and a standard deviation of 6.8 millimags (mmag). We performed Monte Carlo simulations by adding fake transits to the observed lightcurve and find with 95% significance that there are no Jupiter mass planets orbiting in the plane of the debris disk on circular orbits with periods, P $\le 5$ days. In addition, there are no young Neptune-like planets (with radii 2.5$\times$ smaller than the young Jupiter) on circular orbits with periods, P $\le 3$ days.Comment: accepted to MNRA

Overwinter Mortality of Sympatric Juvenile Bluegill and Yellow Perch in Mid-Temperate Sandhill lakes, Nebraska, U.S.A

Substantial mortality can occur in age-0 fish populations during their first year of life, especially in winter; this can potentially influence overall recruitment into the adult population. As such, we compared relative abundances between fall and spring catches of sympatric juvenile bluegill Lepomis macrochirus Rafinesque and yellow perch Perca flavescens (Mitchill) to evaluate the magnitude of overwinter mortality across locations (five lakes for two years) and through time (one lake for six years). In addition, we compared both quantile-quantile and increment plots, based on length-frequency histograms from fall- and spring-caught cohorts from 2004 to 2010, to determine if mortality was sizeselective while accounting for over winter growth. Bluegill relative abundances (as indexed by catch-per-unit-effort) significantly decreased from fall to spring, although size-selective mortality was not detected in 10 instances. Yellow perch relative abundances were similar from fall to spring in five Nebraska Sandhill lakes; however, size-selective mortality was detected, with size-selective over winter mortality of smaller individuals occurring in one of eight instances, whereas greater mortality in larger individuals occurred in two instances. Positive growth occurred in both species but was variable among lakes and appeared to be system-specific. In Nebraska Sandhill lakes, over winter mortality likely differs between these two species in its severity, size-selective effect, and scale (i.e., lake-specific vs. large-scale processes), and is likely influenced by combinations of these (and potentially other) factors

Overwinter Mortality of Sympatric Juvenile Bluegill and Yellow Perch in Mid-temperate Prairie Lakes

Substantial mortality can occur in age-0 fish populations during their first year of life, especially in winter; this can potentially influence overall recruitment into the adult population. As such, we compared relative abundances between fall and spring catches of sympatric juvenile bluegill Lepomis macrochirus Rafinesque and yellow perch Perca flavescens (Mitchill) to evaluate the magnitude of overwinter mortality across locations (five lakes for two years) and through time (one lake for six years). In addition, we compared both quantile-quantile and increment plots, based on length-frequency histograms from fall- and spring-caught cohorts from 2004 to 2010, to determine if mortality was sizeselective while accounting for over winter growth. Bluegill relative abundances (as indexed by catch-per-unit-effort) significantly decreased from fall to spring, although size-selective mortality was not detected in 10 instances. Yellow perch relative abundances were similar from fall to spring in five Nebraska Sandhill lakes; however, size-selective mortality was detected, with size-selective over winter mortality of smaller individuals occurring in one of eight instances, whereas greater mortality in larger individuals occurred in two instances. Positive growth occurred in both species but was variable among lakes and appeared to be system-specific. In Nebraska Sandhill lakes, over winter mortality likely differs between these two species in its severity, size-selective effect, and scale (i.e., lake-specific vs. large-scale processes), and is likely influenced by combinations of these (and potentially other) factors

Staged correction of an equinovarus deformity due to pyoderma gangrenosum using a Taylor spatial frame and tibiotalar calcaneal fusion with an intramedullary device

Pyoderma gangrenosum is a rare autoinflammatory syndrome manifested by skin lesions eventually creating ulcers. Surgical management can lead to scarring and contracture at the site of the lesion due to the pathergy phenomenon. A 43-year-old woman presented with a 5-year history of severe equinovarus deformity due to chronic pyoderma gangrenosum on her posteromedial ankle. She underwent a staged fusion. A gradual “closed” correction was performed in a Taylor spatial frame for 8 weeks in order to obviate the need for a surgical release in the area of the ulcer. She was ambulatory and full weight-bearing within 4 weeks of her frame removal. She maintained her correction with an accommodative foot orthosis until she had an uneventful tibiotalar calcaneal fusion with an intramedullary device. This case represents the success of using a Taylor spatial frame for staged fusion involving soft-tissue correction of severe, rigid equinovarus deformity due to pyoderma gangrenosum

Emerging Disparities among Self-Pay Trauma Patients

Preliminary results from a study of trauma patients in Southern Nevada are yielding some unexpected findings with implications for both trauma centers and the growing Hispanic population. Hispanic patients are more likely to be self pay irrespective of income level and employment status when compared to non-Hispanic patient groups. Further, self pay Hispanics, unlike their non-Hispanic, self pay counterparts, tend to be employed, have families, and report stable living conditions. The implication is that the financial and social cost of traumatic injury may place a significant burden on trauma centers, patients, their families and the community

Synthesis, characterisation and performance of (TiO2)(0.18)(SiO2)(0.82) xerogel catalysts

The synthesis of high surface area xerogels has been achieved using the sol-gel route. Heptane washing was used during the stages of drying to minimise capillary pressures and hence preserve pore structure and maximise the surface area. SAXS data have identified that heptane washing during drying, in general, results in a preservation of the pore structure and surface areas of up to 450 m(2) g(-1). O-17 NMR showed that Ti is fully mixed into the silica network in all of the samples. XANES data confirm that reversible 4-fold Ti sites are more prevalent in samples with high surface areas, as expected. The calcined xerogels were tested for their catalytic activity using the epoxidation of cyclohexene with tert-butyl hydroperoxide (TBHP) as a test reaction, with excellent selectivities and reasonable percentage conversions. FT-IR spectroscopy has revealed that the catalytic activity is correlated with the intensity of the Si-O-Ti signal, after accounting for variations in Si-OH and Si-O-Si. The most effective catalyst was produced with heptane washing, a calcination temperature of 500 degreesC, and a heating rate of 5 degreesC min(-1)

Common Carp Disrupt Ecosystem Structure and Function Through Middle-out Effects

Middle-out effects or a combination of top-down and bottom-up processes create many theoretical and empirical challenges in the realm of trophic ecology. We propose using specific autecology or species trait (i.e. behavioural) information to help explain and understand trophic dynamics that may involve complicated and nonunidirectional trophic interactions. The common carp (Cyprinus carpio) served as our model species for whole-lake observational and experimental studies; four trophic levels were measured to assess common carp-mediated middle-out effects across multiple lakes. We hypothesised that common carp could influence aquatic ecosystems through multiple pathways (i.e. abiotic and biotic foraging, early life feeding, nutrient). Both studies revealed most trophic levels were affected by common carp, highlighting strong middle-out effects likely caused by common carp foraging activities and abiotic influence (i.e. sediment resuspension). The loss of water transparency, submersed vegetation and a shift in zooplankton dynamics were the strongest effects. Trophic levels furthest from direct pathway effects were also affected (fish life history traits). The present study demonstrates that common carp can exert substantial effects on ecosystem structure and function. Species capable of middle-out effects can greatly modify communities through a variety of available pathways and are not confined to traditional top-down or bottom-up processes

Evidence for Bluegill Spawning Plasticity Obtained by Disentangling Complex Factors Related to Recruitment

Fishes can exhibit many forms of plasticity to maximize fitness. However, limited information exists on the ability of freshwater fish to adjust spawning behavior and characteristics (e.g., timing, duration, magnitude of spawning events) to minimize mortality of recruits and ultimately maximize fitness.Wewanted to test the life history hypothesis for bluegill (Lepomis macrochirus) (i.e., opportunistic strategy) utilizing existing literature and results from our study to further evaluate the potential for spawning plasticity in this species. Our objective was to identify bluegill recruitment bottlenecks (i.e., periods of high mortality) and factors associated with these events in a single lake during 7 consecutive years. Bluegills exhibited shorter spawning durations and fewer spawning pulses (i.e., peaks in larval production) compared with bluegill in previous studies. Late-hatched (compared with early-hatched) bluegills consistently contributed the most to the fall juvenile population; these recruitment patterns were primarily attributed to biotic drivers. Our study suggests that bluegill could exhibit spawning plasticity and extends our current understanding of adaptations that are potentially capable of increasing fitness for a freshwater fish species under a wide range of environmental conditions and uncertainty. Les poissons peuvent présenter différentes formes de plasticité leur permettant de maximiser leur aptitude. Peu de renseignements sont toutefois disponibles sur la capacité des poissons d\u27eau douce d\u27ajuster leur comportement de frai et les caractéristiques de ce dernier (p. ex. moment, durée, magnitude des évènements de frai) afin de minimiser la mortalité des recrues et, au final, maximiser leur aptitude. Nous voulions tester l\u27hypothèse du cycle biologique (c.-a` -d. stratégie opportuniste) pour le crapet arlequin (Lepomis macrochirus) a` la lumière d\u27études existantes et des résultats de notre étude pour évaluer plus en détail le potentiel de plasticité du frai chez cette espèce. L\u27objectif consistait a` cerner les goulots d\u27étranglement en ce qui concerne le recrutement de crapets arlequins (c.-a` -d. périodes de mortalité élevée) et les facteurs associés a` ces évènements dans un seul lac pendant 7 années consécutives. Comparativement aux études antérieures, les crapets arlequins présentaient des durées de frai plus courtes et moins de pointes de frai (ou de production de larves). La contribution a` la population juvénile automnale des crapets arlequins a` éclosion tardive était uniformément plus importante que celle des individus a` éclosion précoce, ces motifs de recrutement étant principalement attribuables a` des facteurs biotiques. L\u27étude donne a` penser que les crapets arlequins pourraient présenter une plasticité de frai et elle élargit la compréhension actuelle des adaptations pouvant potentiellement accroître l\u27aptitude d\u27une espèce de poissons dulcicoles pour un vaste éventail de conditions ambiantes et de niveaux d\u27incertitude